Safety belt retractor with improved dampening

Safety belt retracting apparatus for use in a vehicle having at least one door and a chassis, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing carried by said door;
• a safety belt retracting mechanism disposed in said housing, said mechanism including a reel about which a web of the safety belt is wound and which is adapted to rotate to take up and let out said web;
• and
• a resiliently compressible bellows member having a first end contacting said housing and a second free end adjacent said reel, said free end having a web-engaging surface which is spaced from said reel so that said bellows member is compressed by said web as said web is taken up on said reel with said bellows member applying a tension to said web, during said take-up.

In a safety belt retraction apparatus, for use in a vehicle having at least one door and a chassis, the combination comprising:

• a housing;
• a reel disposed in said housing about which a web of the safety belt is wound and which is adapted to rotate to take up and let out said web so as to wind up and remove coils of said web from said reel;
• bias means for biasing said reel in a direction to take up said web;
• a ratchet means carried by said reel;
• pawl means engageable with said ratchet means and movable between a first position in which said pawl is out of engagement with said ratchet means and a second position wherein said pawl means engages said ratchet means to prevent said reel from paying out said web;
• an inertia operating means operable to move said pawl into engagement with said ratchet;
• and
• a resiliently compressible bellows having a first end contacting said housing and a second free end adjacent said reel, said free end having a web-engaging surface which is spaced from said reel so that a bellows chamber is compressed by said web as said web is taken up on said reel with said bellows applying a tension to said web during said take-up.