Belt spool

• US 7,744,029 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gentner, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Sang
• Application Number:
  US12/287,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 242/379.1, 280/805, 297/471, 297/472
• US Class Current: 242/379.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/287 of torsion rods or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence

Abstract

A belt spool comprising a spool body and a torsion rod having a first end and a second end, the torsion rod being provided with a torque transmission profile at the first end, in order to be coupled with the spool body, a transmission element being connected with the torque transmission profile of the torsion rod, and a stop element cooperating with the transmission element and being coupled with the spool body.

Claims

1. A belt spool comprising:

a spool body (12),

a torsion rod (26) having a first end (29) and a second end (31),

said torsion rod (26) being provided with a torque transmission profile (27) at said first end (29), in order to be coupled with said spool body (12),

a transmission element (28) being connected with said torque transmission profile (27) of said torsion rod (26), and

a stop element (22) cooperating with said transmission element (28) and being coupled with said spool body (12),

said transmission element (28) allowing a rotation of said belt spool (12) relative to said torsion rod (26) to a limited extent without twisting of the torsion rod (26) first.

2. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said torque transmission profile (27) is a multi-groove profile.

3. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said spool body (12) comprises a mounting (21) and said stop element (22) comprises an outer side (23), said stop element (22) being provided with a multi-groove profile at said outer side (23) and being inserted into said mounting (21).

4. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said spool body (12) has an end side (17) and said stop element (22) is a cover (38) which is mounted on said end side (17) of said spool body (12).

5. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said spool body (12) comprises a mounting (39) and said stop element (22) is a rod which is inserted into said mounting (39).

6. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said transmission element (28) is a threaded bush which is provided with an outer thread (30) engaging said stop element (22).

7. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said transmission element (28) has a stop (32) and said stop element (22) has a stop (34), said stop (32) being able to cooperate with said stop (34).

8. The belt spool according to claim 7, wherein said stop (32, 34) protrudes in an axial direction (A).

9. The belt spool according to claim 7, wherein said stop (32, 34) protrudes in a radial direction (r).

10. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said torsion rod (26) is a first force limiter, said transmission element (28) being a second force limiter provided between said torque transmission profile (27) of said torsion rod (26) and said spool body (12).

11. The belt spool according to claim 10, wherein said second force limiter includes a self-tapping thread.

12. The belt spool according to claim 10, wherein said second force limiter is formed by a cutting member (36) which machines material.

13. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said spool body (12) and said stop element (22) rotate relative to said torsion rod (26) and said transmission element (28), said stopping element (22) preventing rotation of said spool body (12) and said stop element (22) relative to said transmission element (28) after said spool body (12) and said stop element (22) rotate through a predetermined rotation range relative to said torsion rod (26) and said transmission element (28).

14. The belt spool according to claim 1, wherein said transmission element (28) has a first surface spaced from a second surface of said stop element (22) during rotation of said belt spool (12) relative to said torsion rod (26), said first surface engaging said second surface to prevent rotation of said spool body (12) relative to said first end (29) of said torsion rod (26).