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US 12,441,272 B2Granted
Load limiting seatbelt retractor
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S.M. Iskander Farooq
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seatbelt retractor includes a frame and a spool having a first end and a second end each rotatably supported by the frame. The spool is elongated on an axis from the first end to the second end. The seatbelt retractor includes a plurality of torsion posts fixed to the frame. The seatbelt retractor includes a locking device operatively coupled between the spool and the plurality of torsion posts.
Claims19
A seatbelt retractor comprising:
- a frame;
- a spool having a first end and a second end each rotatably supported by the frame, the spool being elongated on an axis from the first end to the second end;
- a driving gear rotatably supported by the frame;
- a locking device supported by the spool and engageable with the gear to rotationally lock the spool to the driving gear;
- a plurality of torsion posts, each torsion post including a fixed end fixed to the frame and a free end spaced from the fixed end;
- and
- a plurality of driven gears, each driven gear being rotationally fixed to a respective one of the torsion posts spaced from the fixed end of the respective one of the torsion posts;
- each driven gear being engaged with the driving gear;
- and
- the plurality of torsion posts being spaced from each other circumferentially about the driving gear.
7 more elements
A seatbelt retractor comprising:
- a frame;
- a spool having a first end and a second end each rotatably supported by the frame, the spool being elongated on an axis from the first end to the second end, the spool being rotatable about the axis;
- a driving gear rotatably supported by the frame, the driving gear being rotatable about the axis;
- a locking device supported by the spool and engageable with the gear to rotationally lock the spool to the driving gear for rotation about the axis;
- a first torsion post and a second torsion post, the first torsion post and the second torsion post each including a fixed end fixed to the frame and a free end spaced from the fixed end along the axis;
- a first driven gear rotationally fixed to the first torsion post spaced from the fixed end of the first torsion post, and a second driven gear rotationally fixed to the second torsion post spaced from the fixed end of the second torsion post;
- first driven gear and the second driven gear being engaged with the driving gear and being spaced from each other circumferentially about the driving gear;
- the first torsion post having a first torsional strength between the first gear and the fixed end of the first torsion post, and the second torsion post having a second torsional strength between the second gear and the fixed end of the second torsional post, the second torsional strength being less than the first torsional strength.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.