Belt retractor with tongue/buckle controlled locking cam

A seat belt buckle/retractor combination comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of interlocking members including a seat belt buckle and a mating tongue, said buckle mounted to said frame with said buckle having a mouth;
• a harness having an end with a belt thereat and an opposite end with said tongue thereat insertable into said mouth;
• a spool to wrappingly receive said belt and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said belt is wrapped thereon;
• a spring biased member mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said spring biased member is located apart from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said member lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• a cam plate mounted to said frame adjacent one of said walls and movable from a first position whereat said cam plate contacts and blocks movement of said spring biased member to said locking position to a second position whereat said cam plate moves allowing said spring biased member to move to said locking position;
• and,
• an operator mounted to said frame and including a first end located near said mouth and a second end normally contactable against said cam plate to hold same in said first position, said operator movable away from said cam plate as said operator is contacted by said tongue when said tongue is inserted in said buckle allowing said cam plate to move to said second position.

A retractor for mounting to an child seat having a harness, an interengaged combination of a tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:

• a frame;
• a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
• a spring biased member mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said member is located apart from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said member lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• a cam plate mounted to said frame adjacent one of said walls and movable from a first position whereat said cam plate contacts and blocks movement of said member to a second position whereat said cam plate moves allowing said member to move to said locking position;
• and,
• an operator mounted to said frame and including a first end and a second end with said second end normally contactable against said cam plate to hold same in said first position, said operator movable away from said cam plate as said first end of said operator is contacted by said interengaged combination when said tongue is inserted into said buckle allowing said cam plate to move to said second position.

A retractor for mounting to a child seat having a harness, an interengaged combination tongue and seat belt buckle comprising:

• a frame;
• a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame;
• a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat a portion of said harness is wrapped thereon;
• a spring biased member mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said member is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said member lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool;
• and,
• cam means including cam plate means mounted to said frame movable from a first position whereat said cam plate means extends outwardly of said ratchet wheel and contacts and blocks movement of said member to a second position whereat said cam plate means moves inwardly of said ratchet wheel allowing said member to move to said locking position, said cam means further including elongated operator means mounted to said frame with said operator means normally holding said cam plate means in said first position, said operator means having an outer end and being movable as said outer end of said operator means is contacted by said interengaged combination when said tongue is inserted into said buckle with said cam plate means moving to said second position.

A child seat harness for installation in an automobile comprising:

• a child seat configured to receive a child and mountable upon an automobile seat;
• a harness mounted to said child seat and extendable over the child to secure the child within said child seat;
• an interlocking tongue and seat belt buckle mounted to said child seat and said harness;
• and,
• automatic retractor means mounted to said child seat and including a frame, a spool to wrappingly receive a portion of said harness and having an axle and end walls at least one of which is configured as a ratchet wheel with said spool rotatably mounted to said frame, a first spring mounted to said frame and normally urging said spool to rotate to a retracted position whereat said harness is wrapped thereon, a spring biased member mounted to said frame and movable between a removed position whereat said spring biased member is unlocked from said ratchet wheel and a locking position whereat said member lockingly engages said ratchet wheel limiting movement of said spool, and cam means including cam plate means mounted to said frame and movable from a first position extending outwardly of said ratchet wheel whereat said cam plate means contacts and blocks movement of said member to a second position inwardly of said ratchet wheel whereat said cam plate means moves allowing said member to move to said locking position, said cam means further including elongated operator means mounted to said frame with said operator means having spring means normally holding said cam plate means in said first position, said operator means having an outer end and being movable as said outer end of said operator means is contacted and moved by said interlocking tongue and seat belt buckle as said tongue is inserted into said seat belt buckle with said cam plate means moving to said second position.