Seat belt retractor
US6969022B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 29, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 21, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60R2022/287
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A seat belt retractor has a rotatable spool for retraction or payout of seat belt webbing wound thereon, depending upon the rotation direction of the spool. A locking wheel is attached to one end of the spool. The spool to is locked to the locking wheel when a crash is sensed. A force limiter allows further payout of the seat belt webbing after the spool has locked to the locking wheel, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum. The force limiter includes a torsion bar attached at one end to the locking wheel and at the other end to the spool, and a secondary force limiter mechanism releasably coupled in the force path between the spool and the locking wheel, and a mechanism for de-coupling the secondary mechanism after a predetermined number of turns of the torsion bar. The locking mechanism has a locking element that is resiliently biased to a position wherein it locks the spool to the locking wheel and is held out of locking engagement by the secondary force limiting mechanism. The retractor is converted into a standard locking retractor after load limiting ensuring that the vehicle occupant is securely restrained against secondary impacts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.