Nsk Corporation

Nsk Autoliv Co., Ltd.

Satoshi Hirase

Masuo Matsuki

Katsuyasu Ono

Kiyoshi Ogawa

Osamu Tokugawa

Kazunori Takahashi

A retractor for use with a seat belt webbing, comprising: a retractor base ( ); a substantially cylindrical-shaped winding shaft assembly ( ) which is rotatably supported on the retractor base ( ) and around which a webbing can be wound; a torsion bar ( ) to be inserted through a center hole formed in the winding shaft assembly ( ) in such a manner that one end thereof is connected to the winding shaft assembly ( ) in a mutually unrotatable manner and the other end thereof is connected to a locking member ( ) in a mutually unrotatable manner; an emergency lock mechanism ( ) which, in a vehicle emergency, connects the locking member to the retractor base to stop the rotation of the torsion bar to thereby prevent the winding shaft assembly from rotating in the webbing pull-out direction thereof, the emergency lock mechanism ( ) being structured such that, when the emergency lock mechanism ( ) is in operation and also a tensile force acting on the webbing exceeds a given value, the emergency lock mechanism ( ) can absorb a shock produced in the body of an occupant by means of the torsional deformation of the torsion bar ( ); a slit ( ), ( ) which is formed in the winding shaft assembly and extends in a direction crossing the winding shaft assembly while bypassing the insertion position of the torsion bar; and a large diameter portion ( ) being larger in size than a width of the slit and including an loop-shaped end portion of the webbing.

Retractor for use with a seat belt webbing

It is an object to provide a retractor for a seat belt having a locking means and a shaft which can be twisted and exhibiting satisfactory safety. A retractor 1 for a seat belt according to the present invention having a locking means 100, which is capable of inhibiting rotation of a bobbin 3 around which a webbing 50 is wound in a direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out in an emergency of a vehicle, a torsion bar 200A is disposed between the bobbin 3 and the locking means 100 and arranged to be twisted to respond to the instance wherein a predetermined load is applied to the locking means 100 so as to rotate the bobbin 3 in the direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out. The retractor 1 for a seat belt has a rotation restraining mechanism 300 for restraining rotation of the bobbin 3 when the bobbin 3 has been rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out to correspond to torsion of the torsion bar 200A.

Retractor for seat belt

Retractor for use with a seat belt

A seat belt retractor is provided with a base having a pair of side plates, a bobbin coupled with a webbing, a torsion bar rotatably supported on the side plates of the base, one end of the torsion bar being coupled with the bobbin, and a locking mechanism coupled with another end of the torsion bar, the locking mechanism connecting the another end of the torsion bar with the base in a first state and not connecting in a second state. The torsion bar includes a torsionally deformable portion between two coupling portions thereof, and at least a part of the torsionally deformable portion is located outside beyond the side wall of the base.

Retractor for a seat belt

In a retractor for seat belt according to the present invention, a stopper mechanism 50 is provided between a side plate 101a and a bobbin 1. The stopper mechanism 50 is composed of a through hole 110 formed in the side plate 101a by drawing the same inwardly, and three lock pieces 3 which are respectively disposed on the locking base side end face of the bobbin 1 and are engageable with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 110 so as to stop the rotation of the bobbin 1 in the webbing drawn-out direction thereof with respect to the side plate 101a. In addition, a control plate 4 is interposed between a locking base 5 and the bobbin 1. When a torsion bar 2 is torsionally deformed and in turn the amount of rotation of the bobbin 1 in the webbing drawn-out direction thereof with respect to the locking base 5 reaches or exceeds a predetermined amount, the control plate 4 brings the lock pieces 3 into engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 110 so as to restrict the deformation amount of a plastically deforming member to a predetermined range of amount.

A retractor for use with a seat belt is capable of releasing a state of end lock without using a complicated structure of a locking mechanism for operating the locking of the retractor in the case of an emergency of a vehicle. The retractor contains an angular engaging surface at one end of a winding shaft, that engages with a retractor base at certain portions. The angular engaging surface has a groove in the direction of a circumference of the winding shaft into which the portions may be engaged. This groove helps to prevent the displacement of the winding shaft in the direction of thrust and allows for superior locking.

It is an object to provide a retractor for a seat belt having a locking means and a shaft which can be twisted and exhibiting satisfactory safety. