Seat belt winding device

• US 5,588,609 A
• Filed: 04/11/1995
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Ohsumi, Sadanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US08/419,989
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 242/381.1, 242/381.4, 242/379.1, 242/376, 280/806, 297/470, 297/471, 297/472, 297/476, 297/477, 297/478
• US Class Current: 242/376
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/341 comprising energy-absorbing means
• 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

In a seat belt winding device with a clamping mechanism for directly holding a webbing in an emergency of a vehicle, since the plastic deformation is repeated in stages in both of a clamp supporting device and plastically deforming members, a larger amount of kinetic energy can be absorbed on the side of the seat belt winding device. Further, when the webbing holding by the clamping mechanism is removed, not only the diameter of a plastically deforming member of a bobbin can be reduced greatly since the plastically deforming members project in the radial direction of the bobbin, but also the deforming direction of the plastically deforming members due to the tightening of the webbing can be specified because end surfaces of the plastically deforming members are respectively formed in an inclined surface Which is inclined in a specific direction. This allows the substantial winding diameter of the bobbin to be reduced uniformly and positively.

Claims

1. A seat belt winding device with a clamping mechanism for directly holding a webbing in an emergency of a vehicle, comprising:

a retractor base;

a lower plate fixed to the retractor base;

a movable clamp member for holding a webbing between the lower plate and the clamp member, the clamp member including;

a plurality of clamp teeth for clamping and engaging the webbing to a webbing opposing surface of the clamp member;

a flat portion located on an opposite side of the webbing opposing surface;

a rear edge located on a rear end of the flat portion; and

a flat surface located in a front end of the clamp member;

an upper plate for guiding the clamp member to a webbing holding position, the upper plate including;

an inclined portion sliding on the flat portion of the clamp member;

a guide portion extending from a front end of the inclined portion in parallel to the webbing; and

a stopper portion coupled to a front end of the guide portion, the inclined portion and guide portion being deformed by the rear edge of the clamp member in accordance with a movement of the clamp member in a webbing draw-out direction when a load acting on the upper plate exceeds a predetermined value;

a winding shaft rotatably supported by the retractor base; and

a bobbin rotated integrally with the winding shaft, the bobbin including a plastically deforming member deformed by a load to be applied to the webbing on an outer periphery of the bobbin.

2. The seat belt winding device of claim 1, wherein the clamp teeth of the clamp member include first clamp teeth with sharpened ends and second clamp teeth with flat ends, the sharpened ends of the first clamp teeth being shearable or deformable when a tensile force acting on the webbing exceeds a predetermined value during the holding of the webbing between the lower plate and the clamp member, and

wherein the lower plate includes a webbing escaping recess on a front upper surface thereof, the webbing escaping recess allowing a part of the first clamp teeth, which are stuck to the webbing, to disengage from the webbing when a plastic deformation of the upper plate is completed.

3. A seat belt winding device with a clamping mechanism for directly holding a webbing in an emergency of a vehicle, comprising:

a retractor base;

a lower plate fixed to the retractor base;

a movable clamp member for holding a webbing between the lower plate and the clamp member, the clamp member including clamp teeth for clamping and engaging the webbing to a webbing opposing surface of the clamp member;

an upper plate for guiding the clamp member to a webbing holding position; and

a holding means for preventing a movement of the upper plate in a webbing draw-out direction, the holding means including a plastically deforming portion deformed in accordance with a movement of the clamp member in the webbing draw-out direction;

a winding shaft rotatably supported by the retractor base; and

a bobbin rotated integrally with the winding shaft, the bobbin including a plastically deforming member deformed by a load applied to the webbing on an outer periphery of the bobbin,

wherein the upper plate is fixed to the holding means and so structured that the plastically deforming portion of the holding means is plastically deformed in accordance with the movement of the clamp member in the webbing draw-out direction to move in the webbing draw-out direction while keeping the webbing holding force of the clamp member when a load acting on the holding means exceeds a predetermined value.

4. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and a projecting portion having a substantially semicircular section and extending in parallel to the cylindrical base portion in an axial direction thereof, the plastically deforming member fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

5. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and projecting portions respectively extending outwardly in an axial and a radial directions of the cylindrical base portion in both axial ends thereof, the plastically deforming members fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

6. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and projecting portions respectively formed by projectingly cutting both axial ends of the cylindrical base portion, the plastically deforming members fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

7. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the plastically deforming member is so arranged that ribs are formed on the bobbin apart from one another at a predetermined distance in an axial direction of the bobbin, the ribs projecting in the radial direction of the bobbin.

8. The seat belt winding device of claim 7, wherein the plastically deforming member comprises both of first deforming members situated near right and left ends of the bobbin in the axial direction thereof and both of second deforming members situated near a central portion of the bobbin in the axial direction thereof, the first and second deforming members being arranged in four rows spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the bobbin by a predetermined distance, the first and second deforming members including inclined surfaces in end portions thereof, respectively, the inclined surfaces being so formed as to extend in a direction opposite to each other so that the first and second deforming members are not overlapped on each other when the first and second deforming members are plastically deformed by the load applied to the webbing.

