Self-locking winding device for the safety belt of air and land vehicles

Claim 2

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predertimined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring in every suitable rotational position upon exceeding the limit of rotational acceleration of the belt unwinding from the shaft at any of an infinite number of positions, said region of said inertia member comprising a generally radial finger-like extension thereon and said friction ring having a radially inwardly opening annular groove adapted for frictional engagement by said extension.

Claim 3

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, said region of said inertia member comprising a generally radial finger-like extension thereon and said friction ring having a radially inwardly opening annular groove adapted for frictional engagement by said extension, said groove being wedge shaped in Cross section and at least the outer end of said extension being formed to a complementary wedge shape.

Claim 4

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, said region of said inertia member comprising a generally radial finger-like extension thereon and said friction ring having a radially inwardly opening annular groove adapted for frictional engagement by said extension, said groove being wedge shaped in Cross section and at least the outer end of said extension being formed to a complementary wedge shape.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 2 in which said inertia member is disc-like, an eccentric pin on one end of said shaft, and said inertia member being rotatably mounted on said pin.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 2 in which said friction ring comprises a radially inwardly facing friction surface adapted for engagement with said region of said inertia member.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 2 in which the included angle between the sides of said groove in said friction ring and between the sides of the wedge shape on said extension is within the range of from about 50* to about 75*.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 2 in which said inertia member is disc-like and the height of said extension amounts to about one-fourteenth to one-sixteenth of the diameter of the inertia member.

Claim 9

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, said region of said inertia member comprising a generally radial finger-like extension thereon and said friction ring having a radially inwardly opening annular groove adapted for frictional engagement by said extension, said inertia member being disc-like and said extension being in the form of a tooth protruding radially from the outer circumferential surface of said inertia member, the said extension merging with said inertia member at the base of said extension, said extension in a circumferential direction of said inertia member having width of from about 3.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters at the base thereof.

Claim 10

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, said region of said inertia member comprising a generally radial finger-like extension thereon and said friction ring having a radially inwardly opening annular groove adapted for frictional engagement by said extension, said inertia member being disc-like and said extension being in the form of a tooth protruding radially from the outer circumferential surface of said inertia member, the said extension merging with said inertia member at the base of said extension, said extension in a circumferential direction of said inertia member having width of from about 3.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters at the base thereof.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 2 in which said friction ring is in the form of a single ring element fixedly but releasably secured to said housing.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 2 which includes means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9 in which said last mentioned means comprises an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring.

Claim 14

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member Away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, and a toothed ring connected to said inertia member, said lever means comprising a finger element engageable with a tooth space of said toothed ring for effecting movement of said inertia member in response to movement of said inertia mass.

Claim 15

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member Away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, and a toothed ring connected to said inertia member, said lever means comprising a finger element engageable with a tooth space of said toothed ring for effecting movement of said inertia member in response to movement of said inertia mass.

Claim 16

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said inertia mass comprising a body having a recess therein, and a bearing carried by said housing and engaging said recess, said mass being moveable in any of three directions to effect actuation of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring.

Claim 17

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limiting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said inertia mass comprising a body having a recess therein, and a bearing carried by said housing and engaging said recess, said mass being moveable in any of three directions to effect actuation of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring.

Claim 18

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, a ''''U'''' shaped yoke connected to said inertia mass, a cover member on said housing enclosing said inertia mass, and means on said cover Member supporting said ''''U'''' shaped yoke.

Claim 19

A self-locking wind up device for the safety belt of a passenger vehicle comprising: a housing adapted for being fixedly mounted in the vehicle, a shaft rotatable in the housing and adapted for connection to the belt to be wound up, a spring in the housing biasing said shaft in the winding up direction, an inertia member mounted on said shaft normally biased to a predetermined position thereon and adapted to move away from said position in response to at least one of a predetermined limting speed of rotation and predetermined limiting acceleration of said shaft, and a friction ring fixed in said housing in the plane of said inertia member, said inertia member normally rotating with said shaft freely in said friction ring but having a region engageable with said friction ring upon movement of said inertia member away from said predetermined position on said shaft, said inertia member arresting said shaft when engaging said friction ring, means operable upon a predetermined degree of bodily acceleration of said device to effect movement of said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, said last mentioned means comprising an inertia mass carried by said housing and lever means under the control of said inertia mass and operable upon movement of said inertia mass relative to said housing to actuate said inertia member into locking engagement with said friction ring, a ''''U'''' shaped yoke connected to said inertia mass, a cover member on said housing enclosing said inertia mass, and means on said cover Member supporting said ''''U'''' shaped yoke.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 13 in which said lever means includes a lever operatively connected to said yoke and adapted to engage and rotate said toothed wheel in response to movement of the yoke as occasioned by movement of said inertia mass due to acceleration of said device.

Claim 21

A device according to claim 14 in which said lever includes a spring leg at one end forming the means for engagement of said lever with said toothed wheel.

Claim 22

A device according to claim 15 which includes a bar spring coupled to the closed end of said yoke and operatively connected to said lever.

Claim 23

A device according to claim 12 which includes a cover member rotatable on said housing and enclosing said inertia mass, said bearing being carried in said cover member, whereby the response of said inertia mass to acceleration of said device can be varied by rotating said cover member on said housing.

Claim 24

A device according to claim 12 which includes resilient means urging said inertia mass toward said bearing, and means for varying the bias of said resilient means on said inertia mass.

Claim 25

A device according to claim 12 in which said bearing is in the form of a ball, a cover member rotatably mounted on said housing, said cover member having a recess for receiving said ball, at least one of said recesses in the cover member and inertia mass being conical, said inertia mass and said lever means being entirely supported by said cover member.