Energy absorbing restraint web assembly including a visual deployment indicator

1. An energy-absorbing restraint web assembly, comprising:

a restraint web having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and

an energy absorption web having a first length, a first end attached to the restraint web at a first location thereof and a second end, opposite the first end of the energy absorption web, attached to the restraint web at a second location thereof, the energy absorption web responsive to a force applied to the restraint web, having a load component between the first and second ends of the restraint web, that is greater than a threshold force to elongate and absorb energy while elongating,

wherein the restraint web defines a second length between the first and second locations thereof, the second length of the restraint web greater than the first length of the energy absorption web such that the overall length of the restraint web increases as the energy absorption web elongates,

and wherein the restraint web is a shoulder web configured to extend across a torso of an occupant of a motor vehicle seat to restrain the occupant in and relative to the motor vehicle seat,

and wherein the first end of the restraint web is configured for attachment to at least one of the motor vehicle seat, a frame component of a motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle seat is mounted, a floor of the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle seat is mounted and a web retractor secured within the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle seat is mounted, and the second end of the restraint web is configured for attachment to at least one of another restraint web and a releasable attachment device,

and wherein the energy absorption web has a maximum elongation length,

and wherein the restraint web assembly has an at rest state in which the occupant does not subject the restraint web to any forward forces, in a direction generally forwardly away from a front surface of a seat back of the motor vehicle seat, resulting from motion and/or impact of the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle seat is mounted,

and wherein the restraint web assembly has a fully deployed state in which the occupant subjects the restraint web to a forward force, in the direction generally forwardly away from the front surface of the seat back of the motor vehicle seat, resulting from motion and/or impact of the motor vehicle, that is greater than a threshold elongation force of the energy absorption web and to which the energy absorption web is responsive to elongate to the maximum elongation length,

and wherein a first distance is defined between a point on the vehicle seat back and a point on the torso of the occupant when the restraint web assembly is in the at rest state,

and wherein a second distance is defined between the point on the vehicle seat back and the point on the torso of the occupant when the restraint web assembly is in the fully deployed state, the second distance greater than the first distance,

and wherein the maximum elongation length is selected to result in a difference between the first and second distances which allows the occupant's torso to reach dynamic equilibrium without submarining of the occupant relative to the restraint web assembly.

2. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve extending at least partially about the restraint web, the sleeve covering the energy absorption web as long as the energy absorption web is the first length.

3. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a visual deployment indicator on the restraint web, the visual deployment indicator covered by the sleeve as long as the energy absorption web is the first length, the visual deployment indicator extending outwardly from the sleeve as the energy absorption web elongates from the first length toward a second length of the energy absorption web that is longer than the first length of the energy absorption web.

4. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 3 , wherein the visual deployment indicator comprises a patch affixed to the restraint web.

5. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 4 , wherein the patch includes at least one of text, at least one graphic element and a color code to provide notification that the energy-absorbing restraint web assembly has been deployed when the visual deployment indicator extends outwardly from the sleeve.

6. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 3 , wherein the visual deployment indicator comprises on a portion of the restraint web at least one of text, at least one graphic element and a color code to provide notification that the energy-absorbing restraint web assembly has been deployed when the visual deployment indicator extends outwardly from the sleeve.

7. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein the maximum elongation length of the energy absorption web is equal to the second length of the restraint web.

8. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein the maximum elongation length of the energy absorption web is greater than the first length thereof but less than the second length of the restraint web.

9. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein the maximum elongation length of the energy absorption web is greater than the second length of the restraint web.

10. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein

the energy absorption web performs an amount of work when elongating from the first length thereof to the maximum elongation length,

and wherein the amount of work performed by the energy absorption web is in a work range of about 20 inch-lbs-350 inch-lbs.

11. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein the energy absorption web has an elongation rate associated therewith,

and wherein the energy absorption web performs an amount of work when elongating from the first length thereof to the maximum elongation length,

and wherein the amount of work performed by the energy absorption web is a function of the elongation rate, an elongation length for a relatively small occupant of the motor vehicle seat and an elongation length for a relatively large occupant of the motor vehicle seat.

12. The energy-absorbing restraint web assembly of claim 1 , wherein the difference between the first and second distances is between about 2.5 centimeters and 10 centimeters.