cfr-49-1999-title49-vol5-sec571-209

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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–99 Edition)§ 571.209

[36 FR 22902, Dec. 2, 1971]

EDITORIAL NOTE: For FEDERAL REGISTER ci-tations affecting § 571.208, see the List of CFRSections Affected in the Finding Aids sec-tion of this volume.

§ 571.209 Standard No. 209; Seat beltassemblies.

S1. Purpose and scope. This standardspecifies requirements for seat belt as-semblies.

S2. Application. This standard appliesto seat belt assemblies for use in pas-senger cars, multipurpose passenger ve-hicles, trucks, and buses.

S3. Definitions. Adjustment hardwaremeans any or all hardware designed foradjusting the size of a seat belt assem-bly to fit the user, including such hard-ware that may be integral with a buck-le, attachment hardware, or retractor.

Attachment hardware means any or allhardware designed for securing thewebbing of a seat belt assembly to amotor vehicle.

Automatic-locking retractor means aretractor incorporating adjustmenthardware by means of a positive self-locking mechanism which is capablewhen locked of withstanding restraintforces.

Buckle means a quick release con-nector which fastens a person in a seatbelt assembly.

Emergency-locking retractor means aretractor incorporating adjustmenthardware by means of a locking mecha-nism that is activated by vehicle accel-eration, webbing movement relative tothe vehicle, or other automatic actionduring an emergency and is capablewhen locked of withstanding restraintforces.

Hardware means any metal or rigidplastic part of a seat belt assembly.

Load-limiter means a seat belt assem-bly component or feature that controlstension on the seat belt to modulatethe forces that are imparted to occu-pants restrained by the belt assemblyduring a crash.

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Nat’l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., DOT § 571.209

Nonlocking retractor means a retrac-tor from which the webbing is extendedto essentially its full length by a smallexternal force, which provides no ad-justment for assembly length, andwhich may or may not be capable ofsustaining restraint forces at max-imum webbing extension.

Pelvic restraint means a seat belt as-sembly or portion thereof intended torestrain movement of the pelvis.

Retractor means a device for storingpart or all of the webbing in a seat beltassembly.

Seat back retainer means the portionof some seat belt assemblies designedto restrict forward movement of a seatback.

Seat belt assembly means any strap,webbing, or similar device designed tosecure a person in a motor vehicle inorder to mitigate the results of any ac-cident, including all necessary bucklesand other fasteners, and all hardwaredesigned for installing such seat beltassembly in a motor vehicle.

Strap means a narrow nonwoven ma-terial used in a seat belt assembly inplace of webbing.

Type 1 seat belt assembly is a lap beltfor pelvic restraint.

Type 2 seat belt assembly is a combina-tion of pelvic and upper torso re-straints.

Type 2a shoulder belt is an upper torsorestraint for use only in conjunctionwith a lap belt as a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly.

Upper torso restraint means a portionof a seat belt assembly intended to re-strain movement of the chest andshoulder regions.

Webbing means a narrow fabric wovenwith continuous filling yarns and fin-ished selvages.

S4. Requirements.S4.1 (a) Single occupancy. A seat belt

assembly shall be designed for use byone, and only one, person at any onetime.

(b) [Reserved](c) Upper torso restraint. A Type 2 seat

belt assembly shall provide upper torsorestraint without shifting the pelvicrestraint into the abdominal region.An upper torso restraint shall be de-signed to minimize vertical forces onthe shoulders and spine. Hardware forupper torso restraint shall be so de-

signed and located in the seat belt as-sembly that the possibility of injury tothe occupant is minimized.

A Type 2a shoulder belt shall complywith applicable requirements for aType 2 seat belt assembly in S4.1 toS4.4, inclusive.

(d) Hardware. All hardware partswhich contact under normal usage aperson, clothing, or webbing shall befree from burrs and sharp edges.

(e) Release. A Type 1 or Type 2 seatbelt assembly shall be provided with abuckle or buckles readily accessible tothe occupant to permit his easy andrapid removal from the assembly.Buckle release mechanism shall be de-signed to minimize the possibility ofaccidental release. A buckle with re-lease mechanism in the latched posi-tion shall have only one opening inwhich the tongue can be inserted onthe end of the buckle designed to re-ceive and latch the tongue.

(f) Attachment hardware. A seat beltassembly shall include all hardwarenecessary for installation in a motorvehicle in accordance with Society ofAutomotive Engineers RecommendedPractice J800c, ‘‘Motor Vehicle SeatBelt Installation,’’ November 1973.However, seat belt assemblies designedfor installation in motor vehiclesequipped with seat belt assembly an-chorages that do not require anchoragenuts, plates, or washers, need not havesuch hardware, but shall have 7⁄16–20UNF–2A or 1⁄2–13UNC–2A attachmentbolts or equivalent metric hardware.The hardware shall be designed to pre-vent attachment bolts and other partsfrom becoming disengaged from the ve-hicle while in service. Reinforcingplates or washers furnished for uni-versal floor, installations shall be ofsteel, free from burrs and sharp edgeson the peripheral edges adjacent to thevehicle, at least 1.5 mm in thicknessand at least 2580 mm2 in projected area.The distance between any edge of theplate and the edge of the bolt hole shallbe at least 15 mm. Any corner shall berounded to a radius of not less than 6mm or cut so that no corner angle isless than 135° and no side is less than 6mm in length.

(g) Adjustment. (1) A Type 1 or Type 2seat belt assembly shall be capable of


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adjustment to fit occupants whose di-mensions and weight range from thoseof a 5th-percentile adult female tothose of a 95th-percentile adult male.The seat belt assembly shall have ei-ther an automatic-locking retractor,an emergency-locking retractor, or anadjusting device that is within thereach of the occupant.

(2) A Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt as-sembly for use in a vehicle having seatsthat are adjustable shall conform tothe requirements of S4.1(g)(1) regard-less of seat position. However, if a seathas a back that is separately adjust-able, the requirements of S4.1(g)(1)need be met only with the seat back inthe manufacturer’s nominal designriding position.

(3) The adult occupants referred to inS4.1(g)(1) shall have the followingmeasurements:

5th percentileadult female

95th percentileadult male

Weight ........................... 46.3 kg ............... 97.5 kg.Erect sitting height ........ 785 mm .............. 965 mm.Hip breadth (sitting) ...... 325 mm .............. 419 mm.Hip circumference (sit-

ting).925 mm .............. 1199 mm.

Waist circumference(sitting).

599 mm .............. 1080 mm.

Chest depth .................. 190 mm .............. 267 mm.Chest circumference:

Nipple ........................ 775 mm .............. 1130 mm.Upper ......................... 757 mm .............. 1130 mm.Lower ......................... 676 mm .............. 1130 mm.

