Passive safety belt comprising a drive means for moving an end fitting

Claim 2

A passive safety belt system comprising a safety belt with an end fitting movable along a guide via a pulling and pushing means, a rotatably drivable drum to which the one end of the pulling and pushing means is anchored and on which the pulling and pushing means can be coiled under tension and uncoiled therefrom under thrust, and an encapsulation surrounding the drum in spaced relationship to form a receiving space for the pulling and pushing means, an inlet and outlet opening for the pulling and pushing means being arranged on the one axial side of the periphery of said drum and orientated at least approximately tangentially to the periphery of the drum, the end of said pulling and pushing means on the opposite axial side of the drum periphery being held on the drum in such a manner that the axial inclination thereof to the peripheral direction of said drum is limited to an angle which is small enough to prevent under increased shearing stress a buckling or bending of said pulling and pushing means towards the side of said inlet and outlet opening.

Claim 3

The safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein said angle of axial inclination of the end of the pulling and pushing means to the peripheral direction of the drum is limited by stop means.

Claim 4

The passive safety belt system according to claim 2, wherein said stop means are formed by an insertion groove for inserting the end of the pulling and pushing means in the surface of the drum.

Claim 5

The passive safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein said pulling and pushing means is anchored at a radial inclination angle to the peripheral direction of the drum to the one end face thereof.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4, wherein one end face of said drum is provided with a recess for inserting the end of the pulling and pushing means.

Claim 7

The passive safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein the end of said pulling and pushing means is anchored axially pivotally to the periphery of the drum with an axial pivot angle which is limited by stop means to a maximum of about 30°.

Claim 8

The passive safety belt system according to claim 6, wherein said stop means is formed by a cutout in the peripheral surface of the drum corresponding to the axial pivot angle.

Claim 9

The passive safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein said end fitting has an end position corresponding to the pulling and pushing means being uncoiled from the drum, the anchor point of the end of the pulling and pushing means being spaced in the peripheral direction from the inlet and outlet opening a distance which is at least equal to the axial width of the drum.

Claim 10

The passive safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein said drum has a cylindrical peripheral face.

Claim 11

The passive safety belt system according to claim 1, wherein said drum has a frusto-conical peripheral face.

Claim 12

A passive safety belt system for restraining an occupant of a vehicle, said passive safety belt system comprising: a restraining safety belt; an end fitting connected with an end of said restraining safety belt for moving said restraining safety belt between an occupant restraining position and an occupant releasing position; guide means for guiding said end fitting; and drive means for moving said end fitting along said guide means, said drive means including a flexible pulling and pushing member connected with said end fitting for moving said end fitting, electric motor means for driving said pulling and pushing member, a transmission member connected with said pulling and pushing member for transmitting a driving torque thereto, and coupling means located between said transmission member and said electric motor means for establishing a driving connection therebetween in response to energization of said electric motor means; said coupling means comprising an inertia body and a radially movable coupling member for coupling said inertia body to the output of said electric motor means; said electric motor means output comprising a flange having a radially extending groove and said coupling member having an extension which engages said radially extending groove; said inertia body defining a radial guide which is slidably engaged by said coupling member and radially guides said coupling member as it moves therealong upon energization of said electric motor means; said transmission member comprising internal teeth and said coupling member comprising means that engages said internal teeth upon radial displacement of said coupling member along said radial guide defined by said inertia body.

Claim 13

A passive safety belt system for restraining an occupant of a vehicle, said passive safety belt system comprising: a restraining safety belt; an end fitting connected with an end of said restraining safety belt for moving said restraining safety belt between an occupant restraining position and an occupant releasing position; guide means for guiding said end fitting; and drive means for moving said end fitting along said guide means, said drive means including a flexible pulling and pushing member connected with said end fitting for moving said end fitting, electric motor means for driving said pulling and pushing member, a transmission member connected with said pulling and pushing member for transmitting a driving torque thereto, and coupling means located between said transmission member and said electric motor means for establishing a driving connection therebetween in response to energization of said electric motor means; said coupling means comprising an inertia body and a radially movable coupling member for coupling said inertia body to the output of said electric motor means; said electric motor means output comprising a flange having a radially extending groove and said coupling member having an extension which engages said radially extending groove; said inertia body defining a radial guide which is slidably engaged by said coupling member and radially guides said coupling member as it moves therealong upon energization of said electric motor means; said transmission member comprising internal teeth and said coupling member comprising means that engages said internal teeth upon radial displacement of said coupling member along said radial guide defined by said inertia body.

Claim 14

The system of claim 11 wherein said internal teeth are defined by two axially adjacent internally toothed rings, and said coupling member comprises at each of its radially opposite outer ends one of two coupling teeth which are offset with respect to each other in the axial direction and which cooperate with a respective internally toothed ring.

Claim 15

The system of claim 12 wherein the teeth of said internally toothed rings has a sawtooth-like cross sectional form and the teeth of one internally toothed ring is directed oppositely to that of the other.

Claim 16

The system of claim 12 wherein the internally toothed rings have different internal diameters and are combined in a single molding with the transmission member.

Claim 17

The system of claim 11 wherein said inertia body is a balanced metal disk.

Claim 18

The system of claim 11 wherein said transmission member is a cable drum, and said pulling and pushing member is a cable received on said drum, and said system further comprises an encapsulation member fitted over the outer periphery of said cable drum and defining therewith a radial spacing for receiving said pulling and pushing member.

Claim 19

The system of claim 16 wherein the outer periphery of said cable drum is at least approximately cylindrical.

Claim 20

The system of claim 11 wherein said transmission member is a drive drum having on its outer periphery a toothing, and said pushing and pulling means is a band having regularly spaced-apart drive openings which cooperate with said toothing to effect displacement of said band in response to rotation of said drum.

Claim 21

A safety belt system comprising: a safety belt; an end fitting connected to said safety belt for moving said safety belt between occupant restraining and occupant releasing positions; guide means for guiding said end fitting in its movement; drive means for moving said end fitting along said guide means; said drive means comprising a pushing and pulling member connected at one end thereof to said end fitting and a rotatable drum to which the other end of said pushing and pulling means is connected and which is rotatable in opposite direction to coil or uncoil said pushing and pulling member and move said end fitting; an encapsulation member surrounding the drum in spaced relationship and defining therewith a space in which said pushing and pulling member is received; and means for preventing buckling or bending of said pushing and pulling member, said preventing means comprising a recess on said drum for receiving the other end of said pushing and pulling member to anchor said pushing and pulling member to said drum, said recess extending in the peripheral direction of said drum at an angle such that said recess substantially limits pivoting of said pushing and pulling member relative to the periphery of said drum.

Claim 22

A safety belt system comprising: a safety belt; an end fitting connected to said safety belt for moving said safety belt between occupant restraining and occupant releasing positions; guide means for guiding said end fitting in its movement; drive means for moving said end fitting along said guide means; said drive means comprising a pushing and pulling member connected at one end thereof to said end fitting and a rotatable drum to which the other end of said pushing and pulling means is connected and which is rotatable in opposite direction to coil or uncoil said pushing and pulling member and move said end fitting; an encapsulation member surrounding the drum in spaced relationship and defining therewith a space in which said pushing and pulling member is received; and means for preventing buckling or bending of said pushing and pulling member, said preventing means comprising a recess on said drum for receiving the other end of said pushing and pulling member to anchor said pushing and pulling member to said drum, said recess extending in the peripheral direction of said drum at an angle such that said recess substantially limits pivoting of said pushing and pulling member relative to the periphery of said drum.