Emergency locking device for safety seat belt used in motor vehicles and the like

Claim 2

An emergency locking device for a safety seat belt comprising a rotary webbing roller, an operating member rotatable on said webbing roller, elastic coupling means normally coupling said operating member to said webbing roller so that said operating member normally performs a synchronized rotation with said webbing roller, a braking plate connected to said operating member, a stationary surface adjacent said plate, a centrally arranged flexible elastic body between said plate and said operating member and which flexes upon rotation of said roller in excess of a predetermined value to urge said brake plate against said stationary surface thereby effecting relative rotation between said operating member and said roller, a pawl member pivotally mounted to said operating member, a stationary member surrounding said operating member and coaxial with said webbing roller and having a number of internal teeth arranged in a circle around said operating member in opposition to said pawl member and normally disengaged therefrom, a control plate fixedly fitted to said webbing roller, and means on said control plate for engaging said pawl member upon rotation of said control plate relative to said operating member to pivot said pawl member on said operating member to project said pawl member into engagement with a tooth of said stationary member to effect a braking action on said roller.

Claim 3

An emergency locking device for a safety seat belt comprising, a webbing roller, an operating member rotatable on said webbing roller, elastic coupling means normally coupling said webbing roller to said operating member so that said operating member normally performs a synchronized rotation with said webbing roller, a brake plate secured to said operating member, a braking electromagnetic device mounted in opposition to said brake plate and operative when energized to brake said operating member, a pawl member pivotally mounted on said operating member, a stationary member having a number of teeth thereon arranged in angularly spaced relation in a circle around said operating member and in opposition to, and normally disengaged from, said pawl member, a control plate fixedly fitted to said webbing roller, means on said control plate for pivoting said pawl member into locking engagement with one of said teeth when a differential motion between said control plate and said operating member is caused by the braking of said operating member, and an electric circuit including an acceleration switch connected in circuit with said electromagnetic device and operative upon acceleration of said control plate higher than a predetermined value to energize said braking electromagnetic device to cause said pawl member to move into locking engagement with one of said teeth.

Claim 4

An emergency locking device for a safety seat belt comprising, a webbing roller, an operating member rotatable on said webbing roller, elastic coupling means normally coupling said webbing roller to said operating member so that said operating member normally performs a synchronized rotation with said webbing roller, a brake plate secured to said operating member, a braking electromagnetic device mounted in opposition to said brake plate and operative when energized to brake said operating member, a pawl member pivotally mounted on said operating member, a stationary member having a number of teeth thereon arranged in angularly spaced relation in a circle around said operating member and in opposition to, and normally disengaged from, said pawl member, a control plate fixedly fitted to said webbing roller, means on said control plate for pivoting said pawl member into locking engagement with one of said teeth when a differential motion between said control plate and said operating member is caused by the braking of said operating member, and an electric circuit including an acceleration switch connected in circuit with said electromagnetic device and operative upon acceleration of said control plate higher than a predetermined value to energize said braking electromagnetic device to cause said pawl member to move into locking engagement with one of said teeth.

Claim 5

An emergency locking device for a safety seat belt, comprising a rotary webbing roller, a rotatable operating member loosely fitted on said webbing roller, a control plate fixed to said webbing roller, a pawl pivotally mounted on said operating member and engaged with said control plate for pivotal movement thereby upon relative rotation between said control plate and said operating member, resilient means coupling said operating member with said webbing roller, a brake plate secured to said operating member, a fixed member surrounding said operating member and coaxial with said webbing roller and having a plurality of internal teeth arranged around said operating member for engagement by said pawl, and means for applying a braking force to said brake plate when said webbing roller is rotated at an acceleration in excess of a predetermined value to produce relative rotational motion between said control plate and said operating member to cause said pawl to pivot on said operating member into engagement with a tooth of said fixed member to lock said webbing roller against rotation, said pawl being pivoted intermediate its ends on said operating member, said control plate having a peripheral notch in it wherein one end of said pawl engages, said end normally engaging against one side of said notch, and said notch having an angular width greater than the angular width of said one end so that when said relative rotational motion occurs the other side of said notch engages said pawl to pivot said pawl so that its other end engages a tooth of said fixed member.

Claim 6

An emergency locking device for a safety seat belt, comprising a rotary webbing roller, a rotatable operating member loosely fitted on said webbing roller, a control plate fixed to said webbing roller, a pawl pivotally mounted on said operating member and engaged with said control plate for pivotal movement thereby upon relative rotation between said control plate and said operating member, resilient means coupling said operating member with said webbing roller, a brake plate secured to said operating member, a fixed member surrounding said operating member and coaxial with said webbing roller and having a plurality of internal teeth arranged around said operating member for engagement by said pawl, and means for applying a braking force to said brake plate when said webbing roller is rotated at an acceleration in excess of a predetermined value to produce relative rotational motion between said control plate and said operating member to cause said pawl to pivot on said operating member into engagement with a tooth of said fixed member to lock said webbing roller against rotation, said pawl being pivoted intermediate its ends on said operating member, said control plate having a peripheral notch in it wherein one end of said pawl engages, said end normally engaging against one side of said notch, and said notch having an angular width greater than the angular width of said one end so that when said relative rotational motion occurs the other side of said notch engages said pawl to pivot said pawl so that its other end engages a tooth of said fixed member.