Belt Retractor

• US 20080231035A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schautt, Martin, Breitschuh, Stefan, Ludicke, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/064,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20080231035A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/807
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/285 using friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence

Abstract

A belt retractor (10) is suitable especially for use in an adaptive seat belt system and has a rotatable belt roll (14), a rotary member (18) that can be connected in a torsion-proof manner to the belt roll (14), and an actuator (32; 72) which generates an actuating force and acts upon at least one frictional element (22, 22′) in order to engage said frictional element (22, 22′) with the rotary member (18) that can be connected in a torsion-proof manner to the belt roll (14) so as to decelerate a rotational movement of the belt roll (14). An arrangement for self-reinforcing the actuating force generated by the actuator (32, 72) is disposed between the actuator (32; 72) and the rotary member (18).

Claims

1. A belt retractor comprising a rotatable belt roll, a rotary member that can be connected to the belt roll in a torsion-proof manner, and an actuator that generates an actuating force and acts upon at least one frictional element in order to engage the frictional element with the rotary member that can be connected to the belt roll in a torsion-proof manner so as to decelerate a rotational movement of the belt roll, wherein an arrangement for self-reinforcing the actuating force generated by the actuator is disposed between the actuator and the rotary member.

2. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is connected to an electronic control unit that is configured to control the actuator as a function of at least one occupant-, vehicle- and/or situation-specific parameter in order to effect a deceleration of the rotational movement of the belt roll that is adapted thereto.

3. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the self-reinforcing arrangement comprises a first carrier part that carries at least one first force-amplification element and a second carrier part that carries at least one second force-amplification element, wherein the first and the second carrier parts can be rotated relative to each other as a result of the actuating force generated by the actuator.

4. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

the first force-amplification element comprises an angled wedge face with an angle of inclination that is supported on the second force-amplification element in a sliding or rolling manner.

5. The belt retractor according to claim 4, wherein

the first force-amplification element and the second force-amplification element form a ball/ramp arrangement.

6. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

the first force-amplification element is configured as a thread provided on the first carrier part and the second force-amplification element is configured as a spindle that interacts with the thread provided on the first carrier part.

7. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

the second carrier part is fixed and the first carrier part can be connected to the actuator in order to turn the first carrier part relative to the second carrier part.

8. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator is configured as a rotating electric machine and can be connected to toothed or worm gearing.

9. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator is configured as a direct drive or as a piezoelectric drive.

10. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator is positioned radially outside the belt roll and essentially adjacent to the belt roll.

11. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator is positioned radially outside the rotary member and essentially adjacent to the rotary member.

12. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator is positioned on a side of the rotary member that faces away from the belt roll and essentially adjacent to the rotary member.

13. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

the first carrier part is mounted in such a way that it can be moved along its axis of rotation and carries at least a first frictional element on a surface that faces the rotary member.

14. The belt retractor a according to claim 1, wherein

the rotary member is mounted in such a way that it can be moved along its axis of rotation.

15. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

at least one second frictional element is attached to a surface of the second carrier part that faces the rotary member.

16. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

a return spring is provided to set a distance between the first and the second carrier part.

17. The belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein

at least one spacer element is provided to set a neutral position of the rotary member relative to the first and second carrier parts.

18. The belt retractor according to claim 6, wherein

the self-reinforcing arrangement comprises a spring element that is configured to apply a force that acts on the first carrier part in a circumferential direction of the first carrier part.

19. The belt retractor according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one friction lining is made from a magnetic material and/or a pot-type magnet is provided that applies a magnetic force to the rotary member and/or the first carrier part in order to force the rotary member towards the at least one friction lining.

20. A method of using a belt retractor according to claim 1 in an adaptive seat-belt system.