Direct locking retractor assembly for a seatbelt system and a method for actuating the same

• US 10,246,048 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tools Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tools Inc.
• Inventors: Liteplo, William P., Sidman, Jason G., Herberg, Arnold J., Fiegener, John D., Bloch, Daniel, Thompson, Ryan, Tinstman, Michael D., Bangser, Ben, Gernetzke, Thomas, Ha, Daniel L., Cioe, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US15/256,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/347 with means for permanently locking the retractor during the wearing of the belt B60R22/3405 , B60R22/343, B60R22/415 take precedence

Abstract

A seatbelt system comprising a buckle; a spool with a ratchet wheel and webbing that is windable onto or off of the spool as the spool rotates. A control mechanism is operatively engaged with a pawl located proximate the ratchet wheel. When the control mechanism is in a first condition, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are rotatable to wind the webbing onto or off of the spool. When the control mechanism is in a second condition, the pawl is moved into engagement with the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are only able to rotate the webbing onto the spool. The control mechanism includes a button that has to be pushed by a user after the seatbelt is engaged with the buckle in order to move the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel.

Claims

1. A seatbelt system comprising:

a buckle assembly;

a spool;

a length of webbing having a first end engaged with the spool and a locking tongue provided on the webbing;

wherein the locking tongue is selectively engageable in the buckle assembly;

a ratchet wheel operatively engaged with the spool, said ratchet wheel and spool being selectively rotatable in unison about an axis in a first direction to wind the webbing onto the spool and in a second direction to wind the webbing off of the spool;

a pawl configured to stop rotation of the ratchet wheel and thereby to stop rotation of the spool in one direction; and

a control mechanism operatively engaged with the pawl, said control mechanism being movable between a first condition and a second condition; and

when the control mechanism is in the first condition the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are rotatable in either of the first and second directions; and

when the control mechanism is in the second condition the pawl is moved into engagement with the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are only able to rotate in the first direction;

wherein the control mechanism includes;

an actuator assembly that engages the pawl and moves the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel only after the locking tongue on the webbing is interlockingly engaged with the buckle assembly; and

a cable extending between the buckle assembly and the actuator assembly; and

when the locking tongue is engaged with the buckle assembly the cable is pulled in a direction away from the actuator assembly; and

wherein the actuator assembly includes;

a slider that is operatively engaged with the cable; and

when the cable is pulled in the direction away from the actuator assembly, the slider is caused to move into a lockable position; and

a plunger that is selectively movable into contact with the pawl or selectively movable out of contact with the pawl; and

wherein the slider locks the plunger in contact with the pawl after the cable has been pulled by engaging the locking tongue in the buckle assembly.

2. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes:

a lever arm that is pivotable in a first direction to cause the pawl to move into contact with the ratchet wheel; and

is pivotable in a second direction to allow the pawl to move out of contact with the ratchet wheel.

3. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 2, wherein the plunger is selectively movable into contact with the lever arm to cause the lever arm to pivot in the first direction;

and wherein the plunger is selectively movable out of contact with the lever arm to cause the lever arm to pivot in the second direction.

4. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 3, wherein the actuator assembly further includes:

a button operatively engageable with the plunger and wherein the button is contacted by the user to cause the plunger to move into contact with the lever arm.

5. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 4, further comprising at least one post provided on the button and a guide path provided on a seatbelt housing;

and wherein the at least one post is received in the guide path and is movable therealong when the button is contacted by the user.

6. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 5, wherein the guide path includes a horizontally oriented section and a vertically oriented section connected to the horizontally oriented section;

and wherein the button is pushed inwardly and travels along the horizontally oriented section and the button is then pushed downwardly and travels along the vertically oriented section.

7. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein the seatbelt system is operable in a first mode where cinching of the webbing is not possible or is operable in a second mode where cinching of the webbing is possible;

and wherein the seatbelt system is moved from the first mode to the second mode by activating the control mechanism; and

the seatbelt system is moved from the second mode to the first mode by disengaging the control mechanism.

8. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein the control mechanism is an electronic system including a central processing unit (CPU) and a plurality of sensors provided in one or more of the buckle assembly, locking tongue, spool, ratchet wheel or pawl.

9. The seatbelt system as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger is operatively engaged with the pawl via a lever arm;

and wherein movement in the plunger and lever arm is activated by depressing a button on a seatbelt housing inwardly and downwardly or by pinching two spaced apart button sections on the seatbelt housing toward each other or by moving a lever type mechanism to raise or lower the plunger.