(h) Webbing. The ends of webbing in aseat belt assembly shall be protected ortreated to prevent raveling. The end ofwebbing in a seat belt assembly havinga metal-to-metal buckle that is used bythe occupant to adjust the size of theassembly shall not pull out of the ad-justment hardware at maximum sizeadjustment. Provision shall be madefor essentially unimpeded movement ofwebbing routed between a seat backand seat cushion and attached to a re-tractor located behind the seat.

(i) Strap. A strap used in a seat beltassembly to sustain restraint forcesshall comply with the requirements forwebbing in S4.2, and if the strap ismade from a rigid material, it shallcomply with applicable requirementsin S4.2, S4.3, and S4.4.

(j) Marking. Each seat belt assemblyshall be permanently and legiblymarked or labeled with year of manu-facture, model, and name or trademark

of manufacturer or distributor, or ofimporter if manufactured outside theUnited States. A model shall consist ofa single combination of webbing havinga specific type of fiber weave and con-struction, and hardware having a spe-cific design. Webbings of various colorsmay be included under the same model,but webbing of each color shall complywith the requirements for webbing inS4.2.

(k) Installation instructions. A seatbelt assembly, other than a seat beltassembly installed in a motor vehicleby an automobile manufacturer, shallbe accompanied by an instruction sheetproviding sufficient information for in-stalling the assembly in a motor vehi-cle. The installation instructions shallstate whether the assembly is for uni-versal installation or for installationonly in specifically stated motor vehi-cles, and shall include at least thoseitems specified in SAE RecommendedPractice J800c, ‘‘Motor Vehicle SeatBelt Installations,’’ November 1973. Ifthe assembly is for use only in specifi-cally stated motor vehicles, the assem-bly shall either be permanently andlegibly marked or labeled with the fol-lowing statement, or the instructionsheet shall include the following state-ment:

This seat belt assembly is for use only in[insert specific seating position(s), e.g.,‘‘front right’’] in [insert specific vehiclemake(s) and model(s)].

(l) Usage and maintenance instructions.A seat belt assembly or retractor shallbe accompanied by written instruc-tions for the proper use of the assem-bly, stressing particularly the impor-tance of wearing the assembly snuglyand properly located on the body, andon the maintenance f the assembly andperiodic inspection of all components.The instructions shall show the propermanner of threading webbing in thehardware of seat belt assemblies inwhich the webbing is not permanentlyfastened. Instructions for a nonlockingretractor shall include a caution thatthe webbing must be fully extendedfrom the retractor during use of theseat belt assembly unless the retractoris attached to the free end of webbingwhich is not subjected to any tensionduring restraint of an occupant by theassembly. Instructions for Type 2a


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shoulder belt shall include a warningthat the shoulder belt is not to be usedwithout a lap belt.

(m) Workmanship. Seat belt assem-blies shall have good workmanship inaccordance with good commercial prac-tice.

S4.2 Requirements for webbing.(a) Width. The width of the webbing

in a seat belt assembly shall be not lessthan 46 mm, except for portions that donot touch a 95th percentile adult malewith the seat in any adjustment posi-tion and the seat back in the manufac-turer’s nominal design riding positionwhen measured under the conditionsprescribed in S5.1(a).

(b) Breaking strength. The webbing ina seat belt assembly shall have not lessthan the following breaking strengthwhen tested by the procedures specifiedin S5.1(b): Type 1 seat belt assembly—26,689 N; Type 2 seat belt assembly—22,241 N for webbing in pelvic restraintand 17,793 N for webbing in upper torsorestraint.

(c) Elongation. Except as provided inS4.5, the webbing in a seat belt assem-bly shall not extend to more than thefollowing elongation when subjected tothe specified forces in accordance withthe procedure specified in S5.1(c): Type1 seat belt assembly—20 percent at11,120 N; Type 2 seat belt assembly 30percent at 11,120 N for webbing in pel-vic restraint and 40 percent at 11,120 Nfor webbing in upper torso restraint.

(d) Resistance to abrasion. The web-bing of a seat belt assembly, afterbeing subjected to abrasion as specifiedin S5.1(d) or S5.3(c), shall have a break-ing strength of not less than 75 percentof the breaking strength listed inS4.2(b) for that type of belt assembly.

(e) Resistance to light. The webbing ina seat belt assembly after exposure tothe light of a carbon are and tested bythe procedure specified in S5.1(e) shallhave a breaking strength not less than60 percent of the strength before expo-sure to the carbon arc and shall have acolor retention not less than No. 2 onthe Geometric Gray Scale published bythe American Association of TextileChemists and Colorists, Post Office Box886, Durham, NC.

(f) Resistance to micro-organisms. Thewebbing in a seat belt assembly afterbeing subjected to micro-organisms

and tested by the procedures specifiedin S5.1(f) shall have a breakingstrength not less than 85 percent of thestrength before subjection to micro-or-ganisms.

S4.3 Requirements for hardware.(a) Corrosion resistance. (1) Attach-

ment hardware of a seat belt assemblyafter being subjected to the conditionsspecified in S5.2(a) shall be free of fer-rous corrosion on significant surfacesexcept for permissible ferrous corro-sion at peripheral edges or edges ofholes on underfloor reinforcing platesand washers. Alternatively, such hard-ware at or near the floor shall be pro-tected against corrosion by at least anelectrodeposited coating of nickel, orcopper and nickel with at least a serv-ice condition number of SC2, and otherattachment hardware shall be pro-tected by an electrodeposited coatingof nickel, or copper and nickel with aservice condition number of SC1, in ac-cordance with American Society forTesting and Materials B456–79, ‘‘Stand-ard Specification for ElectrodepositedCoatings of Copper Plus Nickel PlusChromium and Nickel Plus Chro-mium,’’ but such hardware shall not beracked for electroplating in locationssubjected to maximum stress.

(2) Surfaces of buckles, retractorsand metallic parts, other than attach-ment hardware, of a seat belt assemblyafter subjection to the conditions spec-ified in S5.2(a) shall be free of ferrousor nonferrous corrosion which may betransferred, either directly or bymeans of the webbing, to the occupantor his clothing when the assembly isworn. After test, buckles shall conformto applicable requirements in para-graphs (d) to (g) of this section.

(b) Temperature resistance. Plastic orother nonmetallic hardware parts of aseat belt assembly when subjected tothe conditions specified in S5.2(b) shallnot warp or otherwise deteriorate tocause the assembly to operate improp-erly or fail to comply with applicablerequirements in this section and S4.4.

(c) Attachment hardware. (1) Eyebolts, shoulder bolts, or other bolt usedto secure the pelvic restraint of seatbelt assembly to a motor vehicle shallwithstand a force of 40,034 N when test-ed by the procedure specified inS5.2(c)(1), except that attachment bolts


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of a seat belt assembly designed for in-stallation in specific models of motorvehicles in which the ends of two ormore seat belt assemblies cannot be at-tached to the vehicle by a single boltshall have breaking strength of not lessthan 22,241 N.

