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Chain driven pretensioner and retractor

  • US 5,839,686 A
  • Filed: 10/12/1995
  • Issued: 11/24/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus (20, 400) comprising:

  • first driven means (402) including a driven toothed gear operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract;

    a drive housing (408) for defining an arcuate drive passage (406) having a first end in close proximity to one side of the gear and a second end in close proximity to an opposite side of the gear;

    flexible first drive means (430,

         432), slidingly positioned within the drive passage, including a length of chain having a first chain link (435) initially maintained out of engagement with the gear and pushed into engagement with the gear upon activation of a pyrotechnic gas source, the chain including a plurality of chain links within the drive passage, the chain extending rearwardly and prior to activation of the gas source the chain extends rearwardly generally to the location of the gas source;

    the pyrotechnic gas source, positioned within the second end of the drive passage and operatively linked to a rear end of the chain for pushing the chain through the drive passage into engagement with the gear thereby causing the gear to rotate.

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