Alliedsignal Inc.

Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Niels Dybro

Harold J Miller, Iii

Jason W Raines

Harjeet Gill

H John Miller, Iii

Gerald Keller

Mark C Woydick

Jeffrey Sikorski

Roseanna Zia

An adaptively controlled safety restraint system (20) is disclosed which includes a safety restraint device (22, 24) operative in response to a flow of pressurized gas, and fluid means (28) having a stored energy device (30) which can be activated to produce pressurized gas which is discharged through a conduit network (34, 36) for driving the safety restraint device (22, 24). The system further includes a throttling valve assembly (32, 58) disposed between the fluid means (28) and the safety restraint device (22, 24) for controllably varying the output of the fluid means (28). The throttling valve assembly (32, 58) is controlled by an electrical signal received from a crash management controller (38).

Valve controlled automotive pyrotechnic systems

A pretensioning apparatus for a vehicular safety restraint, which includes a housing; a tube extending from the housing and defining an inner surface; a piston disposed within the tube in close proximity to the inner surface of the tube; a linkage connected at a first end to the piston and having a second end which is adapted for connection to a safety restraint; and a lock member having at least a portion thereof disposed between the piston and the inner surface of the tube, the lock member being configured and dimensioned such that upon application of a force to the piston in a first direction, the lock member permits free movement of the piston in the first direction and upon application of a force to the piston in a second direction being reverse to the first direction, the lock member biases against the inner wall of the tube to prevent movement of the piston in the second direction.

Apparatus for pretensioning a vehicular seat belt

An apparatus (20, 100) comprising: a driven gear (102) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract; an arcuate tube (108) having a flat exit end (302) proximate the gear; a flexible chain (130), moveable within the tube, having a front end (134a) initially maintained out of engagement with the first gear and pushed into engagement with the first gear to cause same to rotate; a piston (600) for pushing the chain (130) into engagement with the gear thereby causing the gear to rotate and catching mechanism for retaining the chain after it has exited the exit end of the tube.

Chain link rack pretensioner

An apparatus (20, 400) comprising: first driven gear (402) operatively linked a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract; flexible first driving member (430, 432) having a front end (435) initially maintained out of engagement with the driven gear and pushed into engagement with the first driving member to cause same to rotate; second driving member (420) operatively linked to a rear end of the first driving member for pushing the first driving member into engagement with the driven gear thereby causing the driven gear to rotate.

Chain driven pretensioner and retractor

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor comprises a frame, a spool rotatably mounted relative to the frame for protracting and retracting a seat belt wound thereabout, and a driving member (e.g., a rotatable and slidable nut) operatively coupled to the spool. A deformable energy absorbing member is disposed within a bore of the spool and functions to receive a driving force supplied by the driving member responsive to an occupant load, and to deform when the driving force exceeds a predetermined threshold to thereby absorb energy and permit a controlled rotation of the spool and a corresponding controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by the occupant. At least one stop ring is disposed in proximity to the deformable member and functions to contact the deformable member in a deformed state and control further deformation thereof to thereby limit the protraction of the seat belt.

Retractor with load limiting spool

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor (10) for controlling protraction of seat belt webbing (24) during a collision is provided. The seat belt retractor (10) includes a frame (12), a spool (20) rotatably supported on the frame (12) having webbing (24) wound thereabout, a bifurcated spool shaft (22) having a first portion (52) and a second independently rotatable portion (54), a locking mechanism (90, 91) associated with each portion of the spool shaft (22), and a load limiting mechanism (41, 43) interconnecting each shaft portion to the spool (20). The locking mechanisms (90, 91) are independently and simultaneously actuable by vehicle sensors (86, 87) to selectively engage and prevent rotation of either one or both of the first and second shaft portions (52, 54) to initiate operation of either one or both of the load limiting mechanisms (41, 43) to effectively control the threshold input force level required to permit controlled protraction of the seat belt webbing (24).

Dual level retractor for oblique or offset impacts

An apparatus (20, 500) comprising: first driven gear (502) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract; a helically shaped first driving member (530) having a front end (536) initially maintained out of engagement with the driven gear and pushed into engagement with the first driving member to cause same to rotate; second driving member (520) operatively linked to a rear end of the first driving member for pushing the first driving member into engagement with the driven gear thereby causing the driven gear to rotate.

