US4905928A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Locking apparatus for webbing retractor
Assignee: Tokai Rika Co Ltd
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Filing: 1989-05-18
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Granted: 1990-03-06
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Expires: 2009-05-18
Abstract
Abstract A locking mechanism applied to a retractor for winding up on a take-up shaft a webbing which fastens an occupant of a vehicle is designed to prevent the unwinding of the webbing when the vehicle suddenly decelerates. A lock wheel, that follows the rotation of the take-up shaft, maintains movable lock members rotating together with the take-up shaft at a position where the movable members are separated from fixed lock members. Upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle the lock wheel creates a rotational lag with respect to the take-up shaft, whereby the lock plates are engaged with the fixed lock members by the lock wheel, thereby preventing the rotation of the take-up shaft in a webbing unwinding direction. The movable lock members are pressed in the direction of the axis of the take-up shaft by an elastic body projected from the lock wheel, whereby clatter due to the vibrations of the vehicle is abolished.
Inventors
- 👤 Mitsuaki Katsuno
- 👤 Shinji Mori
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 09:00
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/34; B60R22/36; B60R22/405
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
257 words
A locking apparatus for a webbing retractor which retracts a webbing fastened around an occupant of a vehicle, designed to stop the unwinding of said webbing in an emergency situation of said vehicle, comprising: (a) a take-up shaft for winding up one end of said webbing; (b) movable lock means arranged at one end of said take-up shaft to be movable across the axial direction of said take-up shaft and to be prevented from large relative rotation to said take-up shaft; (c) fixed lock means for preventing rotation of said take-up shaft when said movable lock means is moved across the axial direction of said take-up shaft to be engaged with said fixed lock means; (d) a lock wheel following the rotation of said take-up shaft, maintaining said movable lock means in a resting position where said movable lock means is separated from said fixed lock means, and creating a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft to guide said movable lock means across the axial direction of said take-up shaft to cause said movable lock means to engage with said fixed lock means, when accelerated; and (e) an elastic body interpositioned between said lock wheel and said movable lock means, for pressing said movable lock means in the axial direction of said take-up shaft to abolish the clatter between said movable lock means and said take-up shaft, whereby, when the vehicle is vibrated, said movable lock means and said take-up shaft are prevented from impact therebetween so that the creation of clattering noise is prevented.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
257 words
A locking apparatus for a webbing retractor which retracts a webbing fastened around an occupant of a vehicle, designed to stop the unwinding of said webbing in an emergency situation of said vehicle, comprising: (a) a take-up shaft for winding up one end of said webbing; (b) movable lock means arranged at one end of said take-up shaft to be movable across the axial direction of said take-up shaft and to be prevented from large relative rotation to said take-up shaft; (c) fixed lock means for preventing rotation of said take-up shaft when said movable lock means is moved across the axial direction of said take-up shaft to be engaged with said fixed lock means; (d) a lock wheel following the rotation of said take-up shaft, maintaining said movable lock means in a resting position where said movable lock means is separated from said fixed lock means, and creating a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft to guide said movable lock means across the axial direction of said take-up shaft to cause said movable lock means to engage with said fixed lock means, when accelerated; and (e) an elastic body interpositioned between said lock wheel and said movable lock means, for pressing said movable lock means in the axial direction of said take-up shaft to abolish the clatter between said movable lock means and said take-up shaft, whereby, when the vehicle is vibrated, said movable lock means and said take-up shaft are prevented from impact therebetween so that the creation of clattering noise is prevented.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elastic body is attached to the lock wheel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elastic body together with the lock wheel are as a whole made from synthetic resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elastic body is a flexible member bent in a circular arc around the axis of said lock wheel, one longitudinal end of said flexible member being fastened to said lock wheel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the other end of said flexible member extends in a webbing unwinding direction as viewed in an axial direction of said take-up shaft, whereby, even though said lock wheel creates the rotational lag in a webbing unwinding direction with respect to said take-up shaft to be rotated relative to said take-up shaft, a great frictional force is prevented from being imparted to said movable lock means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said movable lock means comprises a pair of lock members centered around the axis of said take-up shaft and said flexible member is provided as a pair to correspond to said movable lock members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said flexible member is bent along the axial direction of said take-up shaft and the other end of the flexible member is brought into contact with said movable lock means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable lock means is pressed onto the surface of said take-up shaft tangential to the axis of said take-up shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable lock means is arranged between the surface of said take-up shaft tangential to the axis of said take-up shaft and a protrusion projected in a radial direction from said take-up shaft and separated from said surface and said movable lock means is pressed against said surface through the resilience of the elastic body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
