General Safety Corporation

Fisher Corporation

Alfred J Fisher, Iii

Timothy J Schmidt

Robert L Bell

An improved seat belt retractor of the emergency locking variety is described. The primary improvement resides in providing a spur gear component which is insert molded directly onto one of the toothed sprockets of the retractor spool. By eliminating the two-piece prior art assembly, and molding the spur gear directly onto the toothed sprocket, the spur gear strength characteristics are vastly improved. Moreover, the relative positioning between the teeth of the spur gear and those of the toothed sprocket may be controlled with a very high degree of accuracy. This design further eliminates the required step of assembling the spur gear and sprocket together, and avoids problems of these components becoming separated during assembly or use.

Method of molding an integral spur gear and toothed sprocket assembly

Seat belt retractor assembly

The disclosure relates generally to latch mechanisms for controlling reclining movement of a vehicle seat back and more particularly to a seat back latch that precludes audible 'ratcheting' of the latch thereof. A spring loaded pawl is engageable with an articulated slidable arm to latch the seat at a desired reclining position. The pawl is pivoted so as to bias the arm away from the teeth thereon due to an angular relationship between the pawl and arm when the arm is released for movement.

Silent seat back recliner mechanism

The disclosure relates to a quick release latch mechanism for controlling reclining movement of a vehicle seat back. A spring loaded pawl is engageable with an articulated slidable arm to latch the seat at a desired reclining position. The pawl is pivoted so as to bias the arm away from the teeth thereon due to an angular relationship between the pawl and arm when the arm is released for movement. A cam plate having a lost motion connection with a manual operator controls opening of the latch mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, United States of America

Alfred J Fisher, Iii