US3659800A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seat belt retractor
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1970-06-29
•
Granted: 1972-05-02
•
Expires: 1990-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A seat belt retractor includes a U-shaped support having generally vertically disposed closed end slots in the side walls thereof. A reel having ratchet toothed end plates and a shaft mounts a seat belt. The ends of the shaft are received within the slots and torsion springs bias the shaft ends into engagement with the lower ends of the slots. The reel is spring biased in a belt retracting direction. A pawl is movable mounted on the side walls of the frame and normally located against movement by a columnar spring. Cooperating cam surfaces on the pawl and side walls move the pawl laterally of and into engagement with the ratchet plates of the reel when the pawl moves laterally of the side walls or longitudinally of the reel. When belt acceleration or movement of the belt in an extending direction exceeds a predetermined rate, the reel moves bodily upwardly with respect to the frame as the shaft ends move within the slots, and the ratchet plates of the reel engage cooperating teeth on the side walls of the frame to block further rotation of the reel in a belt extending direction. When the pawl is subjected to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time longitudinally thereof and generally normal to the direction of bodily movement of the reel, the pawl moves laterally of the side walls and into engagement with the ratchet plates of the reel to provide a fulcrum for movement of the reel bodily upwardly so that the ratchet plates of the reel again engage the cooperating teeth on the side walls of the frame. When the pulse is laterally of the pawl, it also moves into engagement with the ratchet plates to provide the same fulcrum.
Inventors
- 👤 Barthold F Meyer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:01
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/34; B60R22/36; B60R22/405
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a rotatable reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a pair of annular end plates having peripheral ratchet teeth aligned axially of the reel in respective pairs, means mountinG the reel on the support for rotation about the axis thereof in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance in a plane containing such axis upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, means on the support engageable by an axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, a pawl mounted on the support for movement axially and radially of the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to the direction of bodily movement of the reel, the pawl engaging an axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel upon movement thereof radially of the reel to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the support means with another axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel, means for moving the pawl radially of the reel upon movement of the pawl axially of the reel and means locating the pawl axially and radially of the reel and resisting movement thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a rotatable reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a pair of annular end plates having peripheral ratchet teeth aligned axially of the reel in respective pairs, means mountinG the reel on the support for rotation about the axis thereof in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance in a plane containing such axis upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, means on the support engageable by an axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, a pawl mounted on the support for movement axially and radially of the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally normal to the direction of bodily movement of the reel, the pawl engaging an axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel upon movement thereof radially of the reel to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the support means with another axially aligned pair of teeth of the reel, means for moving the pawl radially of the reel upon movement of the pawl axially of the reel and means locating the pawl axially and radially of the reel and resisting movement thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
179 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto, means mounting the reel on the support for rotation in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance relative to the support, a pawl, means slidably mounting the pawl on the support for movement in both radial and axial directions relative to said reel, cooperating means on the pawl and reel engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means normally locating the pawl in a position wherein the cooperating means are disengaged from each other, cooperating cam means on the pawl and support for moving the pawl relative to the support upon the pawl receiving an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time to engage the pawl and reel cooperating means, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
179 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto, means mounting the reel on the support for rotation in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance relative to the support, a pawl, means slidably mounting the pawl on the support for movement in both radial and axial directions relative to said reel, cooperating means on the pawl and reel engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means normally locating the pawl in a position wherein the cooperating means are disengaged from each other, cooperating cam means on the pawl and support for moving the pawl relative to the support upon the pawl receiving an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time to engage the pawl and reel cooperating means, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination recited in claim 2 wherein the locating means for the pawl include cooperating surfaces on the pawl and support engageable with each other under a resilient bias to locate the pawl against movement axially and radially of the reel unless the required acceleration pulse is received.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
The combination recited in claim 2 wherein the cooperating means include adjacent portions of the pawl extending generally radially of the reel and being of different radial extent, one portion being engageable with the reel upon movement of the pawl radially of the reel under an acceleration pulse applied to the pawl radially of the reel, and the other portion being engageable with the reel upon movement of the pawl axially and radially of the reel under an acceleration pulse directed generally axially of the reel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
170 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, means responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time for blocking rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnishing a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel aNd support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
170 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, means responsive to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time for blocking rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnishing a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel aNd support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
186 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, and pawl means mounted on the support and movable into engagement with the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time received thereby to block rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
186 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, and pawl means mounted on the support and movable into engagement with the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time received thereby to block rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
207 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, a pawl seated on the support for movement relative thereto in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, cooperating means on the pawl and reel engageable with each other upon movement of the pawl to block rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, means normally locating the pawl against movement relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
207 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support including a pair of spaced walls provided with aligned elongated apertures having at least one closed end, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto and including a shaft received in the apertures in engagement with the closed ends thereof to mount the reel on the support for rotation relative to the support in belt extending and retracting directions, the shaft moving bodily relative to the apertures and the reel moving bodily relative to the support upon rotation of the reel by the belt at a rate exceeding a predetermined rate, a pawl seated on the support for movement relative thereto in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, cooperating means on the pawl and reel engageable with each other upon movement of the pawl to block rotation of the reel relative to the support and furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel relative to the support, means normally locating the pawl against movement relative to the support, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block movement of the reel relative to the support upon bodily movement of the reel through a predetermined distance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
174 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a reel mounting a belt extension and retraction relative thereto and including a pair of annular members having axially aligned ratchet teeth, means mounting the reel on the support for rotation in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance relative to the support, a pawl including spaced pairs of teeth, means movably mounting the pawl on the support with each pair of teeth thereof straddling a respective annular member, cooperating cam means on the pawl and support for moving the pawl relative to the support upon the pawl receiving an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time to engage one tooth of each pair with a tooth of a respective annular member and block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof to furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
174 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a support, a reel mounting a belt extension and retraction relative thereto and including a pair of annular members having axially aligned ratchet teeth, means mounting the reel on the support for rotation in belt extending and retracting directions and bodily movement through a predetermined distance relative to the support, a pawl including spaced pairs of teeth, means movably mounting the pawl on the support with each pair of teeth thereof straddling a respective annular member, cooperating cam means on the pawl and support for moving the pawl relative to the support upon the pawl receiving an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time to engage one tooth of each pair with a tooth of a respective annular member and block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof to furnish a fulcrum for bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, and cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2370921A
Cited
US3074761A
Cited
US3190579A
Cited
US3237879A
Cited
US3273822A
Cited
US3343765A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-02 | 1975-11-01 | 1976-05-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-02 | 1979-11-01 | 1980-05-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-02 | 1983-11-01 | 1984-05-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |