SEATBELT PRETENSIONER
First Claim
1. A seatbelt pretensioning system comprising:
- an elongate drive rod having a longitudinal axis therealong;
a spiral portion of the drive rod;
a gas generator disposed adjacent the drive rod for forcing the drive rod away from the gas generator in response to the gas generator being actuated;
a bracket member for being fixedly mounted to a portion of a vehicle near a seatbelt;
an elongate minispool rotatably coupled to the bracket, the minispool having a longitudinal axis being generally coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the drive rod;
a cavity of the minispool sized to receive at least a portion of the drive rod;
a driving portion of the minispool, sized to cooperate with and engage the spiral portion of the drive rod in response to the drive rod being forced away from the gas generator;
wherein the engagement between the driving portion of the minispool and the spiral portion of the drive rod will cause the minispool to rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to the drive rod in response to the drive rod'"'"'s translation away from the gas generator;
wherein the linear motion of the drive rod is converted into rotational motion of the minispool for winding a web portion of a seatbelt around the minispool to pretension the seatbelt.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for pretensioning a seatbelt includes a minispool and a drive rod. The drive rod includes a spiral portion that, when driven along a longitudinal axis, causes the minispool to rotate about the longitudinal axis. The spiral portion of the drive rod engages the minispool, which includes corresponding structure that tracks the spiral portion. The minispool is restricted from longitudinal travel such that tracking the spiral portion causes the minispool to rotate and the drive rod passes through the minispool. In another form, the minispool can be arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis, with the translation of the drive rod causing the minispool to translate in the same direction of the drive rod. The minispool can include teeth that engage a bracket, such that the translation of the minispool causes the minispool to rotate as it translates.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A seatbelt pretensioning system comprising:
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an elongate drive rod having a longitudinal axis therealong; a spiral portion of the drive rod; a gas generator disposed adjacent the drive rod for forcing the drive rod away from the gas generator in response to the gas generator being actuated; a bracket member for being fixedly mounted to a portion of a vehicle near a seatbelt; an elongate minispool rotatably coupled to the bracket, the minispool having a longitudinal axis being generally coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the drive rod; a cavity of the minispool sized to receive at least a portion of the drive rod; a driving portion of the minispool, sized to cooperate with and engage the spiral portion of the drive rod in response to the drive rod being forced away from the gas generator; wherein the engagement between the driving portion of the minispool and the spiral portion of the drive rod will cause the minispool to rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to the drive rod in response to the drive rod'"'"'s translation away from the gas generator; wherein the linear motion of the drive rod is converted into rotational motion of the minispool for winding a web portion of a seatbelt around the minispool to pretension the seatbelt. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A seatbelt pretensioner device comprising:
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a gas generator; a drive rod having a longitudinal axis therealong and operatively coupled to the gas generator for being driven along the longitudinal axis; a minispool having two ends and a longitudinal axis therebetween that is generally perpendicular to the drive rod axis; a bracket member having a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel to the drive rod axis; opposing sidewall portions of the bracket member each having slot portions therein running along the bracket axis and supporting the ends of the minispool; a support member extending along the drive rod axis and fixedly mounted to the drive rod; wherein the minispool is rotatably coupled to the support member; wherein the minispool is coupled to the slots for being translated and rotated relative thereto; wherein the minispool is arranged for being translated along the slots along the longitudinal axis of the bracket in response to translation of the drive rod along its axis; and wherein the minispool is arranged for being rotated about its axis due to its engagement with the slots and its translation relative thereto. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for pretensioning a seatbelt, the method comprising:
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generating gas from a gas generator into a tube; driving a drive rod in a first linear direction in response to the gas generation within the tube; engaging a minispool with the drive rod; during engagement with the minispool, translating the drive rod past eh minispool; maintaining the general longitudinal positioning of the minispool as the drive rod translates relative to the minispool; rotating the minispool about the longitudinal axis of the drive rod; winding a web portion of a seatbelt about the minispool to pretension the seatbelt. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification