Dead zone mechanism for and inertia locking retractor

Claim 2

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of a safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including: a frame, a belt reel rotatably mounted by an associated shaft to the frame, said belt reel having one end of the safety belt secured thereto, means for biasing the reel for rotation to a retracted position wherein the belt is wound around the reel, extension of the belt rotating the reel against such biasing, and inertia locking means including an inertia member eccentrically mounted to and rotated by a shaft associated with said belt reel for locking the reel against rotation upon application of a rate of acceleration to the belt which is above the predetermined locking rate, said locking means inertia member being moved from unlocking to locking positions due to such acceleration, the improvement comprising the provision of: blocking means for selectively blocking the locking means inertia member in the unlocking position, said blocking means being movable between an inertia member blocking position and a release position, gearing means associated with said reel and said blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide a dead zone for inertia locking means of the inertia safety belt retractor, said gearing means including a first toothed gear member associated with said blocking means to rotate the latter between said blocking and release positions upon rotation of said first gear member and a second gear member having at least one tooth for meshing with anD rotating said first gear member in response to rotation of said reel during extension and retraction of said safety belt.

Claim 3

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of a safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including: a frame, a belt reel rotatably mounted by an associated shaft to the frame, said belt reel having one end of the safety belt secured thereto, means for biasing the reel for rotation to a retracted position wherein the belt is wound around the reel, extension of the belt rotating the reel against such biasing, inertia locking means for locking the reel against rotation upon application of a rate of acceleration to the belt which is above the predetermined locking rate, said locking means being moved from unlocked to locked positions due to such acceleration, and blocking means for selectively holding the locking means in the unlocked position, said blocking means being movable between a blocking position and a release position, the improvement comprising the provision of, gearing means associated with said reel and said blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia safety belt retractor, wherein the blocking means includes a disc rotatably mounted relative the locking means and mounted for rotation with the belt reel relative to the frame, said disc having a limit shoulder being adapted to engage the inertia locking means in certain rotative positions of the disc while being adapted to permit movement of the inertia locking means between its unlocked and locked positions in other rotative positions of the disc, and wherein the gearing means includes a disc gear non-rotatively connected to the disc to rotate the disc in response to rotation of the gear, a tooth associated with the frame for engagement by the rotated disc gear and a spring mounted to the reel and engaging the disc gear to hold the disc gear from rotation relative the locking means except when the disc gear, rotating with the belt reel, engages the tooth and overcomes the biasing of the spring whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the disc gear therewith past the tooth on the frame to rotate the disc relative to the inertia locking means and move the disc between its rotative positions.

Claim 4

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of a safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including: a frame, a belt reel rotatably mounted by an associated shaft to the frame, said belt reel having one end of the safety belt secured thereto, means for biasing the reel for rotation to a retracted position wherein the belt is wound around the reel, extension of the belt rotating the reel against such biasing, inertia locking means for locking the reel against rotation upon application of a rate of acceleration to the belt which is above the predetermined locking rate, said locking means being moved from unlocked to locked positions due to such acceleration, and blocking means for selectively holding the locking means in the unlocked position, said blocking means being movable between a blocking position and a release position, the improvement comprising the provision of, gearing means associated with said reel and said blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia safety belt retractor, wherein the blocking means includes a disc rotatably mounted relative the locking means and mounted for rotation with the belt reel relative to the frame, said disc having a limit shoulder being adapted to engage the inertia locking means in certain rotative positions of the disc while being adapted to permit movement of the inertia locking means between its unlocked and locked positions in other rotative positions of the disc, and wherein the gearing means includes a disc gear non-rotatively connected to the disc to rotate the disc in response to rotation of the gear, a tooth associated with the frame for engagement by the rotated disc gear and a spring mounted to the reel and engaging the disc gear to hold the disc gear from rotation relative the locking means except when the disc gear, rotating with the belt reel, engages the tooth and overcomes the biasing of the spring whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the disc gear therewith past the tooth on the frame to rotate the disc relative to the inertia locking means and move the disc between its rotative positions.

Claim 5

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein the blocking means includes a disc rotatably mounted relative the locking means and mounted for rotation with the belt reel relative to the frame, said disc having a limit shoulder being adapted to engage the inertia locking means in certain rotative positions of the disc while being adapted to permit movement of the inertia locking means between its unlocked and locked positions in other rotative positions of the disc, and wherein the gearing means includes a disc gear non-rotatively connected to the disc to rotate the disc in response to rotation of the gear, a tooth associated with the frame for engagement by and a spring mounted to the reel and engaging the disc gear to hold the disc gear from rotation relative the locking means except when the disc gear, rotating with the belt reel, engages the tooth and overcomes the biasing of the spring whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the disc gear therewith past the tooth on the frame to rotate the disc relative to the inertia locking means and move the disc between its rotative positions.

