Belt mounted automatic locking retractor reel

Claim 2

An automatic locking vehicle safety belt system comprising a pair of separable interlocking first and second coupling members, said first coupling member including a bracket section, a reel rotatably mounted on said bracket section, spring means urging said reel to rotate in a belt retracting direction, a belt wound on and extending from said reel to an anchor point on the vehicle, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said reel, a pawl member located on said first coupling member and movable between an advanced position engaging said ratchet wheel to prevent the belt withdrawal rotation thereof and a retracted position out of engagement with said ratchet wheel and normally urged to said retracted position, and actuating means including a spring member mounted on said first coupling member and connected to said pawl member, said spring member having a portion positioned to engage a surface of said second coupling member during the coupling of the second coupling member to said first coupling member whereby said second coupling member stresses said spring member in a direction to resiliently urge said pawl member to its advanced position locking said reel against belt withdrawal rotation while permitting the belt retraction rotation thereof.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said second coupling member comprises a buckle, including a tongue receiving throat at an end thereof and said first coupling member comprises a tongue insertable through said throat into coupling engagement with said buckle.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein said actuating means spring member extends between said pawl member and said first coupling member and in its unstressed position retains said pawl member in its retracted position, said buckle when coupled to said tongue bearing on said spring member at a point spaced from said pawl member to advance said pawl member by way of said spring member.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3 wherein said pawl member is swingably supported by said bracket about a predetermined axis between its advanced and retracted positions, and said spring member comprises a V-shaped leaf spring, including forwardly conveying upper and lower resilient arms, the upper arm being connected to said pawl member at a point offset from said axis and the lower arm being connected to said tongue, and a follower disposed at the junction of said arms, said buckle in coupled condition to said tongue engaging said follower to swing advance said pawl member by way of said spring member upper arm.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4, including a forwardly, downwardly inclined arm extending from the forward end of said upper spring arm to the forward end of said lower spring arm.

Claim 7

A compact automatic locking type belt winding device for receiving the belt by a tongue portion comprising a buckle proper (1) and a tongue member (2) constituting the vehicle safety belt buckle, side walls (4, 4'') provided at the rear part of the tongue member and Having belt guides (3, 3''), a belt winding reel (8) having a pair of small ratchet wheels (7, 7''), a reel shaft (6), a belt retracting helical spring (10) engaging the reel shaft (6), a U-shaped pawl member (15) mounted in the proximity of the ratchet wheels (7, 7''), a pawl actuating spring member (17) mounted for connecting the pawl member (15) and the tongue member (2) and having a portion engageable with the upper surface of the buckle proper (1), and a reel cover (21) having belt guides (3, 3'') on the both sides, characterized in that, upon connecting the buckle to the tongue member, the upper surface of the buckle proper (1) thrusts the pawl actuating spring member (17) upwards to bring the pawl member (15) into meshing engagement with small ratchet wheels (7, 7'') and interfere with the reeling out of the belt (9), and the small ratchet wheels (7, 7'') operate automatically to wind the belt (9) so as to suit the body of the passenger for locking the belt so that the recoiling force of the belt reel-out helical spring (10) overcomes the spring force of the pawl actuating spring member (17).

Claim 8

A compact automatic locking type belt winding device for receiving the belt by a tongue portion comprising a buckle proper (1) and a tongue member (2) constituting the vehicle safety belt buckle, side walls (4, 4'') provided at the rear part of the tongue member and Having belt guides (3, 3''), a belt winding reel (8) having a pair of small ratchet wheels (7, 7''), a reel shaft (6), a belt retracting helical spring (10) engaging the reel shaft (6), a U-shaped pawl member (15) mounted in the proximity of the ratchet wheels (7, 7''), a pawl actuating spring member (17) mounted for connecting the pawl member (15) and the tongue member (2) and having a portion engageable with the upper surface of the buckle proper (1), and a reel cover (21) having belt guides (3, 3'') on the both sides, characterized in that, upon connecting the buckle to the tongue member, the upper surface of the buckle proper (1) thrusts the pawl actuating spring member (17) upwards to bring the pawl member (15) into meshing engagement with small ratchet wheels (7, 7'') and interfere with the reeling out of the belt (9), and the small ratchet wheels (7, 7'') operate automatically to wind the belt (9) so as to suit the body of the passenger for locking the belt so that the recoiling force of the belt reel-out helical spring (10) overcomes the spring force of the pawl actuating spring member (17).