Saddle pawl and pendulum support for vehicle sensitive inertial retractors

Abstract

A saddle pawl and pendulum support for vehicle sensitive inertial retractors having a saddle element which pivotally supports a pawl and which also supports, in spaced-apart relation, a pendulum operable on an omnidirectional seat. The pendulum includes a head element detachable from the pendulum mass and the head element rests on the circular knife edge of the seat and registers beneath a tab extension of the pawl so that upon the tilting of the pendulum in respect to the vertical axis through the seat, the head tilts and engages the tab and tilts the pawl into locking engagement with rotary ratchet teeth provided on a retractor drum or spool. The mass of the pendulum depends beneath the seat and is secured to the head by means of a rod which extends axially through the circular knife edge seat. The saddle element is supported as a separate assembly in a retractor housing in an established dimensional relationship to the spring biased retractor reel or drum so that the pawl lockably engages the ratchet flanges of the drum upon sensing inertial imbalance in the vehicle in which the retractor is located. The pawl is fulcrumed in the saddle on an axis transverse of the vertical axis of the pendulum and offset therefrom. The weight bias on the pawl is such as to maintain it normally out of contact with the ratchet of the drum or reel. The saddle is supported by the retractor frame and positioned intermediate the upstanding flanges of the retractor frame.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.