(2) Other attachment hardware de-signed to receive the ends of two seatbelt assemblies shall withstand a ten-sile force of at least 26,689 N withoutfracture of a section when tested bythe procedure specified in S5.2(c)(2).

(3) A seat belt assembly having singleattachment hooks of the quick-dis-connect type for connecting webbing toan eye bolt shall be provided with a re-taining latch or keeper which shall notmove more than 2 mm in either thevertical or horizontal direction whentested by the procedure specified inS5.2(c)(3).

(d) Buckle release. (1) The buckle of aType 1 or Type 2 seat belt assemblyshall release when a force of not morethan 133 N is applied.

(2) A buckle designed for pushbuttonapplication of buckle release forceshall have a minimum area of 452 mm2

with a minimum linear dimension of 10mm for applying the release force, or abuckle designed for lever application ofbuckle release force shall permit theinsertion of a cylinder 10 mm in diame-ter and 38 mm in length to at least themidpoint of the cylinder along the cyl-inder’s entire length in the actuationportion of the buckle release. A bucklehaving other design for release shallhave adequate access for two or morefingers to actuate release.

(3) The buckle of a Type 1 or Type 2seat belt assembly shall not releaseunder a compressive force of 1779 N ap-plied as prescribed in paragraphS5.2(d)(3). The buckle shall be operableand shall meet the applicable require-ment of paragraph S4.4 after the com-pressive force has been removed.

(e) Adjustment force. The force re-quired to decrease the size of a seatbelt assembly shall not exceed 49 Nwhen measured by the procedure speci-fied in S5.2(e).

(f) Tilt-lock adjustment. The buckle ofa seat belt assembly having tilt-lockadjustment shall lock the webbingwhen tested by the procedure specifiedin S5.2(f) at an angle of not less than 30

degrees between the base of the buckleand the anchor webbing.

(g) Buckle latch. The buckle latch of aseat belt assembly when tested by theprocedure specified in S5.2(g) shall notfail, nor gall or wear to an extent thatnormal latching and unlatching is im-paired, and a metal-to-metal buckleshall separate when in any position ofpartial engagement by a force of notmore than 22 N.

(h) Nonlocking retractor. The webbingof a seat belt assembly shall extendfrom a nonlocking retractor within 6mm of maximum length when a tensionis applied as prescribed in S5.2(h). Anonlocking retractor on upper torso re-straint shall be attached to the non-adjustable end of the assembly, the reelof the retractor shall be easily visibleto an occupant while wearing the as-sembly, and the maximum retractionforce shall not exceed 5 N in any strapor webbing that contacts the shoulderwhen measured by the procedure speci-fied in S5.2(h), unless the retractor isattached to the free end of webbingwhich is not subjected to any tensionduring restraint of an occupant by theassembly.

(i) Automatic-locking retractor. Thewebbing of a seat belt assemblyequipped with an automatic locking re-tractor, when tested by the procedurespecified in S5.2(i), shall not movemore than 25 mm between locking posi-tions of the retractor, and shall be re-tracted with a force under zero accel-eration of not less than 3 N when at-tached to pelvic restraint, and not lessthat 2 N nor more than 5 N in any strapor webbing that contacts the shouldersof an occupant when the retractor isattached to upper torso restraint. Anautomatic locking retractor attachedto upper torso restraint shall not in-crease the restraint on the occupant ofthe seat belt assembly during use in avehicle traveling over rough roads asprescribed in S5.2(i).

(j) Emergency-locking retractor. Anemergency-locking retractor of a Type1 or Type 2 seat belt assembly, whentested in accordance with the proce-dures specified in paragraph S5.2(j)—

(1) Shall lock before the webbing ex-tends 25 mm when the retractor is sub-jected to an acceleration of 7 m/s2 (0.7g);


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(2) Shall not lock, if the retractor issensitive to webbing withdrawal, beforethe webbing extends 51 mm when theretractor is subjected to an accelera-tion of 3 m/s2 (0.3 g) or less.

(3) Shall not lock, if the retractor issensitive to vehicle acceleration, whenthe retractor is rotated in any direc-tion to any angle of 15° or less from itsorientation in the vehicle;

(4) Shall exert a retractive force of atleast 3 N under zero acceleration whenattached only to the pelvic restraint;

(5) Shall exert a retractive force ofnot less than 1 N and not more than 5N under zero acceleration when at-tached only to an upper torso re-straint;

(6) Shall exert a retractive force ofnot less than 1 N and not more than 7N under zero acceleration when at-tached to a strap or webbing that re-strains both the upper torso and thepelvis.

(k) Performance of retractor. A retrac-tor used on a seat belt assembly aftersubjection to the tests specified inS5.2(k) shall comply with applicable re-quirements in paragraphs (h) to (j) ofthis section and S4.4, except that theretraction force shall be not less than50 percent of its original retractionforce.

S4.4 Requirements for assembly per-formance.

(a) Type I seat belt assembly. Except asprovided in S4.5, the complete seat beltassembly including webbing, straps,buckles, adjustment and attachmenthardware, and retractors shall complywith the following requirements whentested by the procedures specified inS5.3(a):

(1) The assembly loop shall withstanda force of not less than 22,241 N; that is,each structural component of the as-sembly shall withstand a force of notless than 11,120 N.

(2) The assembly loop shall extendnot more than 7 inches or 178 mm whensubjected to a force of 22,241 N; that is,the length of the assembly between an-chorages shall not increase more than356 mm.

(3) Any webbing cut by the hardwareduring test shall have a breakingstrength at the cut of not less than18,683 N.

(4) Complete fracture through anysolid section of metal attachmenthardware shall not occur during test.

(b) Type 2 seat belt assembly. Except asprovided in S4.5, the components of aType 2 seat belt assembly includingwebbing, straps, buckles, adjustmentand attachment hardware, and retrac-tors shall comply with the followingrequirements when tested by the proce-dure specified in S5.3(b):

(1) The structural components in thepelvic restraint shall withstand a forceof not less than 11,120 N.

(2) The structural components in theupper torso restraint shall withstand aforce of not less than 6,672 N.

(3) The structural components in theassembly that are common to pelvicand upper torso restraints shall with-stand a force of not less than 13,345 N.

(4) The length of the pelvic restraintbetween anchorages shall not increasemore than 508 mm when subjected to aforce of 11,120 N.

(5) The length of the upper torso re-straint between anchorages shall notincrease more than 508 mm when sub-jected to a force of 6,672 N.

(6) Any webbing cut by the hardwareduring test shall have a breakingstrength of not less than 15,569 N at acut in webbing of the pelvic restraint,or not less than 12,455 N at a cut inwebbing of the upper torso restraint.

(7) Complete fracture through anysolid section of metal attachmenthardware shall not occur during test.

