Seatbelt apparatus

A seatbelt apparatus comprising:

• a seat belt retractor including:
• a spool for retracting and withdrawing a seatbelt, an electric motor, a power transmission mechanism for enabling the spool to retract and withdraw the seatbelt by transmitting power of the electric motor to the spool;
• and a control device for switching states of the power transmission mechanism between a power transmitting-state wherein the spool rotates and a power transmission released-state, wherein the power transmitting-state is released by switching the rotating directions of the electric motor;
• and
• a seatbelt connected to the seatbelt retractor for restraining an occupant seated on a motor vehicle seat, wherein the seatbelt retractor is configured to retract and withdraw the seatbelt by using the spool of the seatbelt retractor.

A motor vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle seat;
• a seatbelt apparatus including:
• a seat belt retractor including:
• a spool for retracting and withdrawing a seatbelt, an electric motor, a power transmission mechanism for enabling the spool to retract and withdraw the seatbelt by transmitting power of the electric motor to the spool;
• and a control device for switching states of the power transmission mechanism between a power transmitting-state wherein the spool rotates and a power transmission released-state, wherein the power transmitting-state is released by switching the rotating directions of the electric motor;
• and
• a seatbelt connected to the seatbelt retractor for restraining an occupant seated on a motor vehicle seat, wherein the seatbelt retractor is configured to retract and withdraw the seatbelt by using the spool of the seatbelt retractor, and a storage space, wherein the seatbelt apparatus is stored in the storage space.

A seatbelt retractor comprising:

• a spool for retracting and withdrawing a seatbelt;
• an electric motor;
• a power transmission mechanism for enabling the spool to retract and withdraw the seatbelt by transmitting power of the electric motor to the spool;
• and
• a control device for performing a control operation for the power transmission mechanism to be switched among a first power transmitting state wherein the spool rotates at a relatively high speed and by relatively low torque, a second power transmitting state wherein the spool rotates at a relatively low speed and by relatively high torque, and a power transmission released-state wherein the first and second power transmitting states are released, and
• wherein the control device is configured to release the first power transmitting state by performing the control operation for the electric motor to rotate in a first rotating direction and configured to release the second transmitting state by performing the control operation for the electric motor to rotate in a second rotating direction being contrary to the first rotating direction.