Linear retractor

• US 3,869,173 A
• Filed: 12/03/1973
• Issued: 03/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas C. Holka, William P. Haller
• Original Assignee: Thomas C. Holka, William P. Haller
• Inventors: Haller, William P, Holka, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/421,380
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 297/388,389,385,384,387 280/15SB 242/17SB
• US Class Current: 297/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3405 of the non-rotary type

Abstract

A linear retractor for a shoulder harness segment of a vehicle belt system. The retractor has an elongated housing containing an arresting device supported on a cross shaft engaged with track means on opposite sides of the housing, the cross shaft supporting the arresting device for tilting movement and sliding movement longitudinally of the housing. The shoulder harness segment is anchored at one of its ends to the housing and extends longitudinally within the housing from the anchor means to and around the arresting device cross shaft and exits the housing in proximity to its anchored end. The housing has a plurality of lateral serrations extending longitudinally thereof. The arresting device has a detent means positioned for engagement with the serrations and when so engaged being effective to hold the arresting device and thereby the belt segment in segment protracting direction. A cam means on the arresting device deflects a section of the segment from a straight line relation between its point of departure from the cross shaft and its point of departure from the housing. Any sudden protraction movement of the segment causes it to be pulled taut and to apply pressure through the cam means to tilt the arresting device into engagement with the housing serrations. Spring means normally urge the arresting device and segment toward retracted position, the spring means providing minimal resistance to protraction of the segment in serration disengaged position of the arresting device.

Claims

1. A linear retractor for a shoulder harness segment of a vehicle seat belt system, having:

an elongated housing of substantially rectangular cross section having opposite side walls and a base wall, track means on the opposite side walls of the housing, an arresting device supported on a cross shaft, anchor means fixing one end of the segment to the housing with the segment extending longitudinally within the housing from the anchor means to a position over and around the arresting device cross shaft and exiting the housing in proximity to its anchored end, the cross shaft having its ends extending laterally of the arresting device into engagement with the track means to support the arresting device for tilting movement within the housing and for movement longitudinally of the housing from a segment retracted position to a protracted position, the housing having a plurality of lateral serrations in the base wall extending longitudinally thereof, the arresting device having detent means at one lateral end edge positioned for engagement with the housing serrations to hold the arresting device against movement longitudinally of the housing in segment protracting direction, wherein the improvement comprises;

cam means on the arresting device adjacent the detent means over which the segment passes, the cam means in slack condition of the segment deflecting the segment from a straight line relation between its point of departure beneath the cross shaft and its point of departure from the housing, a sudden protraction movement of the segment causing the latter to be pulled taut and to apply pressure on the cam means to tilt the arresting device toward the base to engage its detent means with the serrations thereby to lock the segment against protraction thereby to restrain a harnessed seat occupant against forward movement, a first spring means normally urging the arresting device and segment away from the housing base toward retracted position, and a second spring means providing minimal resistance to protraction of the segment in serration disengaged position of the arresting device.

2. A Linear retractor according to claim 1, in which:

the second spring means comprises a spring-loaded cable reel mounted at one end of the housing and coupled to the arresting device.

3. A linear retractor according to claim 1, in which:

the first spring means includes at least one leaf spring member between the arresting device and housing yieldably urging the arresting device toward disengaged position relative to the serrations.

4. A linear retractor according to claim 1, in which:

the first spring means comprises at least one leaf spring acting between the arresting device and housing to yieldably urge the arresting device toward disengaged position relative to the serrations, and the second spring means comprises a spring-loaded reel coupled to the arresting device.

5. A linear retractor according to claim 1, in which:

the cam means extends across the width of the arresting device.

6. A linear retractor according to claim 5, in which:

the first spring means comprises at least one leaf spring acting between the latch device and housing to yieldably urge the arresting device toward unlatched position.

7. A linear retractor for a shoulder harness segment of a vehicle seat belt system, having:

an elongated housing of substantially rectangular cross section, a segment movement arresting device supported on a shaft extending laterally of the housing, the shaft having its end projecting outwardly of the arresting device into engagement with guide means in side walls of the housing, the shaft ends journalling the arresting device for tilting movement about the shaft axis and for longitudinal movement within the housing along the guide means from a segment retracted to a segment protracted position, the shoulder harness segment being anchored at one end relative to the housing and being threaded over and around to the underside of the cross shaft and exiting the housing at one end of the latter, coacting detent and ratchet means on the arresting device and housing, cam means on the arresting device over which the section of the segment between the cross shaft and the the one end of the housing passes, a sudden protraction movement of the segment causing the latter to be pulled taut and to apply an arresting device tilt force through the cam means, the coacting detent and ratchet means becoming operative upon the arresting device being tilted to hold the segment against protraction, and spring means normally urging the arresting device and segment toward retracted position.

8. A linear retractor according to claim 7, in which:

the spring means includes at least one leaf spring member between the arresting device and housing yieldably urging the arresting device toward detent and ratchet means disengaged relationship.

9. A linear retractor according to claim 7, in which:

the spring means comprises a spring-loaded reel coupled to the arresting device, and at least one leaf spring acting between the arresting device and housing yieldably urges the arresting device toward detent and ratchet means inoperative relationship.