Automatic rapid lock belt roll-up clamp for safety belts
First Claim
1. A vehicle safety belt retractor, comprising:
- a. a housing;
b. a winding drum being rotatably mounted on said housing;
c. belt means attached to said winding drum for protraction and retraction with respect thereto;
d. clamp means for clamping said belt to prevent sudden protraction thereof, said clamp means including;
(i) a first fixed planar clamping surface;
(ii) a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof; and
(iii) a second displaceable planar clamping surface carried by the intermediate portion of said lever for movement from a rest position toward said fixed clamping surface to clamp the belt therebetween;
e. resilient means coupled to said lever for biasing said lever for movement about its pivot in a direction to urge the second clamping surface carried by said lever away from said first clamping surface;
f. first guide means mounted adjacent said one end of said lever for guiding said belt means;
g. second, displaceable, guide means carried by the other end of said lever for entrainment of said belt means thereabout, and operating in response to preselected abnormal tension of said belt to pivot said lever and thereby move said second clamping surface toward said first clamping surface;
said belt means normally extending off said winding drum to said first guide means, past said pivot, thence between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith and thence over said second guide means whereby in normal operation the retractor allows always free winding and unwinding of the belt between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith, but where a predetermined abnormal tension on the belt applies a force to said lever via the second guide means to actuate said lever into its clamping position against the bias of said resilient means in a substantially normal direction with no wedging action, said planar clamping surfaces being substantially parallel to the plane of the web at the point of contact therewith;
h. said first and second guide means being so located on the housing relative to said clamping surfaces and the winding drum, such that the belt follows essentially a straight path between the periphery of the winding drum to the second guide means when the belt is retracted.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic, rapid lock, belt roll-up clamp for vehicle safety belts is provided with a belt clamp disposed behind a winding drum. The belt is adapted to be guided with minimal friction between first and second guide points located next to a clamp lever having a joint, and between two clamping surfaces, one of which is attached to a housing, the other of which is located on the clamp lever and both of which are substantially parallel to one another when in contact. The second guide point is pivotally mounted on the housing and located separately from the clamp lever and in front of the clamping surfaces with respect to the direction of belt pull. Clamping occurs by essentially pure normal force produced by pulling action at the first guide point, located on the clamp lever. At substantially completely filled condition of the winding drum, the moving way of the belt between guide points is the same as the moving way between the second guide point and the winding drum.
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Citations
3 Claims
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1. A vehicle safety belt retractor, comprising:
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a. a housing; b. a winding drum being rotatably mounted on said housing; c. belt means attached to said winding drum for protraction and retraction with respect thereto; d. clamp means for clamping said belt to prevent sudden protraction thereof, said clamp means including; (i) a first fixed planar clamping surface; (ii) a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof; and (iii) a second displaceable planar clamping surface carried by the intermediate portion of said lever for movement from a rest position toward said fixed clamping surface to clamp the belt therebetween; e. resilient means coupled to said lever for biasing said lever for movement about its pivot in a direction to urge the second clamping surface carried by said lever away from said first clamping surface; f. first guide means mounted adjacent said one end of said lever for guiding said belt means; g. second, displaceable, guide means carried by the other end of said lever for entrainment of said belt means thereabout, and operating in response to preselected abnormal tension of said belt to pivot said lever and thereby move said second clamping surface toward said first clamping surface; said belt means normally extending off said winding drum to said first guide means, past said pivot, thence between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith and thence over said second guide means whereby in normal operation the retractor allows always free winding and unwinding of the belt between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith, but where a predetermined abnormal tension on the belt applies a force to said lever via the second guide means to actuate said lever into its clamping position against the bias of said resilient means in a substantially normal direction with no wedging action, said planar clamping surfaces being substantially parallel to the plane of the web at the point of contact therewith; h. said first and second guide means being so located on the housing relative to said clamping surfaces and the winding drum, such that the belt follows essentially a straight path between the periphery of the winding drum to the second guide means when the belt is retracted.
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2. A vehicle safety belt retractor, comprising:
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a. a housing; b. a winding drum being rotatably mounted on said housing; c. belt means attached to said winding drum for protraction and retraction with respect thereto; d. clamp means for clamping said belt to prevent sudden protraction thereof, said clamp means including (i) a first fixed planar clamping surface carried by said housing; (ii) a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said housing; and (iii) a second displaceable planar clamping surface carried by the intermediate portion of said lever for movement from a rest position toward said fixed clamping surface to clamp the belt therebetween; e. resilient means coupled to said lever for biasing said lever for movement about its pivot in a direction to move the second clamping surface carried by said lever away from said first clamping surface; f. first guide means carried by said housing for guiding said belt means; g. second, displaceable, guide means carried by the other end of said lever for entrainment of said belt means thereabout, and operating in response to preselected abnormal tension of said belt to pivot said lever and thereby move said second clamping surface toward said first clamping surface; said belt means normally extending off said winding drum to said first guide means, past said pivot, thence between said clamping surfaces without contacting same and thence over said second guide means whereby in normal operation the retractor allows always free winding and unwinding of the belt between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith, but where a predetermined abnormal tension on the belt applies a force substantially perpendicular to said lever to actuate said lever into its clamping position against the bias of said resilient means in a substantially normal direction with no wedging action, said planar clamping surfaces being substantially parallel to the plane of the web at the point of contact therewith; said belt in its operative condition extending away from said second guide means in a direction substantially perpendicular to its path as it approaches said guide means; h. said first and second guide means being so located on the housing relative to said clamping surfaces and the winding drum, such that the belt follows essentially a straight path between the perhiphery of the winding drum to the second guide means when the belt is retracted.
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3. A vehicle safety belt retractor, comprising:
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a. a housing; b. a winding drum being rotatably mounted on said housing; c. belt means attached to said winding drum for protraction and retraction with respect thereto; d. clamp means for clamping said belt to prevent sudden protraction thereof, said clamp means including; (i) a first fixed planar clamping surface; (ii) a lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof; and (iii) a second displaceable planar clamping surface carried by the intermediate portion of said lever for movement from a rest position toward said fixed clamping surface to clamp the belt therebetween; e. resilient means coupled to said lever for biasing said lever for movement about its pivot in a direction to urge the second clamping surface carried by said lever away from said first clamping surface; f. guide means for guiding said belt means, said guide means including displaceable means carried by the other end of said lever for entrainment of said belt means thereabout, and operating in response to preselected abnormal tension of said belt to pivot said lever and thereby move said second clamping surface toward said first clamping surface; said belt means normally extending off said winding drum past said pivot, thence between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith and thence over said displaceable means whereby in normal operation the retractor allows always free winding and unwinding of the belt between said clamping surfaces without contact therewith, but where a predetermined abnormal tension on the belt applies a force to said lever via the displaceable means to actuate said lever into its clamping position against the bias of said resilient means in a substantially normal direction with no wedging action, said planar clamping surfaces being substantially parallel to the plane of the web at the point of contact therewith; and g. a first guide point located at the point where said belt leaves said winding means and a second guide point at said displaceable means, said guide means being so located on the housing relative to said clamping surfaces and the winding drum, such that the belt follows essentially a straight path between said first and second guide points when the belt is retracted.
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Specification