Claim 6

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of the safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including a frame, a belt reel mounting a safety belt and rotatably mounted to the frame, an inertia locking means including an inertia member for locking the reel, the improvemenT comprising the provision of: inertia member blocking means movable between a release position and a blocking position for blocking movement of the inertia member of said locking means and gearing means associated with said reel and said inertia member blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia locking retractor, said gearing means including a first gear member having gear teeth thereon and being associated with said blocking means to produce said moving of said blocking means upon rotation of said gear member and a second gear member having at least one gear tooth thereon for meshing with and rotating said first gear member upon rotation of said reel.

Claim 7

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of the safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including a frame, a belt reel mounting a safety belt and rotatably mounted to the frame, an inertia locking means including an inertia member for locking the reel, the improvemenT comprising the provision of: inertia member blocking means movable between a release position and a blocking position for blocking movement of the inertia member of said locking means and gearing means associated with said reel and said inertia member blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia locking retractor, said gearing means including a first gear member having gear teeth thereon and being associated with said blocking means to produce said moving of said blocking means upon rotation of said gear member and a second gear member having at least one gear tooth thereon for meshing with and rotating said first gear member upon rotation of said reel.

Claim 8

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of the safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including a frame, a belt reel mounting a safety belt and rotatably mounted to the frame, inertia locking means for locking the reel and blocking means movable between a release position and a blocking position for holding the inertia locking means from locking, the improvement comprising the provision of: gearing means associated with said reel and said blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia locking retractor, wherein the blocking means includes a disc rotatably mounted relative to the locking means, said disc having a limit shoulder adapted to restrain operation of the inertia locking means in certain rotative positions of the disc, holding the inertia locking means in the unlocked position, while being adapted to permit movement of the inertia locking means between unlocked position and locked positions in other rotative positions of the disc, and wherein the gearing means includes a disc gear non-rotatively connected to the disc to rotate the disc in response to rotation of the disc gear, and includes gear rotating means for rotating the disc gear in response to the extension and retraction of the belt.

Claim 9

In an inertia locking retractor having an associated dead zone mechanism for permitting an initial extension of the safety belt at a rate of acceleration above a predetermined locking rate of acceleration, said retractor including a frame, a belt reel mounting a safety belt and rotatably mounted to the frame, inertia locking means for locking the reel and blocking means movable between a release position and a blocking position for holding the inertia locking means from locking, the improvement comprising the provision of: gearing means associated with said reel and said blocking means for moving the blocking means correspondingly between the blocking position and the release position in response to extension of the belt to provide the dead zone for the inertia locking retractor, wherein the blocking means includes a disc rotatably mounted relative to the locking means, said disc having a limit shoulder adapted to restrain operation of the inertia locking means in certain rotative positions of the disc, holding the inertia locking means in the unlocked position, while being adapted to permit movement of the inertia locking means between unlocked position and locked positions in other rotative positions of the disc, and wherein the gearing means includes a disc gear non-rotatively connected to the disc to rotate the disc in response to rotation of the disc gear, and includes gear rotating means for rotating the disc gear in response to the extension and retraction of the belt.

Claim 10

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein the gear rotating means includes: a shaft gear non-rotatably mounted to a reel associated shaft for rotation therewith in response to extension and retraction of the belt, a gear set rotatively associated with the frame, said gear set including two gears non-rotatably connected together whereby rotation of one gear rotates the other gear, one of said gears being operably connected to the shaft gear and the other of said gears being operably connected to the disc gear, one pair of such operably connected gears having different numbers of teeth whereby rotation of the shaft rotates the shaft gear which rotates the gear set to rotate the disc gear and the disc thereon between its rotative positions.

Claim 11

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein the disc is mounted for rotation with the belt reel relative to the frame, and wherein the gear rotating means includes a tooth associated with the frame for engagement with the disc gear as the disc gear rotates with the belt reel, whereby extension of the belt rotates the disc gear past the tooth to rotate the disc relative to the inertia locking means and moves the disc between its rotative positions.

Claim 12

The improvement as in claim 7 additionally comprising a spring associated with the reel and extending to the disc gear to hold the disc gear from rotating relative to the inertia locking means except when the disc gear, rotating with the reel, engages the tooth to overcome the action of the spring and rotate the disc gear to a new rotation position relative the inertia locking means whereupon the spring holds the disc gear in the new rotative position until the disc gear engages thE tooth.

Claim 13

The improvement as in claim 5 additionally comprising: retainer means for releasably holding the disc gear from rotating except when it is rotated by the gear rotating means.

Claim 14

The improvement as in claim 9 wherein the retainer means includes a spring having one end associated with the reel and the other end engaging the disc gear to hold the disc gear from rotation relative to the locking means, the gear rotating means overcoming the action of the spring to rotate the disc gear to a new position wherein the action of the spring holds the disc gear until rotated again by the gear rotating means.

Claim 15

The improvement in an inertia locking retractor as in claim 4, wherein said second gear member is non-rotatively mounted to a reel associated shaft for rotation therewith in response to the extension and retraction of the belt, and wherein one or more additional gear members are provided in gear chain-like fashion between said first and second gear members for imparting rotation to said first gear member in response to rotation of said second gear member.

Claim 16

The improvement in an inertia locking retractor as in claim 4, wherein said second gear member is mounted to said frame and said first gear member is mounted to said reel to revolve about said second gear member.