Belt roll-up retractor

• US 4,300,731 A
• Filed: 05/22/1980
• Issued: 11/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1980
• 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: Kondziola, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US06/152,353
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 242/107.2, 242/107.4 R, 242/107.4 E, 280/801-808, 297/474-480
• US Class Current: 242/378.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/42 having means for acting directly upon the belt, e.g. by clamping or friction not combined with the retractor B60R22/185

Abstract

A belt roll-up and clamp mechanism for limiting the spool-out of belt from the belt reel of a vehicle sensitive inertia locking retractor. The belt roll-up and clamp mechanism includes a spindle having pinion gears attached to opposite ends of a pair of bars which are spaced apart to define a slot through which the belt passes. The pinion gears mesh with toothed racks on the retractor housing which effect rotation of the spindle simultaneously with linear movement of the spindle along the toothed racks. A spring normally biases the spindle to the end of the rack furthest from the reel and to a rotary position which permits the belt to pass through the slot and slide around one of the bars during normal winding and unwinding of the belt from the reel. The imposition of occupant restraint load on the belt subsequent to reel lockup by a vehicle inertia sensor causes the spindle to move linearly and rotationally along the racks so that the belt is rolled up around the spindle bars to limit the extension of the belt from the reel. One of the spindle bars is preferably movable relative the other bar so that roll-up of the belt squeezes the movable bar toward the fixed bar to clamp the belt therebetween.

Claims

1. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing;

a belt reel rotatably mounted on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation;

reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt winding rotation so that a load is imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant;

a spindle having a slot through which the belt passes during belt winding and unwinding rotation of the reel;

means mounting the spindle on the housing for bodily movement relative the housing when a load is imposed on the belt;

and means acting between the housing and the spindle to effect rotation of the spindle simultaneous with the bodily movement of the spindle whereby the belt is rolled around the spindle to cinch the belt against movement in the unwinding direction independently of the locking of the reel by the reel locking means.

2. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing;

a belt reel rotatably mounted on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation;

reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation so that a load is imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant;

a spindle having first and second bars spaced apart to define a slot through which the belt passes, the first bar being mounted for movement between an unclamping position spaced away from the second bar and a clamping position spaced closely adjacent the first bar to clamp the belt therebetween;

means mounting the spindle on the housing for linear movement relative the housing when a load is imposed on the belt;

and rack and pinion means acting between the housing and the spindle to effect rotation of the spindle simultaneous with the linear movement of the spindle by the load so that the belt is rolled around the spindle and squeezes the movable first bar into the clamping position relative the second bar whereby the belt is rolled up around the spindle and clamped between the spindle bars to cinch the belt against extension from the retractor independently of the locking of the reel by reel locking means.

3. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing having spaced apart walls;

a belt reel extending between the housing walls and rotatably mounted thereon for belt winding and unwinding rotation;

a belt spindle having first and second bars extending between first and second pinion gears, said bars being spaced apart to define a belt passage slot;

first and second toothed racks carried by the housing walls and meshing respectively with the first and second pinion gears to simultaneously rotate and translate the spindle;

spring means urging the spindle to the end of the toothed rack farthest away from the reel to a position in which the belt passes through the spindle slot and around one of the spindle bars during belt winding and unwinding rotation of the reel;

and reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt winding rotation so that a load is imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant and induces movement of the spindle along the toothed racks in the direction towards the reel so that the spindle is rotated and rolls up the belt to cinch the belt against movement through the spindle slot.

4. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing having an opening therein for entry and exit of the belt;

a belt reel rotatably mounted on the housing for winding and unwinding the belt;

5. reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation;

a spindle having a belt slot therethrough;

means mounting the spindle on the housing for limited bodily movement along the housing between a first position relatively further away from the reel and housing opening and a second position relatively closer to the reel and housing opening;

and rack and pinion means acting between the housing and the spindle, said rack and pinion means being adapted to rotationally orient the spindle at the first position to permit free belt passage through the spindle slot during belt winding and unwinding and adapted to effect rotation of the spindle simultaneous with the bodily movement of the spindle toward the reel and the housing opening by the belt load imposed on the belt during occupant restraint subsequent to locking of the reel locking means whereby the belt is rolled up around the spindle to cinch the belt against extension from the retractor independently of the locking of the reel by reel locking means.

6. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing having spaced apart walls;

a belt reel extending between the housing walls and rotatably mounted thereon for belt winding and unwinding rotation;

a belt spindle having first and second bars extending between first and second pinion gears, said bars being spaced apart to define a belt passage slot;

first and second toothed racks carried by the housing walls and meshing respectively with the first and second pinion gears to define a path of concomitant spindle rotation and translation;

spring means urging the spindle to the end of the toothed rack farthest away from the reel to a position in which the belt passes through the spindle slot and around one of the spindle bars during belt winding and unwinding rotation of the reel;

reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt winding rotation so that a load is imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant and induces movement of the spindle along the toothed racks in the direction towards the reel so that the spindle is rotated by the meshing pinion gears and toothed racks to roll-up and cinch the belt against movement through the spindle slot;

and abutment means independent of the meshing gear and rack teeth acting between the spindle and the housing and adapted to limit rotary movement and translationary movement of the spindle in the direction toward the reel.

7. A seat belt retractor for winding and unwinding a restraint belt comprising:

a housing having spaced apart walls;

a belt reel extending between the housing walls and rotatably mounted thereon for belt winding and unwinding rotation;

a belt spindle having first and second bars extending between first and second pinion gears, said bars being spaced apart to define a belt passage slot;

first and second toothed racks carried by the housing walls and meshing respectively with the first and second pinion gears to simultaneously rotate and translate the spindle;

spring means urging the spindle to the end of the toothed rack farthest away from the reel to a position in which the belt passes through the spindle slot and around the first spindle bar during belt winding and unwinding rotation of the reel;

means associated with the first spindle bar to define a roller adapted to be rotated by belt winding and unwinding;

and reel locking means acting between the housing and the reel to selectively lock the reel against belt winding rotation so that a load is imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant and induces movement of the spindle along the toothed racks in the direction towards the reel so that the spindle is rotated and rolls up the belt to cinch the belt against movement through the spindle slot.