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US 5,671,894 AGranted
Retractor with load limiting spool with decoupled pretensioner
AssigneeAlliedSignal Inc.
InventorsNiels Dybro, Harold John Miller, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety system comprising: energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) and a pretensioner for initiating rewinding a retractor spool (24) and the seat belt (31) subsequent to an accident; the retractor (20) includes bushings for rotationally mounting the spool (24) so that it rotates relative to a frame (22) and an energy absorbing device (70, 90, 100, 102) for permitting the controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by an occupant, such controlled protraction of the belt being independent of the amount that the spool was caused to rewind in response to the operation of the pretensioner.
Claims19
A safety system comprising:
- energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) and a pretensioner means for initiating rewinding a retractor spool (24) and the seat belt (31) subsequent to an accident, the pretensioner means operatively coupled to a first portion of the retractor;
- the retractor (20) includes a rotationally mounted spool (24) connected to the first portion and an energy absorbing means (70, 90, 100, 102) for permitting the controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by an occupant,
- the retractor having a first mode of operation, prior to an accident, in which the spool is free to rotate to protract and retract the belt in correspondence with the forces into thereto, a second mode of operation in which a lock wheel, operatively coupled to the spool, is prohibited from rotating in a spool protracting direction by interaction with a locking device and in such second mode of operation the energy absorbing means is able to absorb energy permitting the controlled protraction of the belt, as the seat belt is loaded above a first level by the occupant, and a third mode of operation, entered into subsequent to the accident, in which the pretensioner means is activated to engage the first portion and rewind the spool and with the locking device activated to prevent rotation of the lock wheel the energy absorbing means permits the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded above the first level by the occupant, wherein the performance of the energy absorbing means is the same regardless of whether or not the pretensioner means is in or out of engagement with the first portion.
A safety system comprising:
- energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) and a pretensioner means for initiating rewinding a retractor spool (24) and the seat belt (31) subsequent to an accident;
- the retractor (20) including a rotationally mounted spool (24) and an energy absorbing means (70, 90, 100, 102) for permitting the controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by an occupant, such controlled protraction of the belt being independent of the amount that the spool was caused to rewind in response to the operation of the pretensioner means;
- wherein the energy absorbing means includes:
- an axle assembly (50) received within a bore (28) of the spool (24) having a first axle member (52) and a second axle member (70) directly driven by the first axle member, the first axle member (52) including a first part operatively coupled to be rotated by operation of the pretensioner means (200, 62) and a second part (53) comprising part of a support means for rotationally supporting one side of the spool (24) thereon.
1 more element
A safety system comprising:
- energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) and a pretensioner means for initiating rewinding a retractor spool (24) and the seat belt (31) subsequent to an accident;
- the retractor (20) including a rotationally mounted spool (24) and an energy absorbing means (70, 90, 100, 102) for permitting the controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by an occupant, the energy absorbing means including:
- an axle assembly (50) received within a bore (28) of the spool (24) having a first axle member (52) and a second axle member (70) driven by the first axle member, the first axle member (52) including a first part operatively coupled to be rotated by operation of the pretensioner means (200, 62) and a second part (53) comprising part of a support means for rotationally supporting one side of the spool (24) thereon;
- wherein the energy absorbing means includes:
- a sliding and rotating nut (90) is supported between the second axle member (70) and the spool, the nut moves in response to the relative rotation between the second axle member and the spool, a deformable member (100) is mounted about the second axle member (70) and deformed upon contact with the nut to generate a reaction force which is transferred through the nut to the spool (24) to control the rotating of the spool and the protraction of the seat belt wound thereabout.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.