Spiral tube compact pretensioner and retractor
AssigneeAlliedSignal Inc.
InventorsHarold John Miller, III, Niels Dybro, Harjeet Gill, Jason W. Raines
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus (20, 500) comprising: first driven gear (502) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract; a helically shaped first driving member (530) having a front end (536) initially maintained out of engagement with the driven gear and pushed into engagement with the first driving member to cause same to rotate; second driving member (520) operatively linked to a rear end of the first driving member for pushing the first driving member into engagement with the driven gear thereby causing the driven gear to rotate.
Claims10
An apparatus (20, 500) comprising:
- first driven means (502) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract;
- an inteargally formed, spiral shaped first drive means (530) having a front end (436) initially maintained out of engagement with the first driven means and pushed into engagement with the first driven means to cause same to rotate;
- second drive means (520) operatively linked to a rear end of the first drive means for pushing the first drive means into engagement with the first driven means thereby causing the first driven means to rotate.
An apparatus (20, 500) comprising:
- first driven means (502) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract;
- an arcuately shaped first drive means (530) having a front end (436) initially maintained out of engagement with the first driven means and pushed into engagement with the first driven means to cause same to rotate;
- second drive means (520) operatively linked to a rear end of the first drive means for pushing the first drive means into engagement with the first driven means thereby causing the first driven means to rotate;
- wherein the first drive means comprises one of a segmented semi-circular and helically shaped gear (532) having a plurality of teeth (532) and wherein the first driven means (502) comprises a gear wheel having a plurality of teeth (504) which are engaged by and driven by the first drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.