Safety belt takeup device with tightening means

• US 4,750,685 A
• Filed: 09/15/1986
• Issued: 06/14/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Repa GmbH
• Inventors: Frei, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US06/906,991
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 242/107, 242/107.4 R, 242/107.4 A, 242/107.4 B, 192/56 R, 192/44, 192/45, 254/DIG. 14, 254/266, 254/903, 280/806, 280/805, 297/478, 297/480, 464/32, 464/37
• US Class Current: 242/374
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/468 characterised by clutching means between actuator and belt reel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4619 Transmission of tensioning power by cable, e.g. using a clutch on reel side
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 41/088 the intermediate members being of only one size and wedging by a movement not having an axial component, between inner and outer races, one of which is cylindrical

Abstract

The safety belt takeup device with tightening means comprises for transmitting the tightening force to the takeup shaft a rotatable roller (18) couplable to said shaft via a coupling means. At the periphery of the roller (18) the tightening force engages via a wire cable (36). In the force transmission path between the cable (36) and the takeup shaft a limiting means is provided which limits the torque which can be transmitted to the takeup shaft so that towards the end of a tightening operation no inadmissibly high tensile stresses occur in the webbing bearing on the body of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger restraint system comprising:

a safety belt;

a safety belt retractor comprising a safety belt webbing takeup shaft having an axial extension; and

a safety belt retightening means associated with said retractor and comprising;

pulley means mounted for rotation about said axial extension of said takeup shaft,

pulling means engaging the periphery of said pulley means for rotating the same upon tensioning of the pulling means, said pulling means being tensioned in an emergency,

coupling means for establishing a driving connection between said pulley means and said axial extension of said takeup shaft to rotate said takeup shaft and transmit a tightening torque thereto when said pulley means rotates upon tensioning of said pulling means, and

means for limiting the tightening torque transmitted from said pulley means to said takeup shaft.

2. A vehicle pasenger restraint system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said limiting means comprises means for cancelling the driving connection between said pulley means and said axial extension of said takeup shaft upon the tightening torque reaching a predetermined magnitude.

3. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 1 wherein said limiting means is disposed in the region of said coupling means between said pulley means and said axial extension of said takeup shaft.

4. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises a plurality of rolling bodies disposed in a radial direction between an outer surface of said axial extension of said takeup shaft and an inner surface of said pulley means, and said inner surface defines a plurality of recesses for receiving said plurality of rolling bodies and having ramp-like surfaces which urge said rolling bodies radially inward into engagement with said outer surface of said axial extension upon rotation of said pulley means, said drive connection cancelling means comprising a radially deformable surface area on at least one of said outer surface of said axial extension, said ramp-like surfaces of said inner surface of said pulley means, and said rolling bodies.

5. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein said radially deformable surface area is provided on said ramp-like surfaces.

6. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 5 wherein said recesses in the area adjacent said ramp-like surfaces have a widening extending radially outward and adapted to the shape of said rolling bodies.

7. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein said pulley means comprises an elongated hollow chamber located radially outwardly from said ramp-like surfaces, and a web-like deformable wall separating said ramp-like surfaces from said hollow chamber.

8. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein said deformable surface area is formed by peripheral surfaces of said rolling bodies.

9. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 8 wherein the rolling bodies are hollow cylindrical bodies.

10. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein said deformable surface area comprises an outer surface of a sleeve made from a deformable material and surrounding said axial extension of said takeup shaft.

11. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 2 wherein said cancelling means comprises a sleeve surrounding said axial extension and a yieldable connecting element for fixedly connecting said sleeve to said axial extension, said connecting element yielding upon the tightening torque reaching the predetermined magnitude to disconnect said sleeve from said axial extension.

12. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 11 wherein said axial extension has a radial bore extending therethrough and the inner surface of said sleeve is provided with two recesses facing opposite ends of said radial bore, respectively, said connecting member being a shearable pin received in said radial bore with the opposite ends of said shearable pin received in said two recesses, respectively.

13. A safety belt takeup device according to claim 11 wherein said axial extension and said sleeve have complementary axially extending recesses therein, and said connecting member comprises a coupling pin received in said complementary recesses to form a locking coupling between said sleeve and said axial extension, at least one of said axial extension, sleeve and coupling pin being deformable such that said sleeve is disconnected from said axial extension upon forces acting thereon reaching a magnitude corresponding to the predetermined magnitude of the tightening torque applied to said takeup shaft.

14. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 1 wherein said tightening means comprises yieldable means for connecting said pulling means to the periphery of said pulley means, said yieldable means yielding when forces acting thereon reach a magnitude corresponding to the predetermined magnitude of the tightening torque to stop rotation of said pulley means.

15. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 14 wherein said yieldable means comprises a connecting member having a cross-sectional reduction which breaks upon the forces reaching the predetermined magnitude.

16. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 14 wherein said pulley means has an opening, and said pulling means has a free end detachably received in said opening.

17. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 1 wherein said pulling means comprises a cable and said pulley means comprises a flat disc having a groove with an axial width corresponding to the cross-sectional diameter of said cable and formed on the periphery of said flat disc for receiving said cable, said cable having a plurality of convolutions spirally superimposed on each other.

18. A vehicle passenger restraint system according to claim 4 wherein said retightening means comprises a cage for holding said rolling bodies and a yieldable member for connecting said cage to the retractor housing, said yieldable member yielding upon forces acting thereon reaching a magnitude corresponding to the predetermined magnitude of the tightening torque.