Seat belt retractor with tension eliminating mechanism

A belt retractor for a safety seat belt arrangement having a webbing, comprising:

• a housing;
• a reel rotatably mounted in said housing and winding thereon said webbing when said reel is rotated about the axis thereof in one direction, said reel being formed thereon with first and second cylindrical bearing portions which are respectively concentric and eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of said reel;
• first biasing means for biasing said reel to rotate about the axis of the same in said one direction;
• a wheel journaled on said first cylindrical bearing portion;
• a stopper for stopping rotation of said wheel about the first cylindrical bearing portion when engaged with said wheel;
• second biasing means for biasing said stopper to move in a direction to be disengaged from said wheel;
• an external gear journaled on said second cylindrical bearing portion of said reel;
• third biasing means for biasing said wheel to rotate in the same direction as said one direction relative to said external gear;
• an internal gear stationarily connected to said housing at a position to be operatively engaged with the external gear;
• memorizing means including at least one stud fixed to said external gear and at least one arcuate slot formed in said wheel, said stud being spacedly received in said slot and said arcuate slot being concentric with said first cylindrical bearing portion, said stud and said slot being so arranged and formed that when said stud is kept in contact with one longitudinal end of said slot under engagement of said stopper with said wheel, said external gear becomes fixed so as to be prevented from rotation relative to said internal gear;
• and
• actuating means for causing said stopper to be brought into engagement with said wheel against the force of said second biasing means when said webbing takes the passenger restraining position.