Inertia sensitive seat belt retractor

A seat belt webbing retractor comprising:

• a frame;
• a spool on which seat belt webbing is wound, said spool being supported on said frame for rotation about a first axis in a belt retraction direction and in an opposite belt withdrawal direction;
• means for blocking rotation of said spool in the belt withdrawal direction in response to vehicle deceleration above a predetermined deceleration, said means comprising:
• a ratchet rotatable about said first axis;
• a pawl supported for pivotal movement about a second axis between a disengaged position and an engaged position in engagement with said ratchet;
• a first inertia member movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to vehicle deceleration above a predetermined deceleration;
• support means for supporting said first inertia member in said unactuated position when said retractor is in any one of a plurality of different inclined orientations, said support means and said first inertia member having the same predetermined orientation at each of said plurality of different inclined orientations of said retractor, said first inertia member being movable relative to said support means from the unactuated position to the actuated position;
• said support means comprising a second inertia member which is supported on said frame for pivotal movement relative to said frame about a third axis to maintain said predetermined orientation of said first inertia member and of said support means at said plurality of different inclined orientations of said retractor;
• and
• sensor means for moving said pawl from the disengaged position to the engaged position in response to movement of said first inertia member relative to said second inertia member from the unactuated position to the actuated position;
• said sensor means comprising a sensor lever having a first end portion supported on said second inertia member for pivotal movement relative to said second inertia member and a second end portion spaced apart from said first end portion, said second end portion having a first surface in engagement with said first inertia member and a second surface in engagement with said pawl;
• said second end portion of said sensor lever including said first and second surfaces being disposed above said first inertia member when said support means and said first inertia member are in said predetermined orientation.