Vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor

Claim 2

In a vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor including a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, a belt reel rotatably supported by the housing and having a belt attached thereto for winding and unwinding with respect thereto during rotation thereof in opposite directions, a pair of end plates at the ends of the reel defining annular ratchet configurations at the peripheries thereof, and winding spring means normally biasing the belt reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon, an inertia locking arrangement for the retractor comprising: a pair of locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, each locking member including a pair of locking portions that are spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate; positioning spring means pivotally locating each locking member in a nonlocking position where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configuration on the associated reel end plate so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring means, and a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to prevent belt unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 3

In a vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor including a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, a belt reel rotatably supported by the housing and having a belt attached thereto for winding and unwinding with respect thereto during rotation thereof in opposite directions, a pair of end plates at the ends of the reel defining annular ratchet configurations at the peripheries thereof, and winding spring means normally biasing the belt reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon, an inertia locking arrangement for the retractor comprising: a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the retractor belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, each locking member having a horizontally extending generally planar configuration and including a pair of upwardly projecting locking portions spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate; a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members, each positioning spring being fixed with respect to the retractor housing and with respect to the associated locking member in a manner that pivotally locates the associated locking member in a nonlocking position where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plate so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, and a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to prevent belt unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 4

In a vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor including a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, a belt reel rotatably supported by the housing and having a belt attached thereto for winding and unwinding with respect thereto during rotation thereof in opposite directions, a pair of end plates at the ends of the reel defining annular ratchet configurations at the peripheries thereof, and winding spring means normally biasing the belt reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon, an inertia locking arrangement for the retractor comprising: a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the retractor belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, each locking member having a horizontally extending generally planar configuration and including a pair of upwardly projecting locking portions spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate; a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members, each positioning spring being fixed with respect to the retractor housing and with respect to the associated locking member in a manner that pivotally locates the associated locking member in a nonlocking position where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plate so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, and a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to prevent belt unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 5

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions in spaced relationship to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation in spaced relationship to the fixed locking portions thereof and for movement toward the fixed locking portions to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and an inertia locking arrangement for the retractor including a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, each locking member including a pair of locking portions that are spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members, each positioning spring extending between the housing and the associated locking member in a manner that pivotally locates the locking member in a nonlocking position where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configuration on the associated reel end plate so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation,

Claim 6

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions in spaced relationship to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation in spaced relationship to the fixed locking portions thereof and for movement toward the fixed locking portions to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and an inertia locking arrangement for the retractor including a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, each locking member including a pair of locking portions that are spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members, each positioning spring extending between the housing and the associated locking member in a manner that pivotally locates the locking member in a nonlocking position where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configuration on the associated reel end plate so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation,

Claim 7

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions in horizontally spaced relationship to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of generally planar end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation about a horizontal axis with the end plates in spaced relationship to the fixed locking portions thereof and for bodily movement toward the fixed locking portions to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, the locking members having generally planar configurations that are aligned with each other in a generally coplanar and horizontal relationship, each locking member including upstanding locking portions in spaced relationship to each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate and stop surfaces that engage the reel end plates to limit the pivotal movement of the locking members from nonlocking positions, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members and the retractor housing so as to position the locking members in the nonlocking positions where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plates so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to initially halt belt unwinding reel rotation, and belt tension subsequent to the initial halting of unwinding reel rotation moving the belt reel bodily against the bias of the first spring means so as to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with the fixed locking portions of the housing so that these housing locking portions then hold the belt reel against unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 8

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions in horizontally spaced relationship to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of generally planar end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation about a horizontal axis with the end plates in spaced relationship to the fixed locking portions thereof and for bodily movement toward the fixed locking portions to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, the locking members having generally planar configurations that are aligned with each other in a generally coplanar and horizontal relationship, each locking member including upstanding locking portions in spaced relationship to each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate and stop surfaces that engage the reel end plates to limit the pivotal movement of the locking members from nonlocking positions, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members and the retractor housing so as to position the locking members in the nonlocking positions where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plates so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to initially halt belt unwinding reel rotation, and belt tension subsequent to the initial halting of unwinding reel rotation moving the belt reel bodily against the bias of the first spring means so as to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with the fixed locking portions of the housing so that these housing locking portions then hold the belt reel against unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 9

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions located in a horizontally inclined relationship with respect to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of generally planar end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing in a horizontally inclined orientation with the end plates respectively spaced from the fixed locking portions of the housing and also supporting the reel for bodily movement toward the fixed locking portions of the housing to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, the locking members having generally planar configurations that are located in horizontal orientations in vertically spaced relationship with respect to each other so as to be respectively adjacent the annular ratchet configurations on the end plates of the reel, each locking member including upstanding locking portions in spaced relationship to each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate and stop surfaces that engage the reel end plates to limit the pivotal movement of the locking members from nonlocking positions, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members and the retractor housing so as to position the locking members in the nonlocking positions where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plates so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to initially halt belt unwinding reel rotation, and belt tension subsequent to the initial halting of unwinding reel rotation moving the belt reel bodily against the bias of the first spring means so as to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with the fixed locking portions of the housing so that these housing locking portions then hold the belt reel against unwinding reel rotation.

Claim 10

A vehicle occupant restraint belt retractor comprising: a housing adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and including a pair of fixed locking portions located in a horizontally inclined relationship with respect to each other; a belt reel having a belt attached thereto so as to be wound and unwound with respect thereto during reel rotation in opposite directions, the reel having a pair of generally planar end plates at the ends thereof and these end plates defining annular ratchet configurations, means rotatably supporting the reel on the housing in a horizontally inclined orientation with the end plates respectively spaced from the fixed locking portions of the housing and also supporting the reel for bodily movement toward the fixed locking portions of the housing to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with these locking portions in a manner that prevents belt unwinding reel rotation, first spring means normally biasing the belt reel away from the fixed locking portions of the housing, and second spring means normally biasing the reel in the belt winding direction of rotation to store the belt thereon; and a pair of symmetrical locking members respectively associated with the end plates of the belt reel and respectively pivoted to the retractor housing adjacent the lower side of the belt reel for movement about a pair of generally vertical axes that are spaced with respect to each other, the locking members having generally planar configurations that are located in horizontal orientations in vertically spaced relationship with respect to each other so as to be respectively adjacent the annular ratchet configurations on the end plates of the reel, each locking member including upstanding locking portions in spaced relationship to each other a greater distance than the thickness of the associated reel end plate and stop surfaces that engage the reel end plates to limit the pivotal movement of the locking members from nonlocking positions, and a pair of positioning springs respectively associated with the locking members and the retractor housing so as to position the locking members in the nonlocking positions where the locking portions thereof are positioned on opposite sides of the annular ratchet configurations on the associated reel end plates so as to allow belt winding and unwinding reel rotation, the center of mass of each locking member in the nonlocking position being located along a line through the associated pivotal axis of locking member movement and this line converging with a similar line of the other locking member in a finite angle when viewed in a vertical direction, vehicle acceleration or deceleration in any horizontal direction pivotally moving at least one of the locking members against the bias of the positioning spring thereof, a predetermined amount of this pivotal movement positioning the one locking member in a locking position where one of the locking portions thereof engages the ratchet configuration of the associated reel end plate to initially halt belt unwinding reel rotation, and belt tension subsequent to the initial halting of unwinding reel rotation moving the belt reel bodily against the bias of the first spring means so as to engage the ratchet configurations on the reel end plates with the fixed locking portions of the housing so that these housing locking portions then hold the belt reel against unwinding reel rotation.