Spiral tube compact pretensioner and retractor

An apparatus (20, 100) comprising: a driven gear (102) operatively linked to a spool of a retractor (20) to rotate the spool (24) in a direction of retraction to cause a seat belt (31) wound thereabout to retract; an arcuate tube (108) having a flat exit end (110) proximate the gear; a flexible chain link rack (130), movable within the tube, having a front end (134a) initially maintained out of engagement with the first driven means and pushed into engagement with the first driven means to cause same to rotate; a piston (140) for pushing the rack (130) into engagement with the gear thereby causing the gear to rotate and catching mechanism for retaining the rack after it has exited the exit end of the tube.

A safety system comprising: energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) and a pretensioner for initiating rewinding a retractor spool (24) and the seat belt (31) subsequent to an accident; the retractor (20) includes bushings for rotationally mounting the spool (24) so that it rotates relative to a frame (22) and an energy absorbing device (70, 90, 100, 102) for permitting the controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled protraction of the belt as the belt is loaded by an occupant, such controlled protraction of the belt being independent of the amount that the spool was caused to rewind in response to the operation of the pretensioner.

Retractor with load limiting spool with decoupled pretensioner

A safety system comprising: an occupant seat (10) having a seating portion (12) and bracket device (28, 30) for slidably supporting the seat portion such that the seat is permitted to freely move in a fore and an aft direction in response to forces imparted thereto; and a restraint device (50,54), for tensioning a flexible member (42) operated attached to the seat and for restraining the seat during an emergency from moving forward from a pre-emergency position.

Locking and tensioning for a slidable seat

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor comprising: a frame (22); a spool (24) rotatably mounted relative to the spool including a lock wheel (71) having a plurality of lock teeth associated therewith and adapted to receive a seat belt thereabout; a lock pawl (77) for engaging the spool upon sensing a one of a vehicle deceleration and seat belt extraction above certain determinable levels; and movable nut (90) located in the spool and for prohibiting relative movement between the lock wheel and spool below a threshold input force level generated in part by occupant load on the seat belt and for generating a controlled energy dissipating reaction force on the seat belt after the input force exceeds the threshold level to permit a controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled pay-out of the seat belt from the spool during a first and subsequent accidents.

Multiple level load limiter for primary and secondary collisions

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor comprising: a frame (22); a spool (24) rotatably mounted relatively to the spool including a lock wheel (71) having a plurality of lock teeth associated therewith and adapted to receive a seat belt thereabout; a lock pawl (77) for engaging the spool upon sensing a one of a vehicle deceleration and seat belt extraction above certain determinable levels; and movable nut (90)located in the spool and for prohibiting relative movement between the lock wheel and spool below a threshold input force level generated in part by occupant load on the seat belt and for generating a controlled energy dissipating reaction force on the seat belt after the input force exceeds the threshold level to permit a controlled rotation of the spool and the controlled pay out of the seat belt from the spool.

Retractor having a single sided energy absorbing spool

A seat belt retractor comprising seat belt webbing; a spool for storing webbing thereon, the spool rotationally mounted on a frame; a rewind spring for rewinding or retracting the webbing; at least one drive gear having gear teeth mounted for rotation with the spool; an auxiliary shaft rotationally mounted on the frame including a least one driven gear thereon in meshing engagement with the at least one drive gear; a ratchet nut mounted to rotate with and slide along the auxiliary shaft; a first lock bar for preventing the rotation of the ratchet nut while permitting the nut to slide relative to the auxiliary shaft; a first energy absorbing bushing mounted about the auxiliary shaft and in selective contact with the ratchet nut for generating when deformed by the ratchet nut a relatively constant reaction force on the spool to oppose any protraction of the webbing during an emergency.

Seat belt retractor with auxiliary shaft load limiting

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor comprising: a frame (22); a spool (24) rotatably mounted relative to the spool including a lock wheel (212) having a plurality of lock teeth (214) associated therewith and adapted to receive a seat belt thereabout; a lock pawl (224) for engaging the spool upon sensing a one of a vehicle deceleration and seat belt extraction above certain determinable levels; and movable nut (90)located in the spool and for prohibiting relative movement between the lock wheel and spool below a threshold input force level generated in part by occupant load on the seat belt and for generating in cooperation with a deformable bushing (100) having known deformation characteristics, the characteristics of which are controlled by a movable sleeve (242) moved about the bushing, to generate a controlled energy dissipating reaction force on the seat belt.

Retractor with adjustable load limiting levels

A load absorbing retractor comprising: a rotating spool or reel, seat belt webbing secured to the reel; at least one movable bushing, responsive to loads generated during an emergency situation, for deforming a portion of the reel and in so doing dissipating a determinable amount of the energy.

Growing community of inventors

Utica, MI, United States of America

Niels Dybro