S4.5 Load-limiter. (a) A Type 1 or Type2 seat belt assembly that includes aload-limiter is not required to complywith the elongation requirements ofS4.2(c), S4.4(a)(2), S4.4(b)(4) orS4.4(b)(5).

(b) A seat belt assembly that includesa load limiter and that does not com-ply with the elongation requirementsof this standard may be installed inmotor vehicles at any designated seat-ing position that is subject to the re-quirements of S5.1 of Standard No. 208(§ 571.208).

S4.6 Manual belts subject to crash pro-tection requirements of Standard No. 208.

(a)(1) A manual seat belt assembly,which is subject to the requirements ofS5.1 of Standard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208)by virtue of any provision of StandardNo. 208 other than S4.1.2.1(c)(2) of that


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standard, does not have to meet the re-quirements of S4.2(a)–(f) and S4.4 ofthis standard.

(2) A manual seat belt assembly sub-ject to the requirements of S5.1 ofStandard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208) byvirtue of S4.1.2.1(c)(2) of Standard No.208 does not have to meet the elon-gation requirements of S4.2(c),S4.4(a)(2), S4.4(b)(4), and S4.4(b)(5) ofthis standard.

S5. Demonstration procedures.S5.1 Webbing—(a) Width. The width

of webbing from three seat belt assem-blies shall be measured after condi-tioning for at least 24 hours in an at-mosphere having relative humidity be-tween 48 and 67 percent and a tempera-ture of 23° ±2 °C. The tension duringmeasurement of width shall be notmore than 22 N on webbing from a Type1 seat belt assembly, and 9786 N ± 450 Non webbing from a Type 2 seat belt as-sembly. The width of webbing from aType 2 seat belt assembly may bemeasured during the breaking strengthtest described in paragraph (b) of thissection.

(b) Breaking strength. Webbing fromthree seat belt assemblies shall be con-ditioned in accordance with paragraph(a) of this section and tested for break-ing strength in a testing machine of ca-pacity verified to have an error of notmore than one percent in the range ofthe breaking strength of the webbingin accordance with American Societyfor Testing and Materials E4–79‘‘Standard Methods of LoadVerification of Testing Machines.’’ Themachine shall be equipped with splitdrum grips illustrated in Figure 1, hav-ing a diameter between 51 and 102 mm.The rate of grip separation shall be be-tween 51 and 102 mm per minute. Thedistance between the centers of thegrips at the start of the test shall bebetween 102 and 254 mm. After placingthe specimen in the grips, the webbingshall be stretched continuously at auniform rate to failure. Each valueshall be not less than the applicablebreaking strength requirement inS4.2(b), but the median value shall beused for determining the retention ofbreaking strength in paragraphs (d), (e)and (f) of this section.

(c) Elongation. Elongation shall bemeasured during the breaking strength

test described in paragraph (b) of thissection by the following procedure: Apreload between 196 N and 245 N shallbe placed on the webbing mounted inthe grips of the testing machine andthe needle points of an extensometer,in which the points remain parallelduring test, are inserted in the centerof the specimen. Initially the pointsshall be set at a known distance apartbetween 102 and 203 mm. When theforce on the webbing reaches the valuespecified in S4.2(c), the increase in sep-aration of the points of the exten-someter shall be measured and the per-cent elongation shall be calculated tothe nearest 0.5 percent. Each valueshall be not more than the appropriateelongation requirement in S4.2(c).

(d) Resistance to abrasion. The web-bing from three seat belt assembliesshall be tested for resistance to abra-sion by rubbing over the hexagon barprescribed in Figure 2 in the followingmanner: The webbing shall be mountedin the apparatus shown schematicallyin Figure 2. One end of the webbing (A)shall be attached to a mass (B) of 2.35kg ± .05 kg, except that a mass of 1.5 kg± .05 kg shall be used for webbing inpelvic and upper torso restraints of abelt assembly used in a child restraintsystem. The webbing shall be passedover the two new abrading edges of thehexagon bar (C) and the other end at-tached to an oscillating drum (D)which has a stroke of 330 mm. Suitableguides shall be used to prevent move-ment of the webbing along the axis ofhexagonal bar C. Drum D shall be oscil-lated for 5,000 strokes or 2,500 cycles ata rate of 60 ± 2 strokes per minute or 30± 1 cycles per minute. The abraded web-bing shall be conditioned as prescribedin paragraph (a) of this section andtested for breaking strength by theprocedure described in paragraph (b) ofthis section. The median values for thebreaking strengths determined on ab-raded and unabraded specimens shallbe used to calculate the percentage ofbreaking strength retained.

(e) Resistance to light. Webbing atleast 508 mm in length from three seatbelt assemblies shall be suspendedvertically on the inside of the specimentrack in a Type E carbon-arc light ex-posure apparatus described in Standard


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Practice for Generating Light-Expo-sure Apparatus (Carbon-Arc Type)With and Without Water for Exposureof Nonmetallic Materials, ASTM Des-ignation: G23 81, published by theAmerican Society for Testing and Ma-terials, except that the filter used for100 percent polyester yarns shall bechemically strengthened soda-limeglass with a transmittance of less than5 percent for wave lengths equal to orless than 305 nanometers and 90 percentor greater transmittance for wavelengths of 375 to 800 nanometers. Theapparatus shall be operated withoutwater spray at an air temperature of60° ± 2 °Celsius ( °C) measured at apoint 25 ± 5 mm outside the specimenrack and midway in height. The tem-perature sensing element shall beshielded from radiation. The specimensshall be exposed to light from the car-bon-arc for 100 hours and then condi-tioned as prescribed in paragraph (a) ofthis section. The colorfastness of theexposed and conditioned specimensshall be determined on the GeometricGray Scale issued by the American As-sociation of Textile Chemists andColorists. The breaking strength of thespecimens shall be determined by theprocedure prescribed in paragraph (b)of this section. The median values forthe breaking strengths determined onexposed and unexposed specimens shallbe used to calculate the percentage ofbreaking strength retained.

(f) Resistance to micro-organisms. Web-bing at least 508 millimeters (mm) inlength from three seat belt assembliesshall first be preconditioned in accord-ance with Appendix A(1) and (2) ofAmerican Association of Textile Chem-ists and Colorists Test Method 381,‘‘Fungicides Evaluation on Textiles;Mildew and Rot Resistance of Tex-tiles,’’ and then subjected to Test I,‘‘Soil Burial Test’’ of that test method.After soil-burial for a period of 2weeks, the specimen shall be washed inwater, dried and conditioned as pre-scribed in paragraph (a) of this section.The breaking strengths of the speci-mens shall be determined by the proce-dure prescribed in paragraph (b) of thissection. The median values for thebreaking strengths determined on ex-posed and unexposed specimens shall be

used to calculate the percentage ofbreaking strength retained.

NOTE: This test shall not be required onwebbing made from material which is inher-ently resistant to micro-organisms.

S5.2 Hardware.(a) Corrosion resistance. Three seat

belt assemblies shall be tested in ac-cordance with American Society forTesting and Materials B11773, ‘‘Stand-ard Method of Salt Spray (Fog) Test-ing.’’ Any surface coating or materialnot intended for permanent retentionon the metal parts during service lifeshall be removed prior to preparationof the test specimens for testing. Theperiod of test shall be 50 hours for allattachment hardware at or near thefloor, consisting of two periods of 24hours exposure to salt spray followedby 1 hour drying and 25 hours for allother hardware, consisting of one pe-riod of 24 hours exposure to salt sprayfollowed by 1 hour drying. In the saltspray test chamber, the parts from thethree assemblies shall be oriented dif-ferently, selecting those orientationsmost likely to develop corrosion on thelarger areas. At the end of test, theseat belt assembly shall be washedthoroughly with water to remove thesalt. After drying for at least 24 hoursunder standard laboratory conditionsspecified in S5.1(a) attachment hard-ware shall be examined for ferrous cor-rosion on significant surfaces, that is,all surfaces that can be contacted by asphere 19 mm in diameter, and otherhardware shall be examined for ferrousand nonferrous corrosion which may betransferred, either directly or bymeans of the webbing, to a person orhis clothing during use of a seat beltassembly incorporating the hardware.

NOTE: When attachment and other hard-ware are permanently fastened, by sewing orother means, to the same piece of webbing,separate assemblies shall be used to test thetwo types of hardware. The test for corrosionresistance shall not be required for attach-ment hardware made from corrosion-resist-ant steel containing at least 11.5 percentchromium or for attachment hardware pro-tected with an electrodeposited coating ofnickel, or copper and nickel, as prescribed inS4.3(a). The assembly that has been used totest the corrosion resistance of the buckleshall be used to measure adjustment force,tilt-lock adjustment, and buckle latch inparagraphs (e), (f), and (g), respectively, ofthis section, assembly performance in S5.3


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and buckle release force in paragraph (d) ofthis section.

(b) Temperature resistance. Three seatbelt assemblies having plastic or non-metallic hardware or having retractorsshall be subjected to the conditionsprescribed in Procedure D of AmericanSociety for Testing and MaterialsD756–78, ‘‘Standard Practice for Deter-mination of Weight and Shape Changesof Plastics under Accelerated ServiceConditions.’’ The dimension and weightmeasurement shall be omitted. Bucklesshall be unlatched and retractors shallbe fully retracted during conditioning.The hardware parts after conditioningshall be used for all applicable tests inS4.3 and S4.4.

(c) Attachment hardware. (1) Attach-ment bolts used to secure the pelvic re-straint of a seat belt assembly to amotor vehicle shall be tested in a man-ner similar to that shown in Figure 3.The load shall be applied at an angle of45° to the axis of the bolt through at-tachment hardware from the seat beltassembly, or through a special fixturewhich simulates the loading applied bythe attachment hardware. The attach-ment hardware or simulated fixtureshall be fastened by the bolt to the an-chorage shown in Figure 3, which has astandard 7⁄16–20UNF–2B or 1⁄2-UNF–2B ormetric equivalent threaded hole in ahardened steel plate at least 10 mm inthickness. The bolt shall be installedwith two full threads exposed from thefully seated position. The appropriateforce required by S4.3(c) shall be ap-plied. A bolt from each of three seatbelt assemblies shall be tested.

(2) Attachment hardware, other thanbolts, designed to receive the ends oftwo seat belt assemblies shall be sub-jected to a tensile force of 26,689 N in amanner simulating use. The hardwareshall be examined for fracture after theforce is released. Attachment hardwarefrom three seat belt assemblies shall betested.

(3) Single attachment hook for con-necting webbing to any eye bolt shallbe tested in the following manner: Thehook shall be held rigidly so that theretainer latch or keeper, with cotterpin or other locking device in place, isin a horizontal position as shown inFigure 4. A force of 667 N ± 9 N shall beapplied vertically as near as possible to

the free end of the retainer latch, andthe movement of the latch by thisforce at the point of application shallbe measured. The vertical force shallbe released, and a force of 667 N ± 9 Nshall be applied horizontally as near aspossible to the free end of the retainerlatch. The movement of the latch bythis force at the point of load applica-tion shall be measured. Alternatively,the hook may be held in other posi-tions, provided the forces are appliedand the movements of the latch aremeasured at the points indicated inFigure 4. A single attachment hookfrom each of three seat belt assembliesshall be tested.

(d) Buckle release. (1) Three seat beltassemblies shall be tested to determinecompliance with the maximum bucklerelease force requirements, followingthe assembly test in S5.3. After subjec-tion to the force applicable for the as-sembly being tested, the force shall bereduced and maintained at 667 N on theassembly loop of a Type 1 seat belt as-sembly, 334 N on the components of aType 2 seat belt assembly. The bucklerelease force shall be measured by ap-plying a force on the buckle in a man-ner and direction typical of thosewhich would be employed by a seat beltoccupant. For push button-releasebuckles, the force shall be applied atleast 3 mm from the edge of the pushbutton access opening of the buckle ina direction that produces maximum re-leasing effect. For lever-release buck-les, the force shall be applied on thecenterline of the buckle lever or fingertab in a direction that produces max-imum releasing effect.

(2) The area for application of releaseforce on pushbutton actuated buckleshall be measured to the nearest 30mm2. The cylinder specified in S4.3(d)shall be inserted in the actuation por-tion of a lever released buckle for de-termination of compliance with the re-quirement. A buckle with other releaseactuation shall be examined for accessof release by fingers.

(3) The buckle of a Type 1 or Type 2seat belt assembly shall be subjected toa compressive force of 1779 N appliedanywhere on a test line that is coinci-dent with the center line of the belt ex-tended through the buckle or on anyline that extends over the center of the


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release mechanism and intersects theextended centerline of the belt at anangle of 60°. The load shall be appliedby using a curved cylindrical bar hav-ing a cross section diameter of 19 mmand a radius of curvature of 152 mm,placed with its longitudinal center linealong the test line and its center di-rectly above the point or the buckle towhich the load will be applied. Thebuckle shall be latched, and a tensileforce of 334 N shall be applied to theconnected webbing during the applica-tion of the compressive force. Bucklesfrom three seat belt assemblies shall betested to determine compliance withparagraph S4.3(d)(3).

(e) Adjustment Force. Three seat beltassemblies shall be tested for adjust-ment force on the webbing at the buck-le, or other manual adjusting devicenormally used to adjust the size of theassembly. With no load on the anchorend, the webbing shall be drawnthrough the adjusting device at a rateof 508 mm ±50 mm per minute and themaximum force shall be measured tothe nearest 1 N after the first 25 mm ofwebbing movement. The webbing shallbe precycled 10 times prior to measure-ment.

