Release for safety belt tension-relieving apparatus

• US 4,007,948 A
• Filed: 04/26/1976
• Issued: 02/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allied Chemical Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allied Chemical Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Stephenson, Robert Larry, Fox, William Robert, Loomba, Yogendra Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siemens, Terrance L.
• Application Number:
  US05/680,610
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 180/82 C, 180/112, 180/113, 280/744, 280/745, 307/105 B, 297/388, 242/107.4, 242/107.7
• US Class Current: 280/807
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4486 for cancelling the belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/44 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions not included in the retractor B60R22/19; B60R22/3405 takes precedence

Abstract

A release means for a safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of a safety belt retractor includes: a sensing means, a locking means, an actuating means, and a baising means. The sensing means is located in a door-jam of a vehicle door for sensing a condition when the door is open and when the door is closed. The locking means is disposed on the retractor. The sensing means causes the locking means to move to its unlocking position when the door is open. The actuating means is mounted on the retractor adjacent to the locking means. The actuating means is mechanically coupled to a portion of the locking means and electrically coupled to the sensing means. The actuating means moves the locking means to its unlocking position, thereby allowing a rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate when the door is opened. The biasing means biases the locking means in a ready position, wherein the locking means may be operated by the tenson-relieving apparatus to block the rewind mechanism and relieves tension on the shoulder belt when the door is closed.

Claims

1. In a vehicle safety belt system adapted to restrain an occupant in a vehicle seat, the safety belt system including a safety belt, a retractor having a rewind mechanism biased to rewind the safety belt on a reel of the retractor, a tension-relieving apparatus for relieving tension on the safety belt, the tension applied by the rewind mechanism of the retractor, the improvement of a release means for said tension-relieving apparatus, the release means comprising:

a sensing means disposed in a door jam of a door of said vehicle for sensing a condition when said door of the vehicle is open;

a tension-relieving locking means disposed on the retractor, the tension-relieving locking means having a ready position wherein said locking means may be operated by said tension-relieving apparatus and an unlocking position wherein the rewind mechanism is allowed to wind the safety belt into the retractor, said sensing means causing said tension-relieving locking means to move to its unlocking position when said door is open, thereby deactivating the tension-relieving apparatus and allowing the rewind mechanism to wind the safety belt into the retractor;

an actuating means mounted on the retractor adjacent to said locking means, mechanically coupled to a portion of said tension-relieving locking means and electrically coupled to said sensing means, said actuating means moving said tension-relieving locking means to its unlocking position thereby allowing the rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate when the door is open; and

a biasing means biasing said tension-relieving locking means in its ready position, wherein said locking means may be operated by said tension relieving apparatus to block the rewind mechanism and relieving tension on the safety belt when the door is closed.

2. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises:

a tension-relieving ratchet wheel connected to the reel of the retractor and a locking pawl for locking said tension-relieving ratchet wheel.

3. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 1 wherein said actuating means is a solenoid having a plunger coupled to said locking pawl.

4. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 2 wherein said locking means further comprises linkage means connecting said locking pawl to said actuating means.

5. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 2 wherein said locking means further comprises a pawl bracket having a first leg, a second leg, and a pivot point for said pawl bracket;

said locking pawl mounted on said first leg and having a pawl pivot point on said first leg.

6. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 5 wherein said actuating means is an electromagnet having an energized condition wherein said electromagnet applies a magnet force to said second leg of said pawl bracket to attract said second leg to said electromagnet and thereby move said pawl bracket and said tension-relieving locking pawl to said ready position.

7. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 5 wherein said locking means further comprises a plunger bracket having a first leg, a second leg, and a pivot point for said plunger bracket;

said second leg of said plunger bracket arranged adjacent said second leg of said pawl bracket, said second leg of said plunger bracket contacting said second leg of said pawl bracket when said locking means is in said ready position; and

said actuating means is a solenoid having a plunger connected to said first leg of said plunger bracket.

8. In a vehicle safety belt system adapted to restrain an occupant in a vehicle seat, the safety belt system including a shoulder belt, a retractor having a rewind mechanism biased to rewind the shoulder belt on a reel of the retractor, tension-relieving apparatus for relieving tension on the shoulder belt, the tension applied by the rewind mechanism of the retractor, the improvement of a release means for said shoulder belt tension-relieving apparatus, the release means comprising:

a switch disposed in a door jam of a door of said vehicle for sensing a condition when said door of the vehicle is open and when the door is closed;

a tension-relieving ratchet wheel connected to the reel of the retractor;

a tension-relieving locking pawl disposed on the retractor for locking said tension-relieving ratchet wheel, the tension-relieving locking pawl having a ready position wherein said tension-relieving locking pawl may be operated by said tension-relieving apparatus to deactivate the rewind mechanism, whereby tension on the shoulder belt is relieved, and an unlocking position wherein the rewind mechanism is allowed to wind the safety belt into the retractor, said switch causing said tension-relieving locking pawl to move to its ready position when said door is closed, said sensing means causing said tension-relieving locking pawl to move to its unlocking position when said door is open, thereby allowing the rewind mechanism to wind the shoulder belt into the retractor;

a solenoid mounted on the retractor adjacent to said locking pawl, mechanically coupled to a portion of said tension-relieving locking pawl and electrically coupled to said switch, said solenoid moving said tension-relieving locking pawl to its unlocking position and thereby allowing the rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate when the door is opened; and

a biasing means biasing said tension-relieving locking pawl in its ready position.

