Automatic seatbelt retractor with slip clutch

Claim 2

A A seatbelt retracting device, comprising: (a) a support; (b) a reel journaled on said support for rotation in either a first, retracting direction, or in the opposite, extending direction; (c) an elongated seatbelt having one end coupled to the reel such that it is retracted with respect to the support as the reel is rotated in its first direction, and is allowed to extend as the reel is rotated in the opposite directional (d) bias means normally urging the reel toward rotation in the retracting direction; (e) locking means supported for movement between a first position in which it is operative to prevent rotation of the reel in its extending direction, and a second position in which it is inoperative to prevent rotation of the reel; (f) automatic clutch means on said reel having a first condition in which it is rotatable with the reel, and a second condition in which it is rotatable with respect to the reel, the clutch means being coupled to the locking means to move the locking means toward its first position when the clutch means is in its first condition and the reel is rotated in its extending direction, and to move the locking means toward its second position when the clutch means is in its second condition and the reel is rotated in the retracting direction; and (g) first means responsive to being rotated in the retracting direction for placing the clutch means in its first condition.

Claim 3

A seatbelt retracting device as defined in claim 1, in which said first means is inoperable to place the clutch means in its first condition unless a predetermined quantity of the belt has been extended from the reel.

Claim 4

A seatbelt retracting device as defined in claim 1, in which the belt is wound into a roll having an increasing diameter as the reel is rotated in its retracting direction, and is capable of being unwound from the roll such that the diameter of the roll decreases as the reel is rotated in its extending direction, and said first means are inoperable to place the clutch means in its first condition unless the diameter of the roll is less than a predetermined diameter.

Claim 5

A seatbelt retracting device comprising: a support; a reel journaled on said support for rotation in either a first, retracting direction, or in the opposite, extending direction; an elongated seatbelt having one end coupled to the reel such that it is retracted with respect to the support as the reel is rotated in its first direction, and is allowed to extend as the reel is rotated in the opposite direction; bias means normally urging the reel toward rotation in the retracting direction; locking means supported for movement between a first position in which it is operative to prevent rotation of the reel in its extending direction, and a second position in which it is inoperative to prevent rotation of the reel; automatic clutch means on said reel having a first condition in which it is rotatable with the reel, and a second condition in which it is rotatable with respect to the reel, the clutch means being coupled to the locking means to move the locking means toward its first position when the clutch means is in its first condition and the reel is rotated in its extending direction, and to move the locking means toward its second position when the clutch means is in its second condition and the reel is rotated in the retracting direction; said belt wound into a roll having an increasing diameter as the reel is rotated in its retracting direction and is unwound from the roll such that its diameter decreases as the reel is rotated in its extending direction; a roller mounted on the sUpport for rotation in a first direction and a second, opposite direction, the roller being engageably with the belt roll when it has a predetermined diameter such that the roller is rotated in its first direction as the belt is extended from the roll, and rotated in its second direction as the belt is retracted toward the roll; and a finger carried on said roller connected with said clutch means in one of the positions of the roller to prevent the clutch means from rotating with the reel as the reel is rotated in extending direction; and in the other position of the roller to allow the clutch means to rotate with the reel as the reel is rotated.

Claim 6

A seatbelt retracting device comprising: a support; a reel journaled on said support for rotation in either a first, retracting direction, or in the opposite, extending direction; an elongated seatbelt having one end coupled to the reel such that it is retracted with respect to the support as the reel is rotated in its first direction, and is allowed to extend as the reel is rotated in the opposite direction; bias means normally urging the reel toward rotation in the retracting direction; locking means supported for movement between a first position in which it is operative to prevent rotation of the reel in its extending direction, and a second position in which it is inoperative to prevent rotation of the reel; automatic clutch means on said reel having a first condition in which it is rotatable with the reel, and a second condition in which it is rotatable with respect to the reel, the clutch means being coupled to the locking means to move the locking means toward its first position when the clutch means is in its first condition and the reel is rotated in its extending direction, and to move the locking means toward its second position when the clutch means is in its second condition and the reel is rotated in the retracting direction; said belt wound into a roll having an increasing diameter as the reel is rotated in its retracting direction and is unwound from the roll such that its diameter decreases as the reel is rotated in its extending direction; a roller mounted on the sUpport for rotation in a first direction and a second, opposite direction, the roller being engageably with the belt roll when it has a predetermined diameter such that the roller is rotated in its first direction as the belt is extended from the roll, and rotated in its second direction as the belt is retracted toward the roll; and a finger carried on said roller connected with said clutch means in one of the positions of the roller to prevent the clutch means from rotating with the reel as the reel is rotated in extending direction; and in the other position of the roller to allow the clutch means to rotate with the reel as the reel is rotated.

Claim 7

A retracting reel assembly comprising; support means; reel means rotatably supported by said support means; an elongated flexible element connected to said reel means and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom; locking means movable between locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of said reel means, and clutch means coaxial with said reel means and frictionally driven thereby between holdout and set positions, said clutch means being operatively connected to said locking means to said unlocked position upon movement to said holdout position and for moving said locking means to said locked position upon movement to said set position.

Claim 8

A retracting reel assembly comprising; support means; reel means rotatably supported by said support means; an elongated flexible element connected to said reel means and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom; locking means movable between locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of said reel means, and clutch means coaxial with said reel means and frictionally driven thereby between holdout and set positions, said clutch means being operatively connected to said locking means to said unlocked position upon movement to said holdout position and for moving said locking means to said locked position upon movement to said set position.

Claim 9

An assembly as set forth in claim 5 including means for maintaining said clutch means in said holdout position during a predetermined amount of rotation of said reel means in the unwind direction from the fully wound position.

Claim 10

An assembly as set forth in claim 5 including means for maintaining said clutch means in said holdout position during a predetermined amount of rotation of said reel means in the unwind direction and until there is a subsequent rotation of said reel means in the wind direction.

Claim 11

A retracting reel assembly comprising: a. support means; b. reel means rotatably supported by said support means; c. an elongated flexible element connected to said reel means and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom; d. a locking pawl movable between locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of said reel means; e. a clutch plate, provided with a slot therein, coaxial with said reel means and frictionally driven thereby between holdout and set positions, said clutch plate being operatively connected to said locking pawl by a pin extending through said locking pawl and through said slot in said clutch plate for moving said locking pawl to said unlocked position upon movement to said holdout position and for moving said locking pawl to said locked position upon movement to said set position.

Claim 12

A retracting reel assembly comprising: a. support means; b. reel means rotatably supported by said support means; c. an elongated flexible element connected to said reel means and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom; d. a locking pawl movable between locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of said reel means; e. a clutch plate, provided with a slot therein, coaxial with said reel means and frictionally driven thereby between holdout and set positions, said clutch plate being operatively connected to said locking pawl by a pin extending through said locking pawl and through said slot in said clutch plate for moving said locking pawl to said unlocked position upon movement to said holdout position and for moving said locking pawl to said locked position upon movement to said set position.

Claim 13

An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said clutch plate includes a shoulder and a cutout portion adjacent thereto, and including means to engage said shoulder for maintaining said clutch plate in said holdout position and movable to said cutout portion for allowing said clutch plate to move to said set position.

Claim 14

An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said last-mentioned means includes a roller mounted on said support means for engagement with said elongated flexible element when the latter has been wound to a predetermined diameter on said reel means so as to be moved in a first direction as said flexible element is unwound from said reel means and to be moved in a second direction as said flexible element is wound onto said reel means, and finger means responsive to movement of said roller for selective disposition in said cutout portion and in engagement with said shoulder.