Safety belt inertia retractor and backing device

• US 4,004,751 A
• Filed: 11/25/1974
• Issued: 01/25/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allied Corp. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sigmatex AG
• Inventors: Schmelow, Harald Martin, Weman, Per Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Christian, Leonard D.
• Application Number:
  US05/527,008
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 242/107.4 R, 242/107.4 A, 242/107.4 B, 242/107.4 C, 242/107.7, 242/107.6, 297/386, 297/388
• US Class Current: 242/384
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/401 with adjustable sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/40 responsive only to vehicle movement

Abstract

A belt winder with a quick-locking vehicle inertia sensitive action comprising an inert mass actuated to lock the belt winder shaft when the vehicle is accelerated and which can be brought into operative position in any mounting position in space.

Claims

1. A belt winder for a safety belt for vehicles with quick-action locking means, comprising a housing, a winding shaft for the safety belt, a locking mechanism arranged between the housing and the winding shaft, a mounting support on the winder, said mounting support having a pocket therein, an inert mass mounted in the pocket, said pocket being open at one side, said mass moving to lock the winder shaft when the vehicle accelerates in at least one of the three directions in space, the mounting support comprising a ring mount having an adjusting cylinder arranged therein so that the adjusting cylinder can selectively be rotated about its longitudinal axis, the ring mount being selectively rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the adjusting cyclinder.

2. A winder according to claim 1, wherein said ring mount has two adjusting cylinders arranged therein to be rotated and arrested in axial alignment with one another.

3. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the inert mass is a ball.

4. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the inert mass is a body which is rounded at one side and preferably provided with a projection at the side opposite the rounded part.

5. A winder according to claim 4, wherein the inert member has an opening in its underside to receive a ball.

6. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the inert mass is a pendulum.

7. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the inert mass is a carriage mounted on rollers.

8. A winder according to claim 7, wherein the carriage is provided at the top with a funnel-shaped opening and said locking mechanism includes a locking lever having a locking pin mounted thereon, the locking pin being displaceable relative to the opening, and the locking lever being pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting cylinder.

9. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the winding shaft has a locking wheel mounted thereon, the locking wheel having teeth at the periphery engageable by the locking mechanism.

10. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the pocket in the adjusting cylinder is substantially arcuate in one plane.

11. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the pocket is trough-shaped.

12. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the pocket is resilient.

13. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting cylinder is made of pressure-resistant, resilient material.

14. A winder according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting cylinder has a slot therein for adjusting the position thereof in the mounting support.

15. A winder according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting cylinder has a bottom and said locking mechanism includes a trap having said inert mass arranged therein, said trap including a hinge connected to the adjusting cylinder externally at the bottom and comprising two side surfaces substantially at right angles to one another, one of said surfaces being an outer surface and having a free end adapted to lock the winder shaft, and a projection composed of hardened metal provided at the free end of the outer side surface of the trap.