(f) Tilt-lock adjustment. This test shallbe made on buckles or other manualadjusting devices having tilt-lock ad-justment normally used to adjust thesize of the assembly. Three buckles ordevices shall be tested. The base of theadjustment mechanism and the anchorend of the webbing shall be oriented inplanes normal to each other. The web-bing shall be drawn through the adjust-ment mechanism in a direction to in-crease belt length at a rate of 508 mm±50 mm per minute while the plane ofthe base is slowly rotated in a direc-tion to lock the webbing. Rotationshall be stopped when the webbinglocks, but the pull on the webbing shallbe continued until there is a resistanceof at least 89 N. The locking angle be-tween the anchor end of the webbingand the base of the adjustment mecha-nism shall be measured to the nearestdegree. The webbing shall be precycled10 times prior to measurement.

(g) Buckle latch. The buckles fromthree seat belt assemblies shall beopened fully and closed at least 10times. Then the buckles shall be

clamped or firmly held against a flatsurface so as to permit normal move-ment of buckle part, but with themetal mating plate (metal-to-metalbuckles) or of webbing end (metal-to-webbing buckles) withdrawn from thebuckle. The release mechanism shall bemoved 200 times through the maximumpossible travel against its stop with aforce of 133 N ±13 N at a rate not to ex-ceed 30 cycles per minute. The buckleshall be examined to determine compli-ance with the performance require-ments of S4.3(g). A metal-to-metalbuckle shall be examined to determinewhether partial engagement is possibleby means of any technique representa-tive of actual use. If partial engage-ment is possible, the maximum force ofseparation when in such partial en-gagement shall be determined.

(h) Nonlocking retractor. After the re-tractor is cycled 10 times by full exten-sion and retraction of the webbing, theretractor and webbing shall be sus-pended vertically and a force of 18 Nshall be applied to extend the webbingfrom the retractor. The force shall bereduced to 13 N when attached to a pel-vic restraint, or to 5 N per strap orwebbing that contacts the shoulder ofan occupant when retractor is attachedto an upper torso restraint. The resid-ual extension of the webbing shall bemeasured by manual rotation of the re-tractor drum or by disengaging the re-traction mechanism. Measurementsshall be made on three retractors. Thelocation of the retractor attached toupper torso restraint shall be examinedfor visibility of reel during use of seatbelt assembly in a vehicle.

NOTE: This test shall not be required on anonlocking retractor attached to the freeend of webbing which is not subjected to anytension during restraint of an occupant bythe assembly.

(i) Automatic-locking retractor. Threeretractors shall be tested in a mannerto permit the retraction force to be de-termined exclusive of the gravitationalforces on hardware or webbing beingretracted. The webbing shall be fullyextended from the retractor. While thewebbing is being retracted, the averageforce or retraction within plus orminus 51 mm of 75 percent extension


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–99 Edition)§ 571.209

(25 percent retraction) shall be deter-mined and the webbing movement be-tween adjacent locking segments shallbe measured in the same region of ex-tension. A seat belt assembly withautomatic locking retractor in uppertorso restraint shall be tested in a ve-hicle in a manner prescribed by the in-stallation and usage instructions. Theretraction force on the occupant of theseat belt assembly shall be determinedbefore and after traveling for 10 min-utes at a speed of 24 kilometers perhour (km/h) or more over a rough road(e.g., Belgian block road) where the oc-cupant is subjected to displacementwith respect to the vehicle in both hor-izontal and vertical directions. Meas-urements shall be made with the vehi-cle stopped and the occupant in thenormal seated position.

(j) Emergency-locking retractor. A re-tractor shall be tested in a mannerthat permits the retraction force to bedetermined exclusive of the gravita-tional forces on hardware or webbingbeing retracted. The webbing shall befully extended from the retractor, pass-ing over or through any hardware orother material specified in the installa-tion instructions. While the webbing isbeing retracted, the lowest force of re-traction within plus or minus 51 mm of75 percent extension shall be deter-mined. A retractor that is sensitive towebbing withdrawal shall be subjectedto an acceleration of 3 m/s2 (0.3 g) with-in a period of 50 milliseconds (ms)while the webbing is at 75 percent ex-tension, to determine compliance withS4.3(j)(2). The retractor shall be sub-jected to an acceleration of 7 m/s2 (0.7g) within a period of 50 milliseconds(ms), while the webbing is at 75 percentextension, and the webbing movementbefore locking shall be measured underthe following conditions: For a retrac-tor sensitive to webbing withdrawal,the retractor shall be accelerated inthe direction of webbing retractionwhile the retractor drum’s central axisis oriented horizontally and at anglesof 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180° to the hori-zontal plane. For a retractor sensitiveto vehicle acceleration, the retractorshall be:

(1) Accelerated in the horizontalplane in two directions normal to eachother, while the retractor drum’s cen-

tral axis is oriented at the angle atwhich it is installed in the vehicle; and,

(2) Accelerated in three directionsnormal to each other while the retrac-tor drum’s central axis is oriented atangles of 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180° from theangle at which it is installed in the ve-hicle, unless the retractor locks bygravitational force when tilted in anydirection to any angle greater than 45°from the angle at which it is installedin the vehicle.

(k) Performance of retractor. Aftercompletion of the corrosion-resistancetest described in paragraph (a) of thissection, the webbing shall be fully ex-tended and allowed to dry for at least24 hours under standard laboratoryconditions specified in S5.1(a). The re-tractor shall be examined for ferrousand nonferrous corrosion which may betransferred, either directly or bymeans of the webbing, to a person orhis clothing during use of a seat beltassembly incorporating the retractor,and for ferrous corrosion on significantsurfaces if the retractor is part of theattachment hardware. The webbingshall be withdrawn manually and al-lowed to retract for 25 cycles. The re-tractor shall be mounted in an appa-ratus capable of extending the webbingfully, applying a force of 89 N at fullextension, and allowing the webbing toretract freely and completely. Thewebbing shall be withdrawn from theretractor and allowed to retract re-peatedly in this apparatus until 2,500cycles are completed. The retractorand webbing shall then be subjected tothe temperature resistance test pre-scribed in paragraph (b) of this section.The retractor shall be subjected to2,500 additional cycles of webbing with-drawal and retraction. Then, the re-tractor and webbing shall be subjectedto dust in a chamber similar to one il-lustrated in Figure 8 containing about0.9 kg of coarse grade dust conformingto the specification given in Society ofAutomotive Engineering Rec-ommended Practice J726, ‘‘Air CleanerTest Code’’ Sept. 1979. The dust shall beagitated every 20 minutes for 5 secondsby compressed air, free of oil and mois-ture, at a gage pressure of 550 ±55 kPaentering through an orifice 1.5 ± 0.1 mmin diameter. The webbing shall be ex-tended to the top of the chamber and


