Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Harley L Kapanka

Richard D Loose

A reel is rotatably mounted on a reel frame and has a length of belt attached thereto. A track is mounted on the vehicle body and has the reel frame mounted thereon for translation along the track from a retracted position to an extended position. A high effort spring acts between the reel frame and the track to provide high effort retraction of the reel frame and the reel to the retracted position. A low effort spring acts between the reel frame and the reel to provide low effort retraction of the belt toward a wound condition on the reel and permit extension of the belt therefrom. A latch acts between the reel frame and the track to latch the reel frame at the extended position in response to the full unwinding of the belt from the reel and full travel of the reel frame along the track to the extended position. Accordingly, when the latch latches the reel frame to the track, the belt is subjected to only the effort of the low effort spring. A release releases the latch in response to a subsequent full unwinding of the belt from the reel and consequent further movement of the reel frame toward the extended position to thereby permit the return of the belt to the fully retracted position by the retraction efforts of the low effort spring winding the reel and the high effort spring retracting the reel frame along the track.

Dual effort linear retractor

A belt reel has a reel shaft journaled on the side walls of a retractor frame and a belt spool attached to the reel shaft in radially spaced relation therefrom by round plates which define an annular space between the reel shaft and the spool and opening outwardly toward the frame side walls. An actuator is pivotally mounted on the end of the reel shaft between the sprocket and frame side wall and depends into proximity with a lock bar to move the lock bar into engagement with a reel sprocket upon rotary movement of the actuator. An acceleration sensing mechanism situated within the annular space is cammed axially to drive couple the reel with the actuator in response to a sensed condition of acceleration so that the actuator is rotated and engages the lock bar with the sprocket. The sensing mechanism may be a flywheel drive coupled with the reel for unitary rotation therewith until belt unwinding rotary acceleration causes the flywheel to lag behind rotation of the reel so that a cam thrusts the flywheel axially into engagement with the actuator. The acceleration sensing mechanism may also be a flyweight drive coupled to the reel for rotation therewith but movable axially along the shaft in response to a deceleration of the vehicle so that the flywheel engages with and rotates the actuator to engage the lock bar with the sprocket.

Compact seat belt retractor

A seat belt retractor includes a housing having laterally spaced first and second housing walls and a belt reel journaled for rotation by a reel shaft extending between the housing walls. A ratchet plate is attached to each end of the reel. A lock bar extends between the housing side walls and has locking teeth at the ends thereof adapted for selective engagement with the ratchet plates upon pivotal movement of the lock bar toward the ratchet plate. A release member is provided to forcibly disengage the lock bar from engagement with the ratchet plates and includes laterally spaced first and second abutment portions which respectively extend between the ratchet plate and the adjacent housing wall to overlie the locking teeth of the lock bar in spaced relation therefrom. A manually actuated release lever moves the release member into simultaneous engagement with the locking teeth at both ends of the lock bar to forcibly disengage the lock bar from engagement with the ratchet plates to permit belt unwinding rotation.

Lock bar release for inertia locking seat belt retractor

The drawings illustrate an angularly adjustable head restraint assembly for use with the backrest of a vehicle seat. The assembly includes a post carried by the backrest, a headrest pivotally connected to the post and adapted to being manually pivotally moved from a horizontally oriented reclined attitude to a vertically oriented head support attitude, locking means for locking the headrest in the vertically oriented head support attitude, a cam with cooperating overcenter spring means for causing the cam to snap overcenter once it is provided forwardly from the head support attitude by the headrest to urge the locking means out of its locked relationship with the headrest and permit the headrest to be lowered toward the reclined attitude, and a projection formed on the locking means for contacting the cam and causing it to snap overcenter in the other direction just prior to the headrest attaining the reclined attitude into position for the next sequence.

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Utica, MI, United States of America

Harley L Kapanka