175 words
A locking mechanism for a retractor adapted to wind up a webbing of a seat belt of a vehicle, for stopping unwinding of said webbing when necessary, comprising: (a) a frame fixed to said vehicle; (b) a take-up shaft for winding up said webbing, rotatably supported to said frame; (c) a lock wheel rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft, and creating a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft upon deceleration; (d) lock members rotated together with said take-up shaft and projected in a radial direction of said take-up shaft when said lock wheel creates the rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft; (e) a gear fixed to said frame and engaged with said lock members projected in the radial direction to prevent said lock members and said take-up shaft from rotating in an unwinding direction of said webbing; and (f) an elastic body provided on said lock wheel to press said lock members in the axial direction of said take-up shaft, thereby preventing vibration of said lock members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
175 words
A locking mechanism for a retractor adapted to wind up a webbing of a seat belt of a vehicle, for stopping unwinding of said webbing when necessary, comprising: (a) a frame fixed to said vehicle; (b) a take-up shaft for winding up said webbing, rotatably supported to said frame; (c) a lock wheel rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft, and creating a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft upon deceleration; (d) lock members rotated together with said take-up shaft and projected in a radial direction of said take-up shaft when said lock wheel creates the rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft; (e) a gear fixed to said frame and engaged with said lock members projected in the radial direction to prevent said lock members and said take-up shaft from rotating in an unwinding direction of said webbing; and (f) an elastic body provided on said lock wheel to press said lock members in the axial direction of said take-up shaft, thereby preventing vibration of said lock members.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body is formed as a whole together with said lock wheel and made from synthetic resin.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said elastic body is a flexible member bent around the axis of said lock wheel in a circular arc, one longitudinal end of said flexible member being fixed to said lock wheel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said lock members are provided as a pair centering around the axis of said take-up shaft, and said flexible piece is provided as a pair to correspond to said lock members.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 12, wherein only the order end of said flexible member contacts said lock members.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said flexible member is arranged inside a through hole formed in said lock wheel.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the other end of said flexible member extends in the webbing unwinding direction as viewed in the axial direction of said take-up shaft.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said take-up shaft is provided with a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion and said take-up shaft is formed with a step portion between said large diameter portion and said small diameter portion, and lock wheel is pressed against said step portion by said elastic body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
202 words
In an apparatus for a webbing retractor provided with a lock plate disposed around a take-up shaft winding up an occupant restraining webbing of a vehicle and rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft and a turning wheel connected to said take-up shaft in a overlapping manner and rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft, wherein said lock plate is arranged to be movable in a direction across the axis of said take-up shaft and to be movable in a floating manner and in the axial direction of said take-up shaft, said turning wheel is connected to said lock plate and creates a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft in the webbing unwinding direction, thereby causing said lock plate to move in the direction across the axis of said take-up shaft, and thereby preventing the rotation of said take-up shaft in the webbing unwinding direction; the improvement wherein said turning wheel is formed integrally with an elastic deformable flexible piece and a portion of said flexible piece adjacent to a tip portion thereof is caused to abut on said lock plate, thereby pressing said lock plate on a side opposed to said turning wheel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
202 words
In an apparatus for a webbing retractor provided with a lock plate disposed around a take-up shaft winding up an occupant restraining webbing of a vehicle and rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft and a turning wheel connected to said take-up shaft in a overlapping manner and rotated in accordance with the rotation of said take-up shaft, wherein said lock plate is arranged to be movable in a direction across the axis of said take-up shaft and to be movable in a floating manner and in the axial direction of said take-up shaft, said turning wheel is connected to said lock plate and creates a rotational lag with respect to said take-up shaft in the webbing unwinding direction, thereby causing said lock plate to move in the direction across the axis of said take-up shaft, and thereby preventing the rotation of said take-up shaft in the webbing unwinding direction; the improvement wherein said turning wheel is formed integrally with an elastic deformable flexible piece and a portion of said flexible piece adjacent to a tip portion thereof is caused to abut on said lock plate, thereby pressing said lock plate on a side opposed to said turning wheel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said flexible piece is arranged inside a through hole formed in said lock wheel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said flexible piece presses said lock plate against a step portion formed in said take-up shaft.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4749142A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-05 | 1993-09-04 | 1994-03-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-05 | 1997-09-04 | 1998-03-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-05 | 2001-09-04 | 2002-03-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |