Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Talley Defense Systems, Inc.

Kevin John Maikis

James F Pywell

James Orin Lair, Jr

Michael Anthony Brown

An improved pyrotechnic-operated seat belt tensioner provides variable energy management to enable tailoring operation of the seat belt tensioner to different applications. A seat belt tensioner has a reel mounting one end of a seat belt, a pressure chamber, and a piston having screw threads connecting to the reel. The reel is rotatable to retract and extend the seat belt. The piston is mounted for movement in the chamber in response to activation of pyrotechnic devices, which exert a force on the piston, to rotate the reel to retract the seat belt. A pair of pyrotechnic devices are provided which are separately actuatable to selectively activated to vary the magnitude and duration of the force. A third pyrotechnic device is provided to selectively open a chamber vent. The piston and pressure chamber are configured to prevent piston rotation.

Energy management for seat belt tensioner

A housing has a chamber and a piston is slidablyally mounted in the chamber. The piston has a piston shaft which extends outwardly of the housing and has a seat belt reel attached thereto. A pyrotechnic device is energizable to introduce pressurized gas into the chamber and thereby translate the piston within the chamber. Screw threads are provided between the housing and the piston shaft so that translation of the piston shaft upon energization of the pyrotechnic device will cause the screws to impart rotation to the piston shaft and the seat reel. Accordingly, the seat belt reel is simultaneously rotated to wind the belt and also projected outwardly with respect to the housing so that the belt is tensioned by both a rotary and a projecting action of the seat belt reel.

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Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Kevin John Maikis