US3767134A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical sensor unit for a safety belt retractor
Assignee: American Safety Equipment Corp
•
Filing: 1971-06-30
•
Granted: 1973-10-23
•
Expires: 1991-06-30
Abstract
Abstract The electrical sensor unit for mounting on a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal to a ''''Fasten Safety Belts'''' light and to a ''''Safety Belts Fastened'''' light of a vehicle warning system includes a housing for location on the retractor over the nut on the axle of the belt reel; a hub adapter rotatably mounted in the housing coaxially of the belt reel, with a cavity on the inner end thereof mating with the reel axle nut, and with a gear on the outer end thereof; a ring gear cam rotatably mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis parallel to and spaced from the reel axis to mesh with the hub gear, said ring gear cam having a curved ridge adjacent part of its circumference; an actuator slidably mounted in the housing with the lower end thereof engageable by the surface of the cam ridge to be slid thereby into a raised position; and normally open and normally closed contacts mounted in the housing, electrically connected to the lights, and engageable by the upper end of the actuator to be moved thereby to the other positions to signal, in response to the extension and retraction of the belt, whether or not the safety belt is buckled.
Inventors
- 👤 G Morales
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:41
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/34; B60R22/48; B60R2022/4808; B60R2022/4825
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means and means for mounting said camming means for rotation about a fixed axis for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and gear drive means including a drive gear associated with the belt reel and a driven gear associated with the camming means for rotating said camming means on its mounting means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means and means for mounting said camming means for rotation about a fixed axis for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and gear drive means including a drive gear associated with the belt reel and a driven gear associated with the camming means for rotating said camming means on its mounting means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
188 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and operating means associated with the belt reel for rotating said camming means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt, wherein the switch means includes: a pair of normally open contacts and a pair of normally closed contacts for movement between open and closed positions, and a contact actuator means and means for movably mounting the actuator means for engagement by the camming surface upon extension of the belt to move the contacts from their normally open and normally closed positions to the closed and opened positions, respectively, retraction of the belt returning the camming means to return the contacts via said contact actuator means to their normal positions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
188 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and operating means associated with the belt reel for rotating said camming means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt, wherein the switch means includes: a pair of normally open contacts and a pair of normally closed contacts for movement between open and closed positions, and a contact actuator means and means for movably mounting the actuator means for engagement by the camming surface upon extension of the belt to move the contacts from their normally open and normally closed positions to the closed and opened positions, respectively, retraction of the belt returning the camming means to return the contacts via said contact actuator means to their normal positions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
The invention as in claim 2 wherein the retractor frame is mounted to a vehicle having warning system with two indicators, one indicator signaling that the safety belt is not fastened and the other indicator signaling that the safety belt is fastened, said one indicator being connected to the normally closed contacts and said other indicator being connected to the normally open contacts whereby when the safety belt is retracted, the one indicator signals and when the safety belt is extended, the other indicator signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
The invention as in claim 2 wherein the means for movably mounting the contact actuator means mounts the latter relative to said pair of normally open contacts and said pair of normally closed contacts so that one of said pair of contacts is engaged by said actuator means prior to the other upon movement of said actuator means whereby upon extension of the belt, one of said pair of contacts is actuated prior to the other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
171 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and operating means associated with the belt reel for rotating said camming means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt, wherein the operating means includes a drive means rotatively driven by the belt reel and includes a driven means, said driven means drivingly engaging the driver means and having thereon the camming means whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the camming means between rotative positions to operate the switch means, wherein the driver means is a gear, and wherein the driven means is a gear meshing with the driver means gear.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
171 words
An electrical sensor unit for a conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel rotatably mounted thereto about an axis, said sensor unit comprising: switch means associated with an electrical signal producing means; camming means associated with said switch means for actuating said switch means when said camming means is in certain rotative positions thereof; and operating means associated with the belt reel for rotating said camming means in response to rotation of said reel upon extension and retraction of the belt, wherein the operating means includes a drive means rotatively driven by the belt reel and includes a driven means, said driven means drivingly engaging the driver means and having thereon the camming means whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the camming means between rotative positions to operate the switch means, wherein the driver means is a gear, and wherein the driven means is a gear meshing with the driver means gear.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention as in claim 1 wherein the camming means includes a ramp portion for initially engaging the switch means and for moving the switch means upon engagement therewith to an actuated position, and a curved portion joined to the ramp portion for maintaining the switching means said position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
