Webbing retractor
First Claim
1. A webbing retractor for use in a seatbelt system for protecting an occupant in a vehicular emergency situation, comprising(a) a rotatable takeup shaft for winding a webbing thereon;
- (b) a locking wheel connected to said shaft to rotate in a lagging relationship with said shaft above a certain angular acceleration, wherein said locking wheel is circumscribed by a plurality of ratchet teeth;
(c) a ratchet ring member having a plurality of ratchet teeth around its inner diameter;
(d) at least one locking plate connected to said locking wheel, wherein said plate has a plurality of rachet teeth which are meshable with the teeth of the ratchet ring member when said locking wheel rotates in lagging relationship with said shaft;
(e) an acceleration sensor having means for stopping the rotation of the locking wheel relative to the takeup shaft in a vehicular emergency situation, and(f) a control means including a pivotable arm having first and second ends, wherein said first end is engageable with and disengageable from the ratchet teeth of the locking wheel, and an arm-pivoting means actuated by said takeup shaft for pivoting the first end of the arm into ratchet-locking engagement with the teeth of the locking wheel when a predetermined amount of webbing is unwound from the takeup shaft so that said web is prevented from unwinding but may be wound upon takeup shaft, and for disengaging said first end of said arm from said ratchet teeth when a predetermined amount of webbing is wound back onto said takeup shaft, so that said web may be wound and unwound from said takeup shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a webbing retractor used for a seatbelt system protecting an occupant in an emergency situation of a vehicle, a locking wheel is rotated, following a rotation of a webbing takeup shaft, and a locking means prevents the takeup shaft from webbing-unwinding rotation when lag in rotation of the locking wheel occurs relative to the takeup shaft in the emergency situation of the vehicle. Opposed to the locking wheel is a control means which can be biased selectively in either direction of approach to the locking wheel or direction of separation therefrom in accordance with a webbing-winding amount and a webbing-unwinding amount.
Accordingly, the webbing retractor can be used properly as an Automatic Locking Retractor and an Emergency Locking Retractor at need.
57 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A webbing retractor for use in a seatbelt system for protecting an occupant in a vehicular emergency situation, comprising
(a) a rotatable takeup shaft for winding a webbing thereon; -
(b) a locking wheel connected to said shaft to rotate in a lagging relationship with said shaft above a certain angular acceleration, wherein said locking wheel is circumscribed by a plurality of ratchet teeth; (c) a ratchet ring member having a plurality of ratchet teeth around its inner diameter; (d) at least one locking plate connected to said locking wheel, wherein said plate has a plurality of rachet teeth which are meshable with the teeth of the ratchet ring member when said locking wheel rotates in lagging relationship with said shaft; (e) an acceleration sensor having means for stopping the rotation of the locking wheel relative to the takeup shaft in a vehicular emergency situation, and (f) a control means including a pivotable arm having first and second ends, wherein said first end is engageable with and disengageable from the ratchet teeth of the locking wheel, and an arm-pivoting means actuated by said takeup shaft for pivoting the first end of the arm into ratchet-locking engagement with the teeth of the locking wheel when a predetermined amount of webbing is unwound from the takeup shaft so that said web is prevented from unwinding but may be wound upon takeup shaft, and for disengaging said first end of said arm from said ratchet teeth when a predetermined amount of webbing is wound back onto said takeup shaft, so that said web may be wound and unwound from said takeup shaft.
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2. A webbing retractor for use in a seatbelt system for protecting an occupant in a vehicular emergency situation, comprising
(a) a rotatable takeup shaft for winding a webbing thereon; -
(b) a locking wheel connected to said shaft to rotate in a lagging relationship with said shaft above a certain angular acceleration, wherein said locking wheel is circumscribed by a plurality of ratchet teeth; (c) a ratchet ring member having a plurality of ratchet teeth around its inner diameter; (d) at least one locking plate connected to said locking wheel, wherein said plate has a plurality of ratchet teeth which are meshable with the teeth of the ratchet ring member when said locking wheel rotates in lagging relationship with said shaft; (e) an acceleration sensor having means for stopping the rotation of the locking wheel relative to the takeup shaft in a vehicular emergency situation, and (f) a control means including a speed-reducing gear arrangement, a rotatable ring mechanically engaged with said gear arrangement, a pivotable arm having first and second ends, wherein said first end is in engagement with and disengageable from the ratchet teeth of the locking wheel, and a projection on the periphery of the rotatable ring engageable with said second end of the arm for pivoting the first end of the arm into ratchet-locking engagement with the teeth of the locking wheel when a predetermined amount of webbing is unwound from the takeup shaft so that the web is prevented from unwinding but may be wound up the takeup shaft, and for disengaging said first end of said arm from said ratchet teeth when a predetermined amount of webbing is wound back onto said takeup shaft, so that said web may be wound and unwound from said takeup shaft.
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3. A webbing retractor for use in a seatbelt system for protecting an occupant in a vehicular emergency situation, comprising (a) a rotatable takeup shaft for winding a webbing thereon;
- (b) a locking wheel carried by said shaft to be rotated in a lagging relationship with said shaft above a preselected angular acceleration, wherein said locking wheel is circumscribed by a plurality of ratchet teeth;
(c) locking means connected to said locking wheel, whereby the takeup shaft is prevented from its webbing-unwinding rotation when said locking wheel rotates in lagging relationship with said takeup shaft;
(d) means for stopping the rotation of the locking wheel relative to the takeup shaft in a vehicular emergency situation; and
(e) a control means including a pivotable arm having first and second ends, wherein said first end is engageable with and disengageable from the ratchet teeth of the locking wheel, and an arm-pivoting means actuated by said takeup shaft for pivoting the first end of the arm into ratchet-locking engagement with the teeth of the locking wheel when a predetermined amount of webbing is unwound from the takeup shaft and for disengaging said first end of said arm from said ratchet teeth when a predetermined amount of webbing is wound back onto said takeup shaft, whereby said webbing may be wound and unwound from said takeup shaft. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
- (b) a locking wheel carried by said shaft to be rotated in a lagging relationship with said shaft above a preselected angular acceleration, wherein said locking wheel is circumscribed by a plurality of ratchet teeth;
Specification