Seat belt retractor of automobile

A seat belt retractor mounted on an automobile, comprising:

• means for winding a seat belt, said winding means having a reel rotatably supported in a housing and urged in a direction to retract and wind the seat belt;
• means for storing a rotating force, said storing means having a shaft rotatably supported in a casing, a resilient member urging said shaft only in a rotating direction, and a stopper normally preventing said shaft from rotating so that said shaft is held against said resilient member, said shaft storing a predetermined rotating force when stopped by means of said stopper;
• means for sensing shock applied to the automobile body;
• a trigger for releasing said stopper to allow said shaft to rotate when shock is sensed by said sensing means;
• and
• a clutch for transmitting said rotating force of said shaft to said reel when said shaft rotates due to release by said trigger, said cultch comprising:
• a gear rigidly fixed to said reel;
• an annular guide provided at said housing and enclosing said gear, said guide being formed with a recess;
• a flange formed at said shaft and provided with a notch;
• and
• a connecting member continuously engaging said notch
• when said shaft does not rotate, said connecting member also engaging said recess formed in said annular guide and being released from said gear so that said reel is detached from said shaft, and
• when said shaft rotates, said connecting member disengaging from said recess and engaging with said gear so that said reel is connected to said shaft.