Safety belt retractor with a selectively activatable shock absorber

• US 7,694,908 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2003
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lucht, Andreas, Wittenburg, Geert Helge, Matzen, Frank, Ziel, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haugland; Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/504,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20070095965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,628 Days
• Field of Search: 242/374, 242/390.8, 242/390.9, 242/379.1, 242/381, 242/396, 280/805, 280/807, 297/470, 297475-478, 188/290, 188/291, 188/293, 188/296
• US Class Current: 242/381
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/282 using fluids or vico-elastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/288 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4676 comprising energy-absorbing means operating between belt reel and retractor frame

Abstract

A safety belt retractor, especially in vehicles, is provided that includes a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon and a vehicle sensitive and/or belt sensitive controllable block device for the belt shaft. The block device includes a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device having a viscous medium-filled housing with at least one fixedly positioned contour and a counter-contour that is rotatably displaceable in response to a block event, so that the relative movement between the contour and the counter-contour forces the viscous medium between the surfaces arranged for this purpose. The level of the force limitation applied by the force limitation device is adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the buckled-in passengers via a variation of the inner pressure in the viscous medium-filled housing.

Claims

1. A safety belt roller, comprising:

a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon; and

a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device including a viscous medium-filled housing with a plurality of fixedly positioned disks and a plurality of ring pistons arranged between the disks and connected to the belt shaft for rotation therewith, so that relative movement between the disks and the ring pistons effects trituration of the viscous medium located between the surfaces arranged for this purpose, the level of the force limitation applied by the force limiting device being adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the passengers buckled in by the safety belt unwound from the belt shaft via a variable activation and de-activation of the ring pistons on the belt shaft by means of a switch device operationally disposed between the belt shaft and the ring pistons, wherein the switch device comprises a switch ring that is coupled with the belt shaft, wherein the switch ring is displaceable axially in the housing of the force limiting device via a drive, wherein the switch ring is connected with a positive fit with one or more of the ring pistons as a function of a switch position, wherein the drive acts upon a transmission lever coupled with the switch ring, wherein the transmission lever is guided axially on the housing of the force limiting device and guided out from the housing, and wherein the transmission lever is structured to penetrate a leading projection of the belt shaft through a slot and is fixedly connected with the switch ring.

2. A safety belt retractor, comprising:

a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon; and

a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device including a viscous medium-filled housing with a plurality of fixedly positioned disks and a plurality of ring pistons arranged between the disks and connected to the belt shaft for rotation therewith, so that relative movement between the disks and the ring pistons effects trituration of the viscous medium located between the surfaces arranged for this purpose, the level of the force limitation applied by the force limiting device being adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the passengers buckled in by the safety belt unwound from the belt shaft via a variable activation and de-activation of the ring pistons on the belt shaft by means of a switch device operationally disposed between the belt shaft and the ring pistons, wherein the switch device comprises a switch ring that is coupled with the belt shaft, wherein the switch ring is displaceable axially in the housing of the force limiting device via a drive, wherein the switch ring is connected with a positive fit with one or more of the ring pistons as a function of a switch position, wherein the drive acts upon a transmission lever coupled with the switch ring, wherein the transmission lever is guided axially on the housing of the force limiting device and guided out from the housing, and wherein the transmission lever is structured to penetrate a leading projection of the belt shaft through a slot and is fixedly connected with the switch ring.

3. A safety belt retractor according to claim 2, wherein the switch ring forms an inner circumferential wall of the housing of the force limiting device and engages with the leading projection of the belt shaft, wherein the projection covers the interior of the switch ring.

4. A safety belt retractor according to claim 3, wherein the projection is a component of a central shaft that is rotatably supported relative to the housing of the force limiting device, wherein the central shaft is coupled with the belt shaft in the event of a belt tightening event.

5. A safety belt retractor according to claim 2, wherein the drive is a motor that is controlled as a function of passenger parameters.

6. A safety belt retractor according to claim 2 with a reversible tensioning device coupled to the belt shaft, wherein a drive of the tensioning device is connected with a transmission lever via a transmission shaft that is coupled by means of a coupling.

7. A safety belt retractor according to claim 6, wherein the transmission shaft is provided with a worm gear on an end facing toward the force limiting device, wherein the transmission lever engages in a worm gear course of the worm gear, and wherein the transmission shaft is axially displaceable by the rotation of the worm gear.