9. In a vehicle safety belt system adapted to restrain an occupant in a vehicle seat, the safety belt system including a shoulder belt, a retractor having a rewind mechanism biased to rewind the shoulder belt on a reel of the retractor, tension-relieving apparatus for relieving tension on the shoulder belt, the tension applied by the rewind mechanism of the retractor, the improvement of a release means for said shoulder belt tension-relieving apparatus, the release means comprising:

a switch disposed in a door jam of a door of said vehicle for sensing a condition when said door of the vehicle is open and when the door is closed;

a tension-relieving ratchet wheel connected to the reel of the retractor;

a tension-relieving locking pawl disposed on the retractor for locking said tension-relieving ratchet wheel, the tension-relieving locking pawl having a ready position wherein said tension-relieving locking pawl may be operated by said tension-relieving apparatus to deactivate the rewind mechanism, whereby tension on the shoulder belt is relieved, and an unlocking position wherein the rewind mechanism is allowed to wind the safety belt into the retractor, said switch causing said tension-relieving locking pawl to move to its ready position when said door is closed, said sensing means causing said tension relieving locking pawl to move to its unlocking position when said door is open, thereby allowing the rewind mechanism to wind the shoulder belt into the retractor;

an electromagnet mounted on the retractor adjacent to said locking pawl, mechanically coupled to a portion of said tension-relieving locking pawl and electrically coupled to said switch, said electromagnet moving said tension-relieving locking pawl to its ready position and thereby allowing the rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate when the door is closed and allowing said locking pawl to move to its unlocking position when said door is open; and

a biasing means biasing said tension-relieving locking pawl in its ready position.

10. In a vehicle safety belt system adapted to restrain an occupant in a vehicle seat, the safety belt system including a shoulder belt, a retractor having a rewind mechanism biased to rewind the shoulder belt on a reel of the retractor, tension-relieving apparatus for relieving tension on the shoulder belt, the tension applied by the rewind mechanism of the retractor, the improvement of a release means for said shoulder belt tension-relieving apparatus, the release means comprising:

a switch disposed in a door jam of a door of said vehicle for sensing a condition when said door of the vehicle is open and when the door is closed;

a tension-relieving ratchet wheel connected to the reel of the retractor;

a tension-relieving locking pawl disposed on the retractor for locking said tension-relieving ratchet wheel, the tension-relieving locking pawl having a ready position wherein said tension-relieving locking pawl may be operated by said tension-relieving apparatus to deactivate the rewind mechanism, whereby tension on the shoulder belt is relieved, and an unlocking position wherein the rewind mechanism is allowed to wind the safety belt into the retractor, said switch causing said tension-relieving locking pawl to move to its ready position when said door is closed, said sensing means causing said tension-relieving locking pawl to move to its unlocking position when said door is open, thereby allowing the rewind mechanism to wind the shoulder belt into the retractor;

a solenoid mounted on the retractor adjacent to said locking pawl, mechanically coupled to a portion of said tension-relieving locking pawl and electrically coupled to said switch, said solenoid moving said tension-relieving locking pawl to its unlocking position and thereby allowing the rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate when the door is opened;

a linkage means arranged between said solenoid and said pawl; and

a biasing means biasing said tension-relieving locking pawl in its ready position.

11. In a vehicle safety belt system adapted to restrain an occupant in a vehicle seat, the safety belt system including a safety belt, a retractor having a rewind mechanism biased to rewind the safety belt on a reel of the retractor, a tension-relieving apparatus for relieving tension on the safety belt, the tension applied by the rewind mechanism of the retractor, the improvement of a release means for said tension-relieving apparatus, the release means comprising:

a sensing means disposed in said vehicle for operating said release means;

a tension-relieving locking means disposed on the retractor, the tension-relieving locking means having a ready position wherein said locking means may be operated by said tension-relieving apparatus and an unlocking position wherein the rewind mechanism is allowed to wind the safety belt into the retractor, said sensing means causing said tension-relieving locking means to move to its unlocking position thereby deactivating the tension-relieving apparatus and allowing the rewind mechanism to wind the safety belt into the retractor;

an actuating means mounted on the retractor adjacent to said locking means, mechanically coupled to a portion of said tension-relieving locking means and electrically coupled to said sensing means, said actuating means moving said tension-relieving locking means to its unlocking position thereby allowing the rewind mechanism of the retractor to operate under; and

a biasing means biasing said tension-relieving locking means in its ready position, wherein said locking means may be operated by said tension relieving apparatus to block the rewind mechanism and relieving tension on the safety belt.

12. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 11 wherein said locking means comprises:

a tension-relieving ratchet wheel connected to the reel of the retractor and a locking pawl for locking said tension-relieving ratchet wheel.

13. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 11 wherein said actuating means is a solenoid having a plunger coupled to said locking pawl.

14. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 12 wherein said locking means further comprises linkage means connecting said locking pawl to said actuating means.

15. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 12 wherein said locking means further comprises a pawl bracket having a first leg, a second leg, and a pivot point for said pawl bracket;

said locking pawl mounted on said first leg and having a pawl pivot point on said first leg.

16. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 15 wherein said actuating means is an electromagnet having a energized condition wherein said electromagnet applies a magnet force to said second leg of said pawl bracket to attract said second leg to said electromagnet and thereby move said pawl bracket and said tension-relieving locking pawl to said ready position.

17. The safety belt tension-relieving apparatus of claim 15 wherein said locking means further comprises a plunger bracket having a first leg, a second leg, and a pivot point for said plunger bracket;

said second leg of said plunger bracket arranged adjacent said second leg of said pawl bracket, said second leg of said plunger bracket contacting said second leg of said pawl bracket when said locking means is in said ready position; and

said actuating means is a solenoid having a plunger connected to said first leg of said plunger bracket.