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Seat belt retractor with energy management

  • US 5,823,570 A
  • Filed: 10/10/1996
  • Issued: 10/20/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A seat belt webbing retractor comprising:

  • a spool sleeve around which seat belt webbing is wound, said spool sleeve being rotatable in webbing withdrawal and webbing retraction directions;

    means for stopping rotation of said spool sleeve in the webbing withdrawal direction;

    means for enabling rotation of said spool sleeve in the webbing withdrawal direction subsequent to being stopped by said means for stopping and upon the occurrence of tension in the webbing above a predetermined amount;

    cutter means located radially within said spool sleeve for cutting into said spool sleeve when said spool sleeve rotates in the webbing withdrawal direction subsequent to being stopped by said means for stopping and in response to tension in the webbing above the predetermined amount;

    said means for stopping said spool sleeve including a member rotatable in the withdrawal and retraction directions, and means for blocking rotation of said rotatable member in the withdrawal direction, said spool sleeve being rotatable relative to said rotatable member in response to tension in the webbing above the predetermined amount; and

    a shaft fixed for rotation with said rotatable member, said cutter means being constrained to rotate with said shaft and being movable along said shaft during rotation of said spool sleeve relative to said rotatable member in the webbing withdrawal direction, said cutter means cutting a helical groove in said spool as said cutter means rotates with said shaft and moves along said shaft.

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