Locking device in connection with safety belts

Claim 1

A locking device for a safety belt retractor for use in vehicles and comprising a band reel rotatably journalled in a housing, a band connected with one end to the band reel, spring means arranged to wind up the band on the band reel, a ratchet wheel rotatable together with the band reel, a pawl arranged to be movable between a releasing position and a locking position to release and lock the ratchet wheel, respectively, activating means comprising a body of inertia, arranged to move between an inactive position and an activated position, and a transmission mechanism connected to the body of inertia and to the pawl, a housing portion for supporting the body of inertia and the transmission mechanism, said housing portion being mounted in said housing in one chosen position among different alternative angular positions relative to a pivot axis extending transversely to the rotating axis of the band reel, the transmission mechanism including a transmission element which is pivotally journalled in the housing portion and provided with a guiding surface which is inclined relative to a radial plane through said pivot axis of the housing portion and provided with a contact surface by means of which the guiding surface is in contact with a portion of the pawl, said portion of the pawl being movable in the direction of said pivot axis thereby moving the pawl, the transmission element being movable between two positions under the influence of the body of inertia with the guiding surface movable substantially transversely to said pivot axis, whereby said contact surface moves along said guiding surface and said portion of the pawl is displaced substantially in the direction of the pivot axis resulting in said pawl being moved between locked and released positions respectively.