Inertia-responsive automatic braking safety belt retractor

Claim 2

A safety belt retractor braking mechanism comprising a retractor unit including a spring biased belt rewind retractor reel, a brake member movable between lock and release positions respectively, locking said reel against belt withdrawal and releasing said reel, a control station positioned remotely from said retractor unit and including an inertia responsive sensing member movable between an actuated and a deactuated position and a drive member movable between advanced and retracted positions in response respectively to the actuated and deactuated positions of said sensing member, a tubular sheath extending between said retractor unit and said control station, and a flexible cable slideably extending through said sheath with its opposite ends drive associated with said brake member and said drive member whereby said cable is advanced and retracted with the advance and retraction of said drive member and said brake member is movable to lock and release positions with the advance and retraction of said cable respectively.

Claim 3

The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said retractor reel includes a ratchet wheel coaxial and rotatable with said reel and said brake member comprises a pawl member rockable about a predetermined axis into lock position engaging said ratchet wheel and a release position disengaged from said ratchet wheel.

Claim 4

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said drive member includes a solenoid actuated armature and comprising an inertia switch including a switch actuating element defining said inertia sensing member and a solenoid energized in response to the actuation of said switch to motivate said drive member.

Claim 5

The mechanism of claim 2 including a pair of retractors each including one of said tubular sheaths extending between said retractor units and said control station and a pair of said flexible cables slideably extending through said sheaths, one of the ends of each of said cables being drive coupled to said drive member and the other ends of said cables being drive coupled to pawl members of respective retractor units.

Claim 6

The mechanism of claim 2 wherein said sensing member includes a pendulum swingable between a deactuated plumb position and an inclined actuated position and said drive member is moved by said pendulum between its retracted and advanced position with the actuation and deactuation of said pendulum.

Claim 7

The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the pendulum is universally swingable.

Claim 8

The mechanism of claim 5 comprising an upwardly directed circular wall defining a circular fulcrum, a cap member mounted atop said pendulum and including a top wall resting on said fulcrum and a depending skirt wall surrounding said circular wall, said drive member comprising a vertically slideable follower member urged into engagement with said cap member and means including a lever coupling said cable to said lever whereby movement of said pendulum is transmitted to said cable by way of said follower member and said lever.

Claim 9

A wire-actuated electro-magnetic emergency locking and winding apparatus used with vehicle safety belts, comprising a winding unit mouNted to the vehicle floor or other portions, an electro-magnetic unit provided to the vehicle side wall, and wires introduced through the tubes connecting said winding and electro-magnetic units, a solenoid being provided near the electro-magnetic unit mounting plate for pushing the wires outwardly by plunger operation, and pawl plate engageable with two ratchet teeth of the winding unit and constituting a lock mechanism, said pawl plate coming in operation solely by the pressure applied by the wires, said winding unit being characterized in that, in case of the extraordinary situations such as collision of the automotive vehicles, said solenoid of the electro-magnetic unit is turned on through the acceleration sensor for actuating said plunger and causing the displacement of the wires, whereby the pawl plate for each winding unit meshes with the ratchet and for performing a locking operation.

Claim 10

A wire-actuated electro-magnetic emergency locking and winding apparatus used with vehicle safety belts, comprising a winding unit mouNted to the vehicle floor or other portions, an electro-magnetic unit provided to the vehicle side wall, and wires introduced through the tubes connecting said winding and electro-magnetic units, a solenoid being provided near the electro-magnetic unit mounting plate for pushing the wires outwardly by plunger operation, and pawl plate engageable with two ratchet teeth of the winding unit and constituting a lock mechanism, said pawl plate coming in operation solely by the pressure applied by the wires, said winding unit being characterized in that, in case of the extraordinary situations such as collision of the automotive vehicles, said solenoid of the electro-magnetic unit is turned on through the acceleration sensor for actuating said plunger and causing the displacement of the wires, whereby the pawl plate for each winding unit meshes with the ratchet and for performing a locking operation.

Claim 11

An emergency locking winding unit driven by wire for use with safety belts, equipped on the automotive vehicles and the like, comprising winding means mounted to the vehicle floor, an acceleration sensor (hereafter mentioned as sensor) mounted to some other portion of the vehicle floor, and a wire introduced through a tube connecting the winding unit and the sensor, said sensor being formed by a pendulum, a bonnet-shaped displacement member place above the pendulum, a cylindrical saucer, and a bonnet-shaped slide plate placed above the displacement member, the deflection of the pendulum being converted through said slide plate and said wire from an L-shaped lever and said slide plate into a left and right movement of the wire for pulling it, and said winding means having a locking mechanism formed by two ratchet teeth provided to the winding means, and a pawl plate engageable with said ratchet teeth, and a locking mechanism adapted for actuating the pawl plate under the traction and pressure exerted by said wire; the winding unit so operating that the acceleration applied to the pendulum at the time of collision or other extraordinary situations of the vehicle is sensed and the pawl plate engages the ratchet teeth through said wire for performing a locking operation.

Claim 12

An emergency locking winding unit driven by wire for use with safety belts, equipped on the automotive vehicles and the like, comprising winding means mounted to the vehicle floor, an acceleration sensor (hereafter mentioned as sensor) mounted to some other portion of the vehicle floor, and a wire introduced through a tube connecting the winding unit and the sensor, said sensor being formed by a pendulum, a bonnet-shaped displacement member place above the pendulum, a cylindrical saucer, and a bonnet-shaped slide plate placed above the displacement member, the deflection of the pendulum being converted through said slide plate and said wire from an L-shaped lever and said slide plate into a left and right movement of the wire for pulling it, and said winding means having a locking mechanism formed by two ratchet teeth provided to the winding means, and a pawl plate engageable with said ratchet teeth, and a locking mechanism adapted for actuating the pawl plate under the traction and pressure exerted by said wire; the winding unit so operating that the acceleration applied to the pendulum at the time of collision or other extraordinary situations of the vehicle is sensed and the pawl plate engages the ratchet teeth through said wire for performing a locking operation.