Vehicle safety belt emergency locking retraction reel system

Claim 2

A vehicle safety belt retractor system comprising a reel rotatable in a belt withdrawal advance direction and a belt retraction return direction and spring biased to rotate in a return direction, a braking member movable between an advanced position braking said reel against advance rotation and a retracted position releasing said reel and spring biased to its advanced position, means responsive to at least a predetermined amount of belt wound in said reel for retracting said braking member, a solenoid, means responsive to the energization of said solenoid for retracting said braking member, first switch means including an inertia switch transferrable between first and second states in response to the actuation and deactuation of said inertia switch, a second switch means responsive to the advance and return rotation of said reel for transferring said second switch means to first and second states respectively, and means responsive to said first switch means and second switch means concurrently being in said first states for energizing said solenoid.

Claim 3

The retractor system of claim 1 including a third switch means manually transferrable between first and second states, said solenoid being energized in response to said first and third switch means being concurrently in said first states independently of the state of said second switch means.

Claim 4

The retractor system of claim 2 wherein said third switch means comprises a vehicle motor ignition switch.

Claim 5

The retractor system of claim 1 wherein said first switching means is closed and open in its first and second states respectively, and said second switching means is closed and open in its first and second states respectively and including means connecting said first and second switching means and said solenoid in series to a source of current.

Claim 6

The retractor system of claim 4 wherein said third switching means is closed and open in its first and second states respectively, and is connected in parallel with said second switching means.

Claim 7

The retractor system of claim 1 wherein said second switch means transferring means comprises a switch actuating member movable between advance and retracted positions to transfer said second switch means to said first and second states respectively, and a slipping clutch coupling said actuating member to said reel to advance and retract said actuating member with the advance and return rotation of said reel.

Claim 8

The retractor system of claim 1 including a ratchet wheel rotatable with said reel, said brake member comprising a pawl movable into and out of engagement with said ratchet wheel and spring biased toward engagement therewith.

Claim 9

In an electro-magnetically operated emergency locking and winding apparatus of the off-lock type for a safety belt used with vehicles comprising a belt wind-up reel provided with a pair of circular ratchet wheel disposed inside a U-shaped frame, a pawl plate mounted intermediate the two side frame sections of the U-shaped frame and in the proximity to said ratchet wheels, a pawl spring, a pawl plate actuating solenoid in the proximity to the pawl plate, and a covered helical spring for belt unwinding provided to a reel shaft passed through the frame and outside the U-shaped frame, a sensor including a sensor switch and a control circuit in series with said solenoid, said ratchet wheels being instantly engaged with the pawl plate upon the closure of the sensor switch and the consequent de-excitation of the solenoid via the control circuit, so as to interfere with the reeling out of the safety belt to restrain the passenger to his seat, said sensor switch being operable responsive to the extraordinary situations such as collision, abrupt halt and inclination of vehicles, an emergency locking type winding apparatus having an anti-lock switch operated at first when the user puts on the safety belt, characterized in that a belt feeler is provided to the pawl plate, said anti-lock switch connected in series to the solenoid mounted to the outside of the upright side of the U-shaped frame opposite to the side to which the helical spring is attached, and an anti-lock switch actuating clutch plate and a spring washer slideable with the ratchet wheel and loosely fitted on said reel shaft and in a space defined between the said upright side and the ratchet wheel, and that the apparatus operates in such manner that, when the belt is reeled out at first for the passenger to wear it, the clutch plate is rotated in contact with the ratchet wheel even when the ignition switch is then opened so as to close the anti-lock switch, excite the solenoid, disengage the pawl plate from the ratchet wheel during the early stage of the belt extraction, and facilitate the procedure of putting on the belt.

Claim 10

In an electro-magnetically operated emergency locking and winding apparatus of the off-lock type for a safety belt used with vehicles comprising a belt wind-up reel provided with a pair of circular ratchet wheel disposed inside a U-shaped frame, a pawl plate mounted intermediate the two side frame sections of the U-shaped frame and in the proximity to said ratchet wheels, a pawl spring, a pawl plate actuating solenoid in the proximity to the pawl plate, and a covered helical spring for belt unwinding provided to a reel shaft passed through the frame and outside the U-shaped frame, a sensor including a sensor switch and a control circuit in series with said solenoid, said ratchet wheels being instantly engaged with the pawl plate upon the closure of the sensor switch and the consequent de-excitation of the solenoid via the control circuit, so as to interfere with the reeling out of the safety belt to restrain the passenger to his seat, said sensor switch being operable responsive to the extraordinary situations such as collision, abrupt halt and inclination of vehicles, an emergency locking type winding apparatus having an anti-lock switch operated at first when the user puts on the safety belt, characterized in that a belt feeler is provided to the pawl plate, said anti-lock switch connected in series to the solenoid mounted to the outside of the upright side of the U-shaped frame opposite to the side to which the helical spring is attached, and an anti-lock switch actuating clutch plate and a spring washer slideable with the ratchet wheel and loosely fitted on said reel shaft and in a space defined between the said upright side and the ratchet wheel, and that the apparatus operates in such manner that, when the belt is reeled out at first for the passenger to wear it, the clutch plate is rotated in contact with the ratchet wheel even when the ignition switch is then opened so as to close the anti-lock switch, excite the solenoid, disengage the pawl plate from the ratchet wheel during the early stage of the belt extraction, and facilitate the procedure of putting on the belt.