Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
  • B60R22/34—Belt retractors, e.g. reels
  • B60R22/36—Belt retractors, e.g. reels self-locking in an emergency
  • B60R22/415—Belt retractors, e.g. reels self-locking in an emergency with additional means allowing a permanent locking of the retractor during the wearing of the belt
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
  • B60R22/34—Belt retractors, e.g. reels
  • B60R22/341—Belt retractors, e.g. reels comprising energy-absorbing means
  • B60R22/3413—Belt retractors, e.g. reels comprising energy-absorbing means operating between belt reel and retractor frame
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R22/00—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles
  • B60R22/28—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles incorporating energy-absorbing devices
  • B60R2022/286—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles incorporating energy-absorbing devices using deformation of material
  • B60R2022/287—Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles incorporating energy-absorbing devices using deformation of material of torsion rods or tubes

Definitions

• the controlled payout of additional belt in response to loading on the safety belt effectively dampens the amount of impact energy transferred to the seat occupant and controls the forward motion of the occupant.
• the physical dimensions and material characteristics of the torsion bar are selected to define its yield rate and permit it to rotate a predetermined number of turns. More specifically, this predetermined number of turns is selected to be greater than that required for the torsion bar to survive a single severe collision or the cumulative effect of a number of less severe collisions.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a safety belt retractor having an energy management mechanism capable of transferring a portion of the impact energy to the retractor during one or more collisions and a mode shifting mechanism capable of determining the severity of the collision (s) as a function of the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism.
• belt-sensitive emergency locking mechanism 14 While the particular structure of belt-sensitive emergency locking mechanism 14 is not critical to the present invention, it is shown to include a lock ring or cup 66, an inertia ring 67 or ratchet wheel 68.
• a post 70 extending axially from second end segment 50 of ratchet wheel 48 is adapted to extend through apertures formed in lock ring 66, inertia ring 67, and ratchet wheel 68.
• a drive ring 72 has a first key (not shown) retained in a keyway aperture 74 formed in post 70.
• Drive ring 72 also includes a second key 76 which is adapted to pass through an aperture 78 formed in housing 54.
• Automatic locking mechanism 18 is shown to include a third lock pawl 80 is mounted on a pin 82 (See Fig. 2) extending from lock ring 66 for pivotal movement between an unlatched position and a latched position.
• Third lock pawl 80 includes a latch segment 84 and an actuation segment 86.
• a first torsion or bias spring 88 acts between third lock pawl 80 and lock ring 66 for normally urging third lock pawl 80 toward its unlatched position. With third lock pawl 80 in its unlatched position, latch segment 84 is displaced from teeth 62 on ratchet or lock wheel 48.
• Cam follower 102 includes a first leg 106 and a second leg 108 which extends through an opening 110 formed in housing 54.
• a second torsion spring 112 acts between housing 54 and cam follower 102 for urging first leg 106 into continuous engagement with a portion of the outer peripheral edge of cam wheel 96.
• the outer peripheral edge of cam wheel 96 defines a cam surface 114, the contour of which controls whether or not second leg 108 of cam follower 102 engages actuation segment 86 of third lock pawl 80.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the position of components associated with cam assembly 92 and timing assembly 94 when automatic locking mechanism 18 is in a non- activated mode and safety belt 40 is fully retracted to its home or stowed position wound on spool 28.
• retractor 10 operates in its ELR mode such that belt 40 can be freely withdrawn and retracted.
• third lock pawl 80 is held by first torsion spring 88 in its unlatched position while first leg 106 of cam follower 102 is biased by second torsion spring 112 into engagement with a first detent 140 formed in cam surface 114 of cam wheel 96.
• FIG. 5 illustrates the position of the components associated with cam assembly 92 and timing assembly 94 when a length of belt 40 has been withdrawn from retractor 10 and is latched across the torso of a seat occupant and automatic locking mechanism 18 is operating in its non-activated mode.
• dwell segment 150 and second detent 152 work in conjunction with first detent 140 to maintain cam follower 102 in a position whereat its second leg 108 is displaced from actuation segment 86 of third lock pawl 80 for maintaining third lock pawl 80 in its unlatched position, thereby maintaining automatic locking mechanism 18 in its non-activated mode.
• Mode shift mechanism 18 can be installed in safety belt retractor 10 for use in vehicular seating applications where the ALR mode is not required such as, for example, the front driver- side seat.
• mode shift mechanism 18* functions to shift retractor 10 from an ELR mode into a lockout mode when the cumulative energy absorbed by energy management mechanism 12 exceeds the maximum allowable limit.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=21829964

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (30)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1998
  • 1998-02-19 US US09/026,108 patent/US5904371A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-11-23 WO PCT/US1998/025016 patent/WO1999042326A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-11-23 DE DE69834433T patent/DE69834433T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-11-23 JP JP2000532303A patent/JP3805982B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-11-23 EP EP98960408A patent/EP1062122B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-11-23 KR KR10-2000-7008968A patent/KR100516269B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related

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