9. The seat belt winding device of claim 7, wherein the plastically deforming member includes an end portion formed in an arc-shaped surface.

10. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the clamp teeth of the clamp member include first clamp teeth with sharpened ends and second clamp teeth with flat ends, the sharpened ends of the first clamp teeth being shearable or deformable when a tensile force acting on the webbing exceeds a predetermined value during the holding of the webbing between the lower plate and the clamp member, and

wherein the lower plate includes a webbing escaping recess on a front upper surface thereof, the webbing escaping recess allowing a part of the first clamp teeth, which are stuck to the webbing, to disengage from the webbing when a plastic deformation of the upper plate is completed.

11. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the retractor base includes a pair of mutually opposing base side plates and a base back plate portion connecting the base side plates, each of the base side plates including a guide groove, the upper plate being movable in the webbing draw-out direction along the guide groove, and wherein the holding means includes:

a side wall portion to be fixed to one of the base side plates of the retractor base in a side edge in a width direction of the holding means;

a plastically deforming portion coupling to the side wall portion and having a longitudinal section bent in a U-liked shape, and

a plate support portion situated on an end of the plastically deforming portion for fixing the upper plate.

12. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the retractor base includes a pair of mutually opposing base side plates and a base back plate portion connecting the base side plates, each of the base side plates including a guide groove, the upper plate being movable in the webbing draw-out direction in the guide groove, and

wherein the holding means includes:

a projecting piece to be mounted on one of the base side plates of the retractor base on an upper end portion of the holding means;

a plate support portion for fixing the upper plate on a lower end portion of the holding means; and

a plastically deforming portion formed upwardly of the plate support portion and bent in corrugated shape,

the holding means having a transverse width greater than a distance between both the base side plates of the retractor base, the plastically deforming portion having a corrugated height substantially equal to an opening width of the guide groove of the retractor base.

13. The seat belt winding device of claim 3, wherein the retractor base includes a pair of mutually opposing base side plates and a base back plate portion connecting the base side plates, each of the base side plates including a guide groove extending in the same direction along the base back plate portion,

wherein the upper plate is fixed to a slide plate having an end portion inserted into the guide groove, the upper plate including a through hole extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, and

wherein the holding means includes:

a slit formed in one of the base side plates of the retractor base in parallel to the guide groove and

a through pin inserted into the through hole of the upper plate,

the slit having substantially the same shape as a transverse section of the through pin and including an open support portion for supporting the through pin and an elongated hole portion extending upwardly from the open support portion and having a width smaller than a diameter of the through pin,

the elongated hole portion being plastically deformed in accordance with the movement of the clamp member in the webbing draw-out direction.

14. A seat belt winding device for a webbing in a vehicle, comprising:

a retractor base;

a winding shaft rotatably supported by the retractor base; and

a bobbin rotated integrally with the winding shaft, the bobbin including a plastically deforming member on an outer periphery of the bobbin, the plastically deforming member being of a strength to be deformed by a load acting on the webbing which exceeds a first predetermined value;

clamping means disposed in the retractor base for directly holding the webbing in an emergency of the vehicle, the clamping means releasing the webbing from holding when a load acting on the webbing exceeds a second predetermined value.

15. The seat belt winding device of claim 14, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and a projecting portion having a substantially semicircular section and extending in parallel to the cylindrical base portion in an axial direction thereof, the plastically deforming member fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

16. The seat belt winding device of claim 14, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and projecting portions respectively extending outwardly in axial and radial directions of the cylindrical base portion in both axial ends thereof, the plastically deforming members fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

17. The seat belt winding device of claim 14, wherein the plastically deforming member includes a cylindrical base portion and projecting portions respectively formed by projectingly cutting both axial ends of the cylindrical base portion, the plastically deforming members fitting a cylindrical collar which has a substantially C-shaped section over an outer periphery of the plastically deforming member.

18. The seat belt winding device of claim 14, wherein the plastically deforming member is so arranged that ribs are formed on the bobbin apart from one another at a predetermined distance in an axial direction of the bobbin, the ribs projecting in the radial direction of the bobbin.

19. The seat belt winding device of claim 18, wherein the plastically deforming member comprises both of first deforming members situated near right and left ends of the bobbin in the axial direction thereof and both of second deforming members situated near a central portion of the bobbin in the axial direction thereof, the first and second deforming members being arranged in four rows spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the bobbin by a predetermined distance, the first and second deforming members including inclined surfaces in end portions thereof, respectively, the inclined surfaces being so formed as to extend in a direction opposite to each other so that the first and second deforming members are not overlapped on each other when the first and second deforming members are plastically deformed by the load applied to the webbing.

20. The seat belt winding device of claim 18, wherein the plastically deforming member includes an end portion formed in an arc-shaped surface.