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kept extended at all times except thatthe webbing shall be subjected to 10 cy-cles of complete retraction and exten-sion within 1 to 2 minutes after eachagitation of the dust. At the end of 5hours, the assembly shall be removedfrom the chamber. The webbing shallbe fully withdrawn from the retractormanually and allowed to retract com-pletely for 25 cycles. An automatic-locking retractor or a nonlocking re-tractor attached to pelvic restraintshall be subjected to 5,000 additionalcycles of webbing withdrawal and re-traction. An emergency locking retrac-tor or a nonlocking retractor attachedto upper torso restraint shall be sub-jected to 45,000 additional cycles ofwebbing withdrawal and retraction be-tween 50 and 100 per cent extension.The locking mechanism of an emer-gency locking retractor shall be actu-ated at least 10,000 times within 50 to100 percent extension of webbing duringthe 50,000 cycles. At the end of test,compliance of the retractors with ap-plicable requirements in S4.3 (h), (i),and (j) shall be determined. Three re-tractors shall be tested for perform-ance.

S5.3 Assembly performance—(a) Type1 seat belt assembly. Three complete seatbelt assemblies, including webbing,straps, buckles, adjustment and at-tachment hardware, and retractors, ar-ranged in the form of a loop as shownin Figure 5, shall be tested in the fol-lowing manner:

(1) The testing machine shall con-form to the requirements specified inS5.1(b). A double-roller block shall beattached to one head of the testing ma-chine. This block shall consist of tworollers 102 mm in diameter and suffi-ciently long so that no part of the seatbelt assembly touches parts of theblock other than the rollers duringtest. The rollers shall be mounted onantifriction bearings and spaced 305mm between centers, and shall havesufficient capacity so that there is nobrinelling, bending or other distortionof parts which may affect the results.An anchorage bar shall be fastened tothe other head of the testing machine.

(2) The attachment hardware fur-nished with the seat belt assemblyshall be attached to the anchorage bar.The anchor points shall be spaced so

that the webbing is parallel in the twosides of the loop. The attaching boltsshall be parallel to, or at an angle of45° or 90° to the webbing, whichever re-sults in an angle nearest to 90° betweenwebbing and attachment hardware ex-cept that eye bolts shall be vertical,and attaching bolts or nonthreaded an-chorages of a seat belt assembly de-signed for use in specific models ofmotor vehicles shall be installed toproduce the maximum angle in use in-dicated by the installation instruc-tions, utilizing special fixtures if nec-essary to simulate installation in themotor vehicle. Rigid adapters betweenanchorage bar and attachment hard-ware shall be used if necessary to lo-cate and orient the adjustment hard-ware. The adapters shall have a flatsupport face perpendicular to thethreaded hole for the attaching boltand adequate in area to provide fullsupport for the base of the attachmenthardware connected to the webbing. Ifnecessary, a washer shall be used undera swivel plate or other attachmenthardware to prevent the webbing frombeing damaged as the attaching bolt istightened.

(3) The length of the assembly loopfrom attaching bolt to attaching boltshall be adjusted to about 1295 mm, oras near thereto as possible. A force of245 N shall be applied to the loop to re-move any slack in webbing at hard-ware. The force shall be removed andthe heads of the testing machine shallbe adjusted for an assembly loop be-tween 1220 and 1270 mm in length. Thelength of the assembly loop shall thenbe adjusted by applying a force be-tween 89 and 98 N to the free end of thewebbing at the buckle, or by the re-traction force of an automatic-lockingor emergency-locking retractor. A seatbelt assembly that cannot be adjustedto this length shall be adjusted asclosely as possible. An automatic-lock-ing or emergency locking retractorwhen included in a seat belt assemblyshall be locked at the start of the testwith a tension on the webbing slightlyin excess of the retractive force inorder to keep the retractor locked. Thebuckle shall be in a location so that itdoes not touch the rollers during test,but to facilitate making the buckle re-lease test in S5.2(d) the buckle should


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be between the rollers or near a rollerin one leg.

(4) The heads of the testing machineshall be separated at a rate between 51and 102 mm per minute until a force of22,241 ± 222 N is applied to the assemblyloop. The extension of the loop shall bedetermined from measurements of headseparation before and after the force isapplied. The force shall be decreased to667 ± 45 N and the buckle release forcemeasured as prescribed in S5.2(d).

(5) After the buckle is released, thewebbing shall be examined for cuttingby the hardware. If the yarns are par-tially or completely severed in a linefor a distance of 10 percent or more ofthe webbing width, the cut webbingshall be tested for breaking strength asspecified in S5.1(b) locating the cut inthe free length between grips. If thereis insufficient webbing on either side ofthe cut to make such a test for break-ing strength, another seat belt assem-bly shall be used with the webbingrepositioned in the hardware. A tensileforce of 11,120 ± 111 N shall be appliedto the components or a force of 22,241 ±222 N shall be applied to the assemblyloop. After the force is removed, thebreaking strength of the cut webbingshall be determined as prescribedabove.

(6) If a Type 1 seat belt assembly in-cludes an automatic-locking retractoror an emergency-locking retractor, thewebbing and retractor shall be sub-jected to a tensile force of 11,120 ± 111N with the webbing fully extended fromthe retractor.

(7) If a seat belt assembly has a buck-le in which the tongue is capable of in-verted insertion, one of the three as-semblies shall be tested with thetongue inverted.

(b) Type 2 seat belt assembly. Compo-nents of three seat belt assembliesshall be tested in the following man-ner:

(1) The pelvic restraint between an-chorages shall be adjusted to a lengthbetween 1220 and 1270 mm, or as nearthis length as possible if the design ofthe pelvic restraint does not permit itsadjustment to this length. An auto-matic-locking or emergency-lockingretractor when included in a seat beltassembly shall be locked at the start ofthe test with a tension on the webbing

slightly in excess of the retractiveforce in order to keep the retractorlocked. The attachment hardware shallbe oriented to the webbing as specifiedin paragraph (a)(2) of this section andillustrated in Figure 5. A tensile force11,120 ± 111 N shall be applied on thecomponents in any convenient mannerand the extension between anchoragesunder this force shall be measured. Theforce shall be reduced to 334 ± 22 N andthe buckle release force measured asprescribed in S5.2(d).

(2) The components of the uppertorso restraint shall be subjected to atensile force of 6,672 ± 67 N followingthe procedure prescribed above for test-ing pelvic restraint and the extensionbetween anchorages under this forceshall be measured. If the testing appa-ratus permits, the pelvic and uppertorso restraints may be tested simulta-neously. The force shall be reduced to334 ± 22 N and the buckle release forcemeasured as prescribed in S5.2(d).

