Vehicle seat belt tensioning mechanism
AssigneeGeneral Safety Corporation
InventorDagoberto Krambeck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle-sensitive belt tensioning mechanism provided for taking up slack in a seat belt in response to a high deceleration condition for restraining the seat occupant against forward excursion. The belt tensioning mechanism includes an inertial sensing device for detecting the deceleration forces, a pre-loaded drive mechanism for rotatably driving a reel member, a coupling device interconnecting the belt buckle and the reel member, a triggering linkage for actuating the pre-loaded drive mechanism, and a locking device for maintaining tension on the seat belt. Following actuation of the drive mechanism, the coupling device is wound onto the reel member for effectively retracting the belt buckle from its normal location.
Claims17
A belt tensioning mechanism of the type used in motor vehicles to retract a seat belt buckle for applying a tensioning load on a seat belt in response to a deceleration exceeding a predetermined critical value, said mechanism comprising:
- inertia sensing means for sensing the magnitude of a deceleration;
- a reel member;
- coupling means for coupling said seat belt buckle to said reel member;
- drive means for rotatably driving said reel member from a locked position toward a released position;
- linkage means movable between a first position for normally retaining said reel member in said locked position and a second position for releasing said drive means;
- actuation means for moving said linkage means from said first position to said second position in response to said inertia sensing means detecting a vehicle deceleration exceeding said predetermined critical value, movement of said linkage means to said second position causing said drive means to rotatably drive said reel member for winding said coupling means on said reel member such that said seat belt buckle is moved to a retracted position;
- and
- locking means for retaining said seat belt buckle in said retracted position.
A belt tensioning mechanism for applying a tensioning load on a seat belt in response to a motor vehicle being subjected to a deceleration exceeding a predetermined critical value, said belt tensioning mechanism comprising:
- a housing secured to a structural portion of said motor vehicle;
- an inertia force sensor supported for pivotable movement from said housing;
- a reel member;
- a seat belt buckle;
- a cable having a first end coupled to said seat belt buckle and a second end coupled to said reel member;
- a drive mechanism operable for rotatably driving said reel member from a locked position to a released position, said drive mechanism having a drive rod and a spring member with said reel member being fixed for rotation on said drive rod, said spring member exerting a pre-loaded biasing force on said drive rod;
- a toggle linkage movable between a first position for normally retaining said reel member in said locked position, and a second position for releasing said reel member such that said pre-loaded biasing force of said spring member is permitted to rotatably drive said reel member towards said release position;
- actuation means for moving said toggle linkage from said first position to said second position in response to said inertia force sensor detecting a vehicle deceleration exceeding said predetermined critical value, movement of said toggle linkage to said second position is operable to cause said pre-loaded biasing force of said spring member to rotatably drive said reel member in a first direction for winding said cable thereon such that said seat belt buckle is moved to a retracted position;
- and
- locking means for retaining said seat belt buckle in said retracted position for inhibiting rotation of said reel member in an opposite direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.