Seat belt retractor

Abstract

A seat belt retractor has a spool mounted for rotation in the retractor for retraction or pay-out of seat belt webbing depending upon the direction of rotation of the spool. A locking ring is attached to one end of the spool. A means for locking locks the locking ring against rotation in a crash. A force limiting means allowing further pay-out of the seat belt webbing after the locking ring has locked, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum. The force limiting means has a length of wire, attached at one end to one of the spool or the locking ring, and wound, at a distance spaced from said one end, on a pin fixed to the other end of the spool or the locking ring. Under the influence of crash forces above a predetermined value the wire is pulled around the pin.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.