Mechanical shifting of multi-load retractor
AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsRichard W. Koning, Kenneth H. Kohlndorfer, Mark F. Gray, Michael J. Moore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seat belt retractor (20) comprising: a primary (40) and secondary (60) locking mechanism and deactivation mechanism (74) for mechanically deactivating the second locking mechanism (60) when the retractor is used by occupants not in a designated class; the retractor including at least two load limiting mechanisms including for example, a torsion bar and variable elongation webbing or a torsion bar and a friction brake (or clutch) configured to be selectively employed depending on the size of the occupant.
Claims16
A seat belt retractor (20) comprising:
- a primary (40) and secondary (60) locking mechanism and deactivation means (70, 72, 74) for mechanically deactivating the second locking mechanism if the retractor is used by occupants not in a designated class:
- the retractor including at least two load limiting mechanisms (30, 80, 350) configured to be selectively employed depending on the size of the occupant;
- wherein the deactivating means includes a mode switching switch (65), sensitive to the amount of seat belt which is one of a) remaining on the spool and b) removed from the spool, to operatively switch between the two load limiting mechanisms.
A seat belt retractor (20) comprising:
- a primary (40) and secondary (60) looking mechanism and deactivation means (70, 72, 74) for mechanically deactivating the second locking mechanism if the retractor is used by occupants not in a designated class;
- the retractor configured to operate in a default mode of operation, using the load-limiting characteristics of a torsion bar when less than a first amount of seat belt webbing has been withdrawn from a spool of the retractor with only the primary locking mechanism operative during an emergency;
- the retractor further configured to operate in a second mode of operation using all load-limiting characteristics of a variable elongation seat belt webbing after more than the first amount of seat belt webbing has been withdrawn from the spool of the retractor with both the primary and secondary locking mechanisms operative during an emergency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.