Seatbelt retractor

• US 20100066150A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tonbe, Hideyuki, Mori, Takahiro, Takao, Masato, Kimura, Takaaki
• Application Number:
  US12/458,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4642 the gas directly propelling a flexible driving means, e.g. a plurality of successive masses, in a tubular chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4628 characterised by fluid actuators, e.g. pyrotechnic gas generators actuating a cable B60R22/4619

Abstract

A seat belt retractor is provided with a reduced size and reduced man-hours required for installation to a vehicle body. A motor for rotating a spool of winding a seat belt and an ECU for the motor are united to form a combined motor/ECU unit. The motor/ECU unit is supported on a frame just below the spool. In this case, the motor and ECU are accommodated in a unit casing of which a casing body is flatly supported on a unit stay. The unit stay is supported by the frame.

Claims

1. A seat belt retractor comprising:

a spool for winding up a seat belt;

a frame for rotatably supporting the spool;

a motor for rotating the spool in a seat belt winding direction and a seat belt unwinding direction;

a power transmission unit for transmitting rotation of the motor to the spool;

an electric control unit (ECU) for controlling the motor, wherein the motor and the electric control are provided as a single motor/ECU unit, and wherein the motor/ECU unit is supported on the frame directly below the spool.

2. The seat belt retractor of claim 1, further comprising a pretensioner which rotates the spool in the seat belt winding direction using force provided by gas generated by a gas generator in the event of an emergency, wherein the gas generator for the pretensioner is disposed above the spool and is supported by the frame.

3. The seat belt retractor of claim 2, wherein the power transmission unit comprises a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the motor to the spool with reducing the speed and a power transmission retainer for accommodating the power transmission mechanism, and the power transmission retainer functions also as a casing for the pretensioner.

4. The seat belt retractor of claim 1, wherein the motor/ECU unit has a unit casing, the motor and the electric control unit are accommodated in the unit casing, the unit casing comprises a casing body having an upper opening, and a cover for closing the upper opening of the casing body, and the casing body and the cover are each made of a thermal-conductive material having high thermal conductivity.

5. A seat belt apparatus comprising:

a seat belt;

a tongue slidably supported by the seat belt, and a buckle which is fixed to a vehicle body and to which the tongue can be detachably latched; and

a seat belt retractor comprising;

a spool for winding up a seat belt;

a frame for rotatably supporting the spool;

a motor for rotating the spool in a seat belt winding direction and a seat belt unwinding direction;

a power transmission unit for transmitting rotation of the motor to the spool;

an electric control unit (ECU) for controlling the motor, wherein the motor and the electric control are provided as a single motor/ECU unit, and wherein the motor/ECU unit is supported on the frame directly below the spool.