US3695545A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Seat belt retractor
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1970-07-10
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Granted: 1972-10-03
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Expires: 1990-07-10
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 of the support walls 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 fixed shaft extends between the side walls of the support. A pawl includes closed end slots in the side walls thereof receiving the shaft for various modes of movement of the pawl relative to the shaft. In one mode of movement the pawl shifts bodily with respect to the shaft. In a mode of movement, the pawl pivots with respect to the shaft about an axis normal to the shaft axis and located adjacent one end of the pawl. In a third mode of movement, the pawl rotates about the axis of the fixed shaft. A spring normally locates the pawl in spaced parallel relationship to the toothed end plates of the reel and with the slots in the pawl side walls having one end thereof in engagement with the fixed shaft. 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 support as the shaft ends move upwardly within the slots of the support walls and the end plates of the reel engage cooperating teeth on the support walls 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 directed laterally thereof and generally normal to the direction of bodily movement of the reel, the pawl shifts bodily relative to the fixed shaft and engages the end plates of the reel. A slight rotation of the reel in belt extending direction rotates the pawl about the fixed shaft until the side walls of the pawl engage the support. The pawl then provides a fulcrum for movement of the reel bodily upwardly so that the end plates of the reel engage the cooperating teeth on the support walls. When the pawl is subjected to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time directed generally longitudinally thereof, the pawl pivots about one end thereof with respect to the fixed shaft so that the other end of the pawl engages the ratchet plates of the reel and provides a fulcrum for movement of the reel bodily upwardly after slight rotation of the reel in a belt extending direction rotates the pawl to engage the side plate of the other end of the pawl with the support.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore F Peters
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 06:30
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/34; B60R22/36; B60R22/405
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the support for rotational movement in a plane generally parallel to said reel axis and about an axis located adjacent one end of the blocking means being normal to said reel axis, said blocking means moving in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time in the direction parallel to said reel axis, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon rotation of the blocking means about the axis thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
215 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the support for rotational movement in a plane generally parallel to said reel axis and about an axis located adjacent one end of the blocking means being normal to said reel axis, said blocking means moving in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time in the direction parallel to said reel axis, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon rotation of the blocking means about the axis thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
235 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means on the support defining a fixed axis extending generally parallel to the reel axis, blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the fixed axis means for bodily shifting movement relative to the fixed axis and rotational movement about an axis directed generally normal of the fixed axis, the blocking means being movable in at least one mode of movement with respect to the fixed axis in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and including including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon at least one mode of movement of the blocking means relative to the fixed axis to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
235 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means on the support defining a fixed axis extending generally parallel to the reel axis, blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the fixed axis means for bodily shifting movement relative to the fixed axis and rotational movement about an axis directed generally normal of the fixed axis, the blocking means being movable in at least one mode of movement with respect to the fixed axis in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and including including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon at least one mode of movement of the blocking means relative to the fixed axis to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
218 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the support for bodily shifting movement in a direction generally normal to the reel and rotational movement about an axis adjacent one end thereof and directed generally normal to the direction of the reel axis, the blocking means being bodily shiftable or rotational with respect to the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, anD means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon either mode of movement of the blocking means to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
218 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the support for bodily shifting movement in a direction generally normal to the reel and rotational movement about an axis adjacent one end thereof and directed generally normal to the direction of the reel axis, the blocking means being bodily shiftable or rotational with respect to the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, anD means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon either mode of movement of the blocking means to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
230 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means on the support defining a fixed axis extending generally parallel to the reel axis, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the fixed axis means for rotational movement about either of a pair of axes located adjacent respective ends of the blocking means and directed generally normal of the fixed axis, the blocking means being rotational about one of the axes thereof in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon rotational movement of the blocking means about one of the axes thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
230 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 about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, means on the support defining a fixed axis extending generally parallel to the reel axis, elongated blocking means, means mounting the blocking means on the fixed axis means for rotational movement about either of a pair of axes located adjacent respective ends of the blocking means and directed generally normal of the fixed axis, the blocking means being rotational about one of the axes thereof in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking means and reel engageable upon rotational movement of the blocking means about one of the axes thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
220 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a fixed support member, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto, means mounting the reel on the support member for rotation about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support member engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, an elongated blocking member, a shaft on one member, the other member including at least one slot receiving the shaft to interconnect the support member and blocking member for bodily shifting and rotational movement of the blocking member relative to the shaft, the blocking means being movable about the shaft toward the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking member and reel engageable upon movement of the blocking member relative to the shaft thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
220 words
A seat belt retractor comprising, in combination, a fixed support member, a reel mounting a belt for extension and retraction relative thereto, means mounting the reel on the support member for rotation about an axis 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, cooperating means on the reel and support member engageable with each other to block rotation of the reel about the axis of rotation thereof upon bodily movement of the reel through the predetermined distance, an elongated blocking member, a shaft on one member, the other member including at least one slot receiving the shaft to interconnect the support member and blocking member for bodily shifting and rotational movement of the blocking member relative to the shaft, the blocking means being movable about the shaft toward the reel in response to an acceleration pulse of predetermined amplitude and time, and means including cooperatively engageable means on the blocking member and reel engageable upon movement of the blocking member relative to the shaft thereof to block rotation of the reel and furnish a fulcrum for movement of the reel through the predetermined distance to engage the cooperating means on the reel and support.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-03 | 1976-04-03 | 1976-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-03 | 1980-04-03 | 1980-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-03 | 1984-04-03 | 1984-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |