Lock bar and belt clamp release for seat belt retractor

A seat belt retractor for winding an occupant restraint belt in a vehicle body comprising:

• a housing having laterally spaced first and second walls immovably fixed to the vehicle body;
• a belt reel journaled for rotation on the immovable housing walls;
• a ratchet plate attached to each end of the reel generally adjacent the immovable housing walls;
• a lock bar extending generally between the immovable housing walls and journaled for pivotal movement relative thereto, said lock bar having locking teeth adapted for selective engagement with the ratchet plates upon pivotal movement of the lock bar toward the ratchet plates of the reel so that imposition of occupant restraint load on the belt tends to spool down the belt on the reel;
• a belt clamping lever extending generally between the immovable housing walls and having a first end pivotally mounted on the first and second walls of the immovable housing and having a second end;
• a roller attached to the second end of the clamping lever and having the belt routed therearound so that imposition of occupant restraint load on the belt pivotally moves the clamping lever;
• a first clamping member mounted on the clamping lever and a second clamping member immovably mounted on the immovable housing and having the belt routed therebetween so that pivotal movement of the clamping lever by the belt load imposed thereon clamps the belt between the first and second clamping members;
• a release member having laterally spaced walls and including first abutment portions interposed between the respective ratchet plates and adjacent housing wall to overlie the locking teeth at both ends of the lock bar in spaced relation therefrom and second abutment portions adapted to overlie the second end of the belt clamping lever in spaced relation therefrom;
• and
• manually actuable handle means operable by the occupant to forcibly move the release member so that the first abutment portions engage the locking teeth at both ends of the lock bar and the second abutment portions engage the second end of the belt clamping lever to move both the lock bar and the belt clamping lever in the direction away from the reel to disengage the lock bar from engagement with the ratchet plates and disengage the first clamping member from clamping engagement of the belt against the second clamping member to restore the retractor to the normal condition permitting winding and unwinding of the belt.