Energy absorber for automobile safety belts

Claim 2

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and an elongated torsion bar rotated about its longitudinal axis between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting.

Claim 3

Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said torsion rod is capable of being plastically deformed.

Claim 4

Energy absorber according to claim 2, wherein said torsion bar is capable of being plastically deformed with said elastic deformability being relatively slight as compared to its plastic deformability.

Claim 5

Energy absorber according to claim 3, wherein said torsion bar is stressed only for torsion for accommodating rotation between said mounting and said take-up member.

Claim 6

Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said mounting comprises a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, said take-up member forming a sleeve.

Claim 7

Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said mounting is rigidly connected with the vehicle.

Claim 8

Energy absorber according to claim 1, wherein said force-transmitting member is an automobile seat belt.

Claim 9

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, said take-up member forming a sleeve, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting; said torsion bar being connected at one of its ends non-rotatably with said sleeve and at its other end non-rotatably with one of said legs via an intermediate member.

Claim 10

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, said take-up member forming a sleeve, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting; said torsion bar being connected at one of its ends non-rotatably with said sleeve and at its other end non-rotatably with one of said legs via an intermediate member.

Claim 11

Energy absorber according to claim 8, wherein said intermediate member is a flange having an opening with which said one end of the torsion bar is in positive engagement.

Claim 12

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said take-up member forming a sleeve which surrounds said torsion bar.

Claim 13

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, said mounting comprising a U-shaped bracket having two legs connected with each other non-rotatably, each of said legs having an opening to rotatably support the take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said take-up member forming a sleeve which surrounds said torsion bar.

Claim 14

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said take-up member forming a sleeve, said torsion bar being supported at its center non-rotatably relative to said sleeve, and at both of its ends non-rotatably in said mounting.

Claim 15

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said take-up member forming a sleeve, said torsion bar being supported at its center non-rotatably relative to said sleeve, and at both of its ends non-rotatably in said mounting.

Claim 16

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-tRansmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said mounting having two parallel legs formed of flanges, two connecting bolts holding said legs in a non-rotatable mutual relation, said force-transmitting member having two ends wound on said take-up member from opposite sides and being fed around the respective connecting bolts so that when said force-transmitting member stretches said take-up member rotates, and the mounting is braced at the force-transmitting member by means of said connecting bolts.

Claim 17

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-tRansmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, and a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, said mounting having two parallel legs formed of flanges, two connecting bolts holding said legs in a non-rotatable mutual relation, said force-transmitting member having two ends wound on said take-up member from opposite sides and being fed around the respective connecting bolts so that when said force-transmitting member stretches said take-up member rotates, and the mounting is braced at the force-transmitting member by means of said connecting bolts.

Claim 18

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, and a clutch means responsive to a horizontal acceleration or a rotation of the earth acceleration vector being connected between said torsion bar and take-up member for blocking the rotation of said take-up member.

Claim 19

Energy absorber for restraining systems in passenger vehicles comprising a take-up member, a force-transmitting member and a mounting rotatable relative to said take-up member, a torsion bar rotated between said mounting and said take-up member for absorbing large amounts of energy when the take-up member rotates relative to the mounting, and a clutch means responsive to a horizontal acceleration or a rotation of the earth acceleration vector being connected between said torsion bar and take-up member for blocking the rotation of said take-up member.

Claim 20

Energy absorber according to claim 13, wherein said clutch means comprises a gear rigidly connected with one end of the torsion bar and a lever having a free end, having the form of a ball socket, said lever resting on a spherical inertial member and having blocking cogs which engage with said gear in the coupled condition.