Linear locking seat belt retractor

• US 4,159,848 A
• Filed: 06/12/1978
• Issued: 07/03/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Irwin, Clarence C., Salamon, Theodore M., Manz, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/914,394
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 297/385, 297/388, 297/389, 297/386, 280/744, 280/747
• US Class Current: 297/474
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3405 of the non-rotary type

Abstract

Mechanism for retracting a vehicle seat belt and locking the belt against extension includes a track mounted on the vehicle body and a belt carriage mounted on the track for movement in the belt extending and retracting directions. A locking pawl is mounted on the belt carriage and is selectively actuatable to a locked position engaging teeth on the track to lock the belt carriage against belt extending movement. A spring biases the carriage in the belt retracting direction. An actuating element extends alongside the track and is mounted for rotary movement into engagement with the locking pawl to move the locking pawl to the locked position. A pendulum supports the actuating element in a normal position and rotates the actuating element in response to a sensed condition of vehicle deceleration to actuate the locking means and thereby lock the carriage against belt extending movement along the track.

Claims

1. A seat belt locking and retracting mechanism comprising:

a longitudinally extending track member;

a belt carriage member mounted on the track member for movement therealong and having a belt attached thereto;

a locking means mounted on one of the members and actuatable to a locked position engaging the other member to lock the carriage member against movement along the track member;

an actuating element extending longitudinally adjacent the track member along the path of carriage movement and being selectively movable relative thereto to actuate the locking means;

and an inertia sensing means operatively engageable with the actuating element for moving the actuating element whereby the locking means is actuated by the actuating element in response to a sensed acceleration condition to lock the carriage member against movement along the track member.

2. A seat belt locking and retracting mechanism comprising:

a longitudinally extending track having locking teeth spaced therealong;

a belt carriage mounted on the track for longitudinal movement therealong and having the belt attached thereto;

a locking pawl mounted on the belt carriage and adapted for actuation to a locked position engaging the teeth of the track to lock the carriage against movement along the track;

a longitudinally extending actuating element mounted in parallel spaced relation with the track and adapted for movement relative the track;

means acting between the locking pawl and the actuating element to actuate the locking pawl to the locked condition upon movement of the actuating element relative the track;

and an inertia sensing means mounted at a fixed longitudinal position relative the track, said inertia sensing means being operatively associated with actuating element to impart movement to the actuating element in response to a sensed acceleration condition whereby the locking pawl is actuated by the actuating element to lock the carriage against movement along the track.

3. A seat belt locking and retracting mechanism comprising:

a track having locking teeth spaced therealong;

a belt carriage mounted on the track for movement therealong and having the belt attached thereto;

spring means acting on the carriage and urging the carriage along the track in the belt retracting direction;

a locking pawl pivotally mounted on the belt carriage and adapted for actuation to a locked position engaging the teeth of the track to lock the carriage against movement along the track in at least the belt extending direction;

spring means associated with the locking pawl urging the locking pawl to a normal position disengaged from the teeth of the track to permit movement of the carriage in the belt extending and retracting directions;

an actuating element mounted in spaced parallel relation from the track and adapted for a rotary movement about a longitudinally extending axis to engage and actuate the locking pawl to the locked position;

and an inertia sensing means mounted at a fixed longitudinal position relative the track, said inertia sensing means supporting the actuating element in a normal position and adapted to impart rotary movement to the actuating element in response to a sensed acceleration condition whereby the locking pawl is actuated by the actuating element to lock the carriage against movement along the track.