The invention as in claim 6 wherein the switch means includes contacts movable between a normal position and an actuated position and actuating means for moving the contacts, said actuating means having a portion thereof located for engagement by the camming means, said portion being initially engaged by the ramp portion to be moved thereby to move the contacts from the normal position to the actuated position and then engaged by the curved surface to maintain the contacts in the actuated position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention as in claim 1 wherein said sensor unit is provided with supporting structure mounted to the retractor frame which includes means for mounting the operating means and switch means to said retractor frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The invention as in claim 8 wherein the belt reel has an axle extending through one sidewall of the frame, wherein the supporting structure includes a housing and means are provided for mounting the housing on the sidewall over a portion of said axle extending through said one sidewall of the frame.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention as in claim 9 wherein the operating means includes a driver means associated with the axle to be rotatively driven thereby and includes a driven means rotatively mounted in the housing for being drivenly engaged by the driver means and wherein the camming means is mounted on said driven means whereby rotation of the belt reel rotates the camming means between rotated positions to operate the switch means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention as in claim 9 wherein the operating means includes a driver means, and wherein the reel axle and the driver means have mating male and female ends to lock the two together for corresponding rotation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention as in claim 11 wherein the reel axle has a nut on the end thereof, and wherein the driver means has a mating cavity in the end thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention as in claim 9 wherein the operating means and the switch means are movably mounted to the housing, said operating means engaging the axle upon the mounting of the housing to the sidewall by the mounting means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
154 words
An electrical sensor unit for installation on an already assembled conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the safety belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel with an axle extending through at least one sidewall of the frame, said sensor unit comprising: a hollow housing suitably shaped for location to the one sidewall over the axle, an operating means movably mounted in the housing for engaging the axle to be correspondingly driven by the axle upon rotation of the reel due to extension and retraction of the belt, switch means mounted in the housing for being operated by the operating means upon movement thereof to provide the electrical signal, and mounting means for mounting the housing, with the operating means and the switch means already mounted therein, on the sidewall over the axle with the operating means engaging the axle to be driven thereby.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
154 words
An electrical sensor unit for installation on an already assembled conventional safety belt retractor to provide an electrical signal indicating the position of the safety belt, said retractor having a frame and a belt mounting reel with an axle extending through at least one sidewall of the frame, said sensor unit comprising: a hollow housing suitably shaped for location to the one sidewall over the axle, an operating means movably mounted in the housing for engaging the axle to be correspondingly driven by the axle upon rotation of the reel due to extension and retraction of the belt, switch means mounted in the housing for being operated by the operating means upon movement thereof to provide the electrical signal, and mounting means for mounting the housing, with the operating means and the switch means already mounted therein, on the sidewall over the axle with the operating means engaging the axle to be driven thereby.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
71 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein: a first spline member is fixedly provided on said reel axle exteriorly of said frame one sidewall and said operating means for engaging the axle includes a second spline member, said first and second spline members being interfitted to each other upon mounting of the housing to said one sidewall for driving said operating means by said reel axle upon rotation of said reel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein the reel axle has a nut adjacent the sidewall and wherein the operating means includes a driver means having a mating cavity, said nut being received in said cavity when said housing is mounted to the retractor to be driven thereby.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein the switch means includes an actuating means located spaced from the axis of the reel and wherein the operating means includes a driver means rotatably mounted in the housing for engaging the axle and includes driven means movably mounted in the housing radially of and in association with the driver means, to move the actuating means and thereby operate the switch means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
138 words
The invention as in claim 17 wherein the driven means includes a hub adaptor rotatably mounted in the housing coaxial with the reel, when the housing is mounted to the frame, with one end engaging the reel axle and the other end provided with a gear; wherein the driven means is an toothed gear cam rotatably mounted in the housing for rotational movement about an axis parallel to and spaced from the reel axis to mesh with the hub adaptor gear and to be located adjacent the end of the switch means actuator, said gear cam having a curved ridge with a camming surface for engaging the end of the actuator in certain rotative positions of the gear cam to move the actuator, and for being spaced from the end of the actuator in certain other rotative positions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
77 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein the switch means includes a pair of normally closed contacts mounted in the housing for movement between closed and open positions, and a contact actuator means and means for movably mounting the actuator means in the housing for engagement by the camming surface upon extension of the belt to separate the normally closed contacts, retraction of the belt returning the camming means to return the contacts to the closed position.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
81 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein the switch means includes a pair of normally open contacts mounted in the housing for movement between open and closed positions, and a contact actuator means and means for movably mounting the actuator means in the housing for engagement by the camming surface upon extension of the belt to move the normally open contacts to the closed position, retraction of the belt returning the camming surface to return the contacts to the closed position.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
90 words
The invention as in claim 14 wherein the switch means includes a pair of normally open contacts and a pair of normally closed contacts, mounted in the housing for movement between open and closed positions, and a contact actuator means and means for movably mounting the actuator means in the housing for engagement by the camming surface upon extension of the belt to move the contacts from the normal position to the other position, retraction of the belt returning the camming means to return the contacts to the normal position.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
85 words
The invention as in claim 20 wherein the retractor frame is mounted to a vehicle having warning system with two indicators, one indicator signaling that the safety belt is not fastened and the other indicator signaling that the safety belt is fastened, said one indicator being connected to the normally closed contacts and said other indicator being connected to the normally open contacts whereby when the safety belt is retracted, the one indicator signals and when the safety belt is extended the other indicator signals.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
67 words
The invention as in claim 14 additionally comprising holding means for holding the operating means in a predetermined position before the housing is mounted to the retractor by the mounting means, said holding means being for obtaining correspondence between the belt and the operating means, and for releasing the operating means upon the initial extension of the belt after the mounting of the housing on the retractor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-22 | 1977-04-23 | 1977-10-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-22 | 1981-04-23 | 1981-10-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-22 | 1985-04-23 | 1985-10-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |