US 4,285,478 A · Seat belt retractor mechanism housing

Abstract

An improved housing is provided for a seat belt retractor mechanism. The retractor mechanism attaches to a seat belt retractor frame and has a belt rewind spring disposed therein which attaches at one end to a belt storage spool. The housing includes a housing body and a housing cap which rotatably abuts the body in covering relation and which engages the other end of the spring. The rotatable abutment is made possible by a plurality of socket members disposed along the outer periphery of the housing body and a plurality of resilient deformable locking flanges positioned upon the cap. The resilient flanges are formed on the cap in a manner creating a bias toward a position placing the locking fingers above the socket members when the cap is rotated relative to the body during the assembly process to tension the spring. When the spring has been sufficiently tensioned, the flanges are aligned with the sockets and deformed to an extent causing locking fingers on the flanges to latchingly engage the sockets. The combination of the latching engagement and the inherent bias in the flanges tightly affixes the cap to the body.

Claims9

Dependent claims

In a safety belt retractor having a frame, a belt storage spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a safety belt connected to and having belt portions stored on said storage spool for protraction and retraction relative to said frame, and spring means including an inner end and an outer end for applying a bias on said spool in a direction resisting unwinding of said belt from said spool to a position of use, said spring means attaching by said inner end to said spool, a housing for said spring means comprising:

a housing body attached to said frame and having at least one socket member disposed on its periphery;
and
a housing cap including means for engaging said outer end of said spring means and being separate from and abutting said body in covering relation, said cap having at least one locking flange positioned on its periphery, said locking flange being positionable between a first position allowing said cap to rotate relative to said housing in said abutting position to tension said spring means and a second position allowing said locking flange to engage said socket means, said engagement thereby affixing said housing cap to said housing body when the desired tension has been achieved.

In a seat belt retractor having a frame, a spool rotatably journaled on said frame, and a safety belt wound on said spool, a retraction mechanism comprising:

a housing body mounted to said frame and having an open outer end facing away from said frame;
at least one socket member disposed on the periphery of said housing body;
spring means, mounted within said housing body and having an outer spring end and an inner spring end, for biasing said spool in a belt rewind direction;
slotted shaft means, attached to said pool and extending through said frame into said housing, for attaching said inner spring end to said spool;
a housing cover and means for mounting said cover in movable and abutting relation to said housing body covering said open outer end and for engaging said outer spring end;
and
at least one manually operable socket insert means, located along the periphery of said cover means, for engaging said socket member, said insert means being initially in a first position not engaging said socket means, thereby allowing said spring means to be tensioned by rotating said cover relative to said housing body in said abutting position, said insert means manually movable to a second position engaging said socket means when said spring means is sufficiently tensioned and said insert means is aligned with said socket member, said engagement thereby affixing said cover to said housing body.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Seat belt retractor mechanism housing

Life of this patent

Seat belt retractor mechanism housing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9