Seat belt retracting and winding device

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel rotatably supported by said frame,
• spring means fixed between said frame and reel and including a first spiral spring and a second spiral spring,
• a seat belt,
• said winding reel having said seat belt wound thereon with a spring force of at least one of said first and second spiral springs,
• clutch means for selectively changing the combination of spring forces of said spiral springs to effect first and second operative conditions representing different combinations of spring forces of said first and second spiral springs, and
• control means operatively connected to said winding reel to detect the movement of the reel in the belt retraction direction for actuating said clutch means to effect change over as between said first and second operative conditions,
• said clutch means being changed over thereby to operate under said first operative condition for reducing the winding force exerted on said seat belt when the seat belt having been paid out is retracted and wound for a predetermined movement of said reel.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame;
• a winding reel rotatably supported by said frame;
• spring means connected between said frame and said winding reel and including a first spring and a second spring;
• said winding reel being adapted to wind thereon a seat belt with a spring force of at least one of said first and second springs;
• and
• means for controlling the combination of spring forces of said first and second springs and operable in response to the rotation of said winding reel for causing said spring means to operate selectively under a first operative condition and a second operative condition exerting smaller and larger spring forces, respectively, on said seat belt, whereby the winding force exerted on said seat belt is reduced when said spring means is operated under said first operative condition.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel rotatably supported by said frame,
• a seat belt wound on said winding reel,
• a housing secured to said frame, and
• means housed in said housing and connected between said housing and said winding reel for exerting different spring forces on said winding reel in response to the rotation of said winding reel,
• said spring force exerting means including a first spring, a second spring and means for controlling the combination of spring forces of said first and said second springs to exert on said winding reel a smaller spring force when said seat belt is paid out and a larger spring force when said seat belt is retracted.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel supported by said frame for winding thereon a seat belt,
• spring means connected between said frame and said winding reel for exerting on said winding reel a biasing force acting in the seat belt winding direction,
• said spring means including a first spring and a second spring, and
• means operatively connected to said winding reel to control the combination of said first and said second springs to thereby change said biasing force, in response to the rotation of said winding reel.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel supported by said frame for winding thereon a seat belt,
• biasing means secured to said frame and being capable of selectively providing relatively smaller and larger biasing forces and being connected between said frame and said winding reel for exerting on said winding reel a selected one of said smaller and larger biasing forces acting in the seat belt winding direction, and
• means operatively connected to said winding reel to select the biasing force effected by said biasing means in response to the rotation of said winding reel for causing the biasing means to exert said smaller biasing force when said belt is paid out to any desired length regardless of the amount of belt unwound and said larger biasing force when said belt is retracted.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel rotatably supported by said frame,
• a seat belt wound on said winding reel,
• a housing secured to said frame, and
• means connected between said housing and said winding reel for exerting a selected one of different spring forces on said winding reel in response to the rotation of said winding reel, and
• means secured to said frame for controlling the amount of said spring forces to cause exertion on said winding reel of a smaller spring force when said seat belt is paid out to any desired length regardless of the amount of belt unwound and a larger spring force when said seat belt is retracted.

A seat belt retracting and winding device comprising:

• a frame,
• a winding reel rotatably supported by said frame,
• a seat belt wound on said winding reel,
• a housing secured to said frame, and
• means connected between said housing and said winding reel for exerting different spring forces on said winding reel in response to the rotation of said winding reel, and
• means for controlling the amount of said spring forces to cause exertion on said winding reel of a smaller spring force when said seat belt is paid out and a larger spring force when said seat belt is retracted,
• wherein said controlling means comprises:
• a one-way clutch including a ratchet and a pawl, and
• a member connected to said winding reel for controlling said pawl of said one-way clutch to selectively engage with and disengage from said ratchet in response to the rotation of said winding reel to selectively reduce the winding force on said seat belt.