Seat belt pretensioner
US6213511A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60R22/4619
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A pretensioner for a vehicle safety restraint, for rapidly reducing slack in a safety restraint belt in the event of a crash situation, the pretensioner comprising a cable (1) connected at one end to a piston (3) at its other end to a belt rewinding mechanism, the piston (3) being slidably moveable in a cylinder (4) under action of pressure from a gas generator (15) sensitive to a crash indicator, wherein means (5) are provided for controlling the rate of acceleration of the cable (1) in the pretensioning direction, in dependence upon the condition of tension in the safety restraint belt which is to be pretensioned. This can be effected by blocking holes in a dividing plate or by using a continuously variable throttle arrangement such as a profiled throttle pin or a hollow space in the piston with a restrictable opening. The invention allows pretensioning forces to be automatically tailored to the requirements at the time of the crash and as a result provides more comfort to the vehicle occupant while maintaining the required strict safety standards.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.