A.Continuous Loop Three-Point Shoulder/Lap Belt - System With Moveable Tongue and One Retractor - 1976 to Present Cars and Ligh

Figure 5:

The continuous loop three-point system (Figure 5) is used for front outboard passengers. The outboard lap/shoulder belt uses a common moveable tongue. To fasten the seat belt, the tongue is inserted into the inboard buckle. The webbing of the lap belt is anchored to the side of the body without a retractor. The shoulder harness webbing has the other end fixed in a retractor, which is located on the "B" pillar post or in the quarter panel. The shoulder harness retractor is designed to let the webbing freely move in or out, except during sufficient vehicle deceleration, when it is automatically locked by a mechanically actuated inertia sensor.
The inboard (buckle) portion of the seat belt assembly passes between the seat cushion and seat back on bench seat installations, and directly to a fixed anchorage on the floor. On bucket seat installations, it is routed along the side of the seat and is fastened to a slide bar. The slide bar is connected to the seat track, the seat, and the floor pan. On LTD/Marquis and Thunderbird/Cougar, the buckle end passes between the seat and the consolette and is connected to the seat track.

Attaching the tongue to the buckle secures the occupant with both lower and upper restraints. This attachment of the tongue and buckle can be accomplished by a single continuous movement. This system may also include a tension eliminator that is designed to release automatically when the respective front door is opened. As the seatbelt is unbuckled, the tongue end of the belt should be hand-guided back to the retractor to prevent the belt tongue from striking occupants or objects nearby during retraction.