(3) Any component of the seat beltassembly common to both pelvic andupper torso restraint shall be subjectedto a tensile force of 13,344 ± 134 N.

(4) After the buckle is released intests of pelvic and upper torso re-straints, the webbing shall be examinedfor cutting by the hardware. If theyarns are partially or completely sev-ered in a line for a distance of 10 per-cent or more of the webbing width, thecut webbing shall be tested for break-ing strength as specified in S5.1(b) lo-cating the cut in the free length be-tween grips. If there is insufficientwebbing on either side of the cut tomake such a test for breakingstrength, another seat belt assemblyshall be used with the webbing reposi-tioned in the hardware. The force ap-plied shall be 11,120 ± 111 N for compo-nents of pelvic restraint, and 6,672 ± 67N for components of upper torso re-straint. After the force is removed, thebreaking strength of the cut webbingshall be determined as prescribedabove.

(5) If a Type 2 seat belt assembly in-cludes an automatic-locking retractoror an emergency-locking retractor thewebbing and retractor shall be sub-jected to a tensile force of 11,120 ± 111N with the webbing fully extended fromthe retractor, or to a tensile force of


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6,672 ± 67 N with the webbing fully ex-tended from the retractor if the designof the assembly permits only uppertorso restraint forces on the retractor.

(6) If a seat belt assembly has a buck-le in which the tongue is capable of in-verted insertion, one of the three as-semblies shall be tested with thetongue inverted.

(c) Resistance to buckle abrasion. Seatbelt assemblies shall be tested for re-sistance to abrasion by each buckle ormanual adjusting device normally usedto adjust the size of the assembly. Thewebbing of the assembly to be used inthis test shall be exposed for 4 hours toan atmosphere having relative humid-ity of 65 per cent and temperature of 18

°C. The webbing shall be pulled backand forth through the buckle or man-ual adjusting device as shown sche-matically in Figure 7. The anchor endof the webbing (A) shall be attached toa mass (B) of 1.4 kg. The webbing shallpass through the buckle (C), and theother end (D) shall be attached to a re-ciprocating device so that the webbingforms an angle of 8° with the hinge stop(E). The reciprocating device shall beoperated for 2,500 cycles at a rate of 18cycles per minute with a stroke lengthof 203 mm. The abraded webbing shallbe tested for breaking strength by theprocedure described in paragraphS5.1(b).


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49 CFR Ch. V (10–1–99 Edition)§ 571.209

[44 FR 72139, Dec. 13, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 29048, May 1, 1980; 46 FR 2620, Jan. 12, 1981;48 FR 30140, June 30, 1983; 49 FR 36508, Sept. 18, 1984; 51 FR 9813, Mar. 21, 1986; 51 FR 31774,Sept. 5, 1986; 52 FR 44912, Nov. 23, 1987; 56 FR 15299, Apr. 16, 1991; 56 FR 56325, Nov. 4, 1991; 59


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FR 17994, Apr. 15, 1994; 61 FR 20171, May 6, 1996; 63 FR 28936, May 27, 1998; 63 FR 51003, Sept.24, 1998; 64 FR 27206, May 19, 1999]

§ 571.210 Standard No. 210; Seat beltassembly anchorages.

S1. Purpose and scope. This standardestablishes requirements for seat beltassembly anchorages to insure theirproper location for effective occupantrestraint and to reduce the likelihoodof their failure.

S2. Application. This standard appliesto passenger cars, multipurpose pas-senger vehicles, trucks, and buses.

S3. Definition. Seat belt anchoragemeans any component, other than thewebbing or straps, involved in transfer-ring seat belt loads to the vehiclestructure, including, but not limitedto, the attachment hardware, seatframes, seat pedestals, the vehiclestructure itself, and any part of the ve-hicle whose failure causes separation ofthe belt from the vehicle structure.

S4. Requirements.S4.1 Type.S4.1.1 Seat belt anchorages for a

Type 1 or a Type 2 seat belt assemblyshall be installed for each designatedseating position for which a Type 1 ora Type 2 seat belt assembly is requiredby Standard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208).Seat belt anchorages for a Type 2 seatbelt assembly shall be installed foreach designated seating position forwhich a Type 2 seat belt assembly is re-quired by Standard No. 208 (49 CFR571.208).

S4.1.2 (a) Notwithstanding the re-quirement of S4.1.1, each vehicle manu-factured on or after September 1, 1987that is equipped with an automatic re-straint at the front right outboard des-ignated seating position, which auto-matic restraint cannot be used for se-curing a child restraint system or can-not be adjusted by the vehicle owner tosecure a child restraint system solelythrough the use of attachment hard-ware installed as an item of originalequipment by the vehicle manufac-turer, shall have, at the manufactur-er’s option, either anchorages for aType 1 seat belt assembly installedat that position or a Type 1 or Type 2seat belt assembly installed at that po-sition. If a manufacturer elects to in-stall anchorages for a Type 1 seat belt

assembly to comply with thisrequirement, those anchorages shallconsist of, at a minimum, holes thread-ed to accept bolts that comply withS4.1(f) of Standard No. 209 (49 CFR571.209).

(b) The requirement in S4.1.1 of thisstandard that seat belt anchorages fora Type 1 or a Type 2 seat belt assemblyshall be installed for certain des-ignated seating positions does notapply to any such seating positionsthat are equipped with a seat belt as-sembly that meets the frontal crashprotection requirements of S5.1 ofStandard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208).

S4.2 Strength.S4.2.1 Except as provided in S4.2.5,

and except for side-facing seats, the an-chorages, attachment hardware, andattachment bolts for any of the fol-lowing seat belt assemblies shall with-stand a 5,000 pound force when tested inaccordance with S5.1 of this standard:

(a) Type 1 seat belt assembly; and(b) Lap belt portion of either a Type

2 or automatic seat belt assembly, ifsuch seat belt assembly is equippedwith a detachable upper torso belt.

S4.2.2 Except as provided in S4.2.5,and except for side facing seats, the an-chorages, attachment hardware, andattachment bolts for any of the fol-lowing seat belt assemblies shall with-stand a 3,000 pound force applied to thelap belt portion of the seat belt assem-bly simultaneously with a 3,000 poundforce applied to the shoulder belt por-tion of the seat belt assembly, whentested in accordance with S5.2 of thisstandard:

(a) Type 2 and automatic seat belt as-semblies that are installed to complywith Standard No. 208 (49 CFR 571.208);and

(b) Type 2 and automatic seat belt as-semblies that are installed at a seatingposition required to have a Type 1 orType 2 seat belt assembly by StandardNo. 208 (49 CFR 571.208).

S4.2.3 Permanent deformation orrupture of a seat belt anchorage or itssurrounding area is not considered tobe a failure, if the required force is sus-tained for the specified time.


cfr-49-1999-title49-vol5-sec571-209

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