Electromechanical seat belt retractor

An electromechanical seat belt retractor comprising:

• a retractor frame;
• a spool for winding up a seat belt attached to the frame;
• a motor configured to generate rotational torque for rotating the spool;
• one or more gears coupled to the motor for generating rotational torque;
• one gear being connected to a tubular ring with a helical thread;
• the gear and tubular ring being coaxially aligned with the spool;
• a clutch plate being located onto the tubular ring and linearly moveable along the helical thread relative to the axis of rotation of the spool;
• a friction drag means encircling at least a portion of the outer surface of the clutch plate and to prevent rotational motion of the clutch plate;
• an over-clutch having a first side with a plurality of recesses for receiving a plurality of teeth on a side of the clutch plate, the over-clutch being spaced from the clutch plate until the motor moves in a forward direction;
• and
• a spring loaded spool locking means which engages and locks into one or more locking recesses on a second side of the over clutch to lock the spool into a motor driven belt wind up rotation by the linear movement of the clutch plate into the over-clutch which is in locked engagement to the spool.