GB1390017A - Reel assemblies for vehicle safety harnesses - Google Patents

Abstract

1390017 Mechanical switches without quick action JOSEPH LUCAS (INDUSTRIES) Ltd 17 May 1972 [21 May 1971 9 July 1971] 16390/71 and 32259/71 Heading H1N An electric switch is operated from a reel assembly of a vehicle safety harness through a reduction gear whereby contacts 17, 19, Fig. 2, engage after a required number of turns of the reel 9. In the example shown the reduction gear comprises a Geneva mechanism 11, 12 with the notched driving disc 12 coupled to the reel shaft 18 and a further pinion 13 engaging an inner toothed gear casing 14 carrying a bridging contact 17 co-operating with a pair of contacts 19 on a fixed housing 10. The gear casing 14 may be withdrawn axially against a compression spring 16 to disengage the gears 13, 14 during initial setting. In another embodiment a conductive ball contact (34), Fig. 4 (not shown), bridges a pair of fixed contacts (36, 37) mounted respectively on fixed and rotating casing parts (30, 31) whereby the ball moves radially in a groove (35) of the fixed part,(30) under the action of a scroll groove formed by a spiral spring (33) attached centrally to the rotary part (31) which permits overtravel due to the spring (33) having a free outer end. In other modifications the movable contact comprises a threaded nut or flanged disc 116, Fig. 8, movable axially along a threaded spindle 113 driven from the reel through a coupling 111, 112. The contact disc 116 is held against rotation by projections 115 on a sleeve 114 which is frictionally held against rotation in a fixed housing 110 but which can be rotated as by a tool engaged in a central slot 118 for initially setting the axial position of the disc 116.