Selectable load limiting seat restraint retractor

A load limiting seat restraint retractor for a seat restraint system in a vehicle comprising:

• a first housing for operative connection to vehicle structure;
• a rotatable take-up spool connected to a webbing of a seat restraint system for winding and unwinding the webbing;
• a rotatable first torsion bar operatively connected to said first housing to provide a first level of load limiting on the webbing during an impact, said take-up spool being operatively mounted on said first torsion bar;
• a rotatable second torsion bar operatively connected to said first housing and orientated parallel to said first torsion bar to provide a second level of load limiting on the webbing during an impact, said second level of load limiting being less than said first level of load limiting;
• and
• a first gear operatively connected to said first torsion bar;
• a second gear operatively connected to said second torsion bar;
• and
• a selectable load limiting mechanism cooperating with said first gear and said second gear to select between said first level of load limiting and said second level of load limiting to provide digressive load limiting on the webbing during the impact.

A seat restraint system for a vehicle comprising:

• a belt webbing;
• a retractor housing for operative connection to vehicle structure;
• a rotatable take-up spool connected to a webbing of a seat restraint system for winding and unwinding the webbing;
• a rotatable first torsion bar operatively connected to said retractor housing to provide a first level of load limiting on the webbing during an impact, said take-up spool being operatively mounted on said first torsion bar;
• a rotatable second torsion bar operatively connected to said retractor housing and orientated parallel to said first torsion bar to provide a second level of load limiting on said belt webbing during an impact, said second level of load limiting being less than said first level of load limiting;
• and
• a selectable load limiting mechanism cooperating with said first torsion bar and said second torsion bar to select between said first level of load limiting and said second level of load limiting to provide digressive load limiting on said belt webbing during the impact.