10. A method of securing a child seat to a vehicle seat using a seatbelt mounted for rotation on a spool;

said method comprising;

providing a seatbelt assembly that includes a buckle assembly, a spool, and a length of seatbelt webbing connected at a first end to the spool, a locking tongue provided on the webbing, wherein the locking tongue is selectively engageable in the buckle assembly;

where the spool is rotatable about an axis in a first direction to wind the webbing on the spool and is rotatable in a second direction to wind the webbing off of the spool;

providing a ratchet wheel;

operatively engaged with the spool, said ratchet wheel and spool being selectively rotatable in unison about an axis in a first direction to wind the webbing onto the spool and in a second direction to wind the webbing off of the spool;

providing a pawl proximate the ratchet wheel;

configuring the pawl to stop rotation of the ratchet wheel and thereby to stop rotation of the spool in one direction;

operatively engaging a control mechanism with the pawl, said control mechanism being movable between a first condition and a second condition; and

when the control mechanism is in the first condition, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are rotatable in either of the first and second directions; and

when the control mechanism is in the second condition, the pawl is moved into engagement with the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are only able to rotate in the first direction;

wherein the control mechanism includes;

an actuator assembly that engages the pawl and moves the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel only after the locking tongue on the webbing is interlockingly engaged with the buckle assembly; and

a cable extending between the buckle assembly and the actuator assembly; and

when the locking tongue is engaged with the buckle assembly, the cable is pulled in a direction away from the actuator assembly; and

wherein the actuator assembly includes;

a slider operatively engaged with the cable; and

when the cable is pulled in the direction away from the actuator assembly, the slider is caused to move into a lockable position; and

a plunger selectively movable into contact with the pawl or selectively movable out of contact with the pawl; and

wherein the slider locks the plunger in contact with the pawl after the cable has been pulled by engaging the locking tongue in the buckle assembly;

actuating the control mechanism by;

moving the slider within a seatbelt housing from a first position to a second position;

moving the plunger through a portion of the slider when the slider has been moved to the second position; and

contacting the pawl with the plunger;

moving the pawl into engagement between two teeth on the ratchet wheel; and

stopping, with the pawl, rotation of the ratchet wheel in the second direction while permitting rotation of the ratchet wheel in the first direction.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of moving the plunger includes depressing a button provided on the seatbelt housing.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of moving the slider is preceded by inserting the locking tongue provided on the webbing into the buckle assembly provided on the vehicle.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the insertion of the locking tongue into the buckle assembly causes the cable extending between the buckle assembly and the seatbelt housing to be pulled in a first direction and the step of pulling of the cable causes the slider to move from the first position to the second position.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the control mechanism is an electronic control mechanism and the method further comprises:

providing the electronic control mechanism with a central processing unit (CPU) and providing a plurality of sensors in one or more of the buckle assembly, locking tongue, spool, ratchet wheel and pawl; and

wherein the method further includes transmitting signals between the one or more of the CPU, the buckle assembly, the locking tongue, the spool, the ratchet wheel and the pawl to cause the pawl to move into engagement with the ratchet wheel or to cause the pawl to move out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

selecting one of a first mode and a second mode with which to use the seatbelt assembly, where the first mode does not permit cinching of the seatbelt webbing and the second mode does permit cinching of the seatbelt webbing.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of selecting the first mode includes engaging the locking tongue on the seatbelt webbing in the buckle assembly.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the step of selecting the second mode includes engaging the locking tongue in the buckle assembly followed by engaging the control mechanism to move the pawl into contact with the ratchet wheel and stopping rotation of the ratchet wheel and thereby the spool with the pawl.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising the step of stopping use of the seatbelt assembly in the selected one of the first mode and the second mode by disengaging the locking tongue from the buckle assembly.

19. A seatbelt system comprising:

a buckle assembly;

a spool mounted for rotation within a housing;

a length of webbing having a first end engaged with the spool and a locking tongue provided on the webbing;

wherein the locking tongue is selectively engageable in the buckle assembly;

a ratchet wheel provided on the spool;

wherein the spool is selectively rotatable about an axis in a first direction to wind the webbing onto the spool and in a second direction to wind the webbing off of the spool;

a pawl configured to selectively engage the ratchet wheel to stop rotation of the spool in the second direction;

a plunger selectively movable into contact with the pawl to stop rotation of the spool in the second direction; and

a slider provided within the housing;

said slider being selectively movable between a first position and a second position within the housing; and

wherein the plunger is movable relative to the slider; and

when the slider is in the second position, the plunger is movable into contact with the pawl and the pawl is movable into contact with the ratchet wheel to stop rotation of the spool in the second direction.