SEATBELT PRETENSIONER
First Claim
1. A seatbelt pretensioning system for acting on a seatbelt of an occupant restraint system of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
- a rotatable spool having a generally cylindrical sidewall defining a central longitudinal axis and a cavity centered on the longitudinal axis;
a longitudinally translatable sleeve having a generally cylindrical sidewall that is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and defining a cavity therein, the sleeve being mounted within the cavity of the spool for longitudinal translation therein;
a spiraling flute formed by either the spool sidewall within the cavity or the translatable sleeve, and a follower member formed by the other of the spool sidewall or translatable sleeve, wherein the follower member is coupled to the spiraling flute;
a tube member having a generally cylindrical sidewall and defining a cavity therein, the tube being mounted within the sleeve sidewall, wherein the sleeve is translatable along the tube;
a gas generator fluidly coupled to the tube cavity and being configured to produce an increase in pressure within the tube cavity, wherein the sleeve translates longitudinally away from the gas generator and along the tube in response to the increase in pressure caused by the gas generator; and
wherein the longitudinal translation of the sleeve causes the spool to rotate in response in accordance with the shape of the spiraling flute and its coupling to the follower member to cause the seatbelt to be pretensioned.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A seatbelt pretensioner is provided including an inner tube with a gas generator housed therein, an intermediate sleeve extending over the inner tube, and a spool portion housing the sleeve and the tube. The spool portion includes spiraling flutes thereon that correspond to a protruding member in the form of flutes or pegs extending from the intermediate sleeve. In response to the gas generator firing, the sleeve will be driven longitudinally, causing the protruding member to act on the spiraling flutes of the spool, thereby causing the spool to rotate. The intermediate sleeve can include a spiraling slot that receives a peg from the inner tube, so that the intermediate sleeve will rotate to compound the spool rotation.
13 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A seatbelt pretensioning system for acting on a seatbelt of an occupant restraint system of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
-
a rotatable spool having a generally cylindrical sidewall defining a central longitudinal axis and a cavity centered on the longitudinal axis; a longitudinally translatable sleeve having a generally cylindrical sidewall that is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and defining a cavity therein, the sleeve being mounted within the cavity of the spool for longitudinal translation therein; a spiraling flute formed by either the spool sidewall within the cavity or the translatable sleeve, and a follower member formed by the other of the spool sidewall or translatable sleeve, wherein the follower member is coupled to the spiraling flute; a tube member having a generally cylindrical sidewall and defining a cavity therein, the tube being mounted within the sleeve sidewall, wherein the sleeve is translatable along the tube; a gas generator fluidly coupled to the tube cavity and being configured to produce an increase in pressure within the tube cavity, wherein the sleeve translates longitudinally away from the gas generator and along the tube in response to the increase in pressure caused by the gas generator; and wherein the longitudinal translation of the sleeve causes the spool to rotate in response in accordance with the shape of the spiraling flute and its coupling to the follower member to cause the seatbelt to be pretensioned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A seatbelt pretensioning apparatus comprising:
-
a rotatable spool having a generally cylindrical sidewall defining a central longitudinal axis and a cavity centered on the longitudinal axis; a longitudinally translatable drive member having a generally cylindrical sidewall that is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and defining a cavity therein, the drive member being mounted within the cavity of the spool; a head portion of the drive member coupled to the spool; a spiraling flute formed by either the spool sidewall within the cavity or the head portion of the drive member, and a follower member formed by the other of the spool sidewall or the head portion of the drive member, wherein the follower member is coupled to the spiraling flute; a longitudinal slot disposed within the drive member cavity and defined by the drive member sidewall; a tube member having a generally cylindrical sidewall and defining a cavity therein, the tube being disposed at least partially within the drive member cavity, wherein the sleeve is translatable longitudinally along the tube; a longitudinal rail extending radially outward from the tube member sidewall and received within the longitudinal slot of the drive member; a gas generator fluidly coupled to the tube cavity and being configured to produce an increase in pressure within the tube cavity to translate the drive member longitudinally; and wherein the longitudinal translation of the sleeve causes the spool to rotate in response in accordance with the shape of the spiraling flute and its coupling to the follower member to cause the seatbelt to be pretensioned. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A seatbelt pretensioning device comprising:
-
a rotatable spool member having a generally cylindrical sidewall defining a central longitudinal axis and a cavity; a spiraling flute spiraling in a first direction formed in the spool sidewall within the cavity; a longitudinally translatable intermediate sleeve having a generally cylindrical sidewall and defining a cavity therein, the intermediate sleeve being mounted within the cavity of the spool and coupled to the spiraling flute; a spiraling slot extending through the sidewall of the intermediate sleeve that spirals in a second direction that is generally opposite the direction of the spiraling flute; a peg extending radially outward from the intermediate sleeve sidewall and extending into the spiraling flute of the spool; a tube member having a generally cylindrical sidewall and defining a cavity therein, the tube being disposed at least partially within the drive member cavity, wherein the sleeve is translatable and rotatable relative to the tube; a second peg extending radially outward from the tube sidewall and extending into the spiraling slot of the intermediate sleeve; a gas generator fluidly coupled to the tube cavity and being configured to produce an increase in pressure within the tube cavity to force the intermediate sleeve away from the gas generator; and wherein the intermediate sleeve, in response to the increase in pressure within the tube cavity, translates away from the gas generator and rotates in a first direction due to the interaction between the second peg and the spiraling slot, and the first peg of the intermediate sleeve acts on the spiraling flute of the spool thereby rotating the spool to pretension the seatbelt. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A seatbelt pretensioning device comprising:
-
a frame member for being mounted to a vehicle, the frame member having a first endwall and a second endwall, the second endwall having a circular hole extending therethrough; a rotatable spindle extending through the circular hole of the second endwall of the frame member, the spindle having a generally tubular sidewall defining a central longitudinal axis and defining a cavity centered on the longitudinal axis; a driver mounted within the cavity of the rotatable spindle, the driver having a tubular sidewall coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and defining a cavity, a first end wall at a first end having a non-circular hole therethrough, an opening at a second end, and a spiraling slot extending around an outside surface of the sidewall; a gas generator fluidly coupled to the cavity of the driver; a rod having a non-circular cross-section extending longitudinally from the first endwall of the frame member and through the non-circular hole of the first endwall of the driver; a follower member coupled to an inner surface of the spindle and disposed within the spiraling slot of the driver; wherein the rod contacts the non-circular hole of the driver to limit rotation of the driver; wherein longitudinal translation of the driver causes the follower to track along the spiraling slot to cause the spindle to rotate and pretension the seatbelt. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A seatbelt pretensioning device comprising:
-
a frame member for being mounted to a portion of a vehicle; a rotatable spindle mounted for rotation to the frame member and defining a first longitudinal axis; a tubular housing having a sidewall and an endwall at a first end of the sidewall, the housing being fixedly mounted to the frame member adjacent the rotatable spindle, the tubular sidewall defining a cavity therein and a second longitudinal axis that is offset from the first longitudinal axis; a piston coaxially aligned with the tubular housing and mounted within the cavity of the housing and longitudinally translatable within the housing, the piston defining a hole extending therethrough; a drive member coaxially aligned with the piston and the housing and extending through the hole of the piston, the drive member having at least one spiraling groove extending along an outer surface of the drive member; at least one tab portion extending radially inward from an edge of the hole in the piston into the spiraling groove of the drive member; a first gear fixedly coupled to the drive member; a second gear coupled to the spindle and the first gear, wherein the second gear rotates in response to rotation of the first gear; at least one track portion of the housing extending radially inward and longitudinally along a portion of the housing; at least one groove portion of the piston disposed at an outer edge thereof that receives the at least one track portion for limiting the piston from rotating when the piston translates within the housing; a gas generator fluidly coupled to housing cavity for driving the piston longitudinally within the housing; wherein the drive member rotates in response to translation of the piston as the tab portion tracks along the spiraling groove of the drive member, the first gear rotates in response to rotation of the drive member, the second gear rotates in response to the rotation of the first gear, and the spindle rotates in response to rotation of the second gear to pretension the seatbelt. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification