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Smart Belt

Graph illustrating total load on occupants chest  
  Active Seatbelts
  Belt Grabber
  Belt-in-Seat
  Buckle
  Height Adjuster
  Load Limiter
  Pretensioners
  Retractor
  Smart Belt
  Trunk Belt

Autoliv's Smart Belt System uses a switch mechanism to adapt its restraining force – and hence the load on the occupant – to the severity of the crash and to the restraining force of the airbag.

In a crash, the Smart Belt System starts – as in most modern seatbelt systems – by tightening the belt, using a pyrotechnic pretensioner. This eliminates slack and makes it possible to release some webbing at a later stage, if the load on the occupant becomes too high.

In a traditional system, the loads to the occupant from the seatbelt and the airbag are added to each other when the bag also starts to restrain the occupant. On the Smart Belt System, however, the system just shifts into the second, lighter gear to maintain the restraining force at a relatively constant level.

In addition, the Smart Belt can adapt its restraining force – and hence the load on the occupant – to the crash severity. In a very violent crash the Smart Belt just stays in the first gear a little longer before it shifts down into the second, lighter gear.

If the vehicle is equipped with an occupant weight sensing systems, it is also possible to adjust the seatbelt load individually to each occupant. This is an important advantage since smaller, lighter weight occupants, such as many women, are more susceptible to high belt loads than the average person, and these individuals do not need the same restraining force as a larger occupant.

The adaptive load limiter was introduced in 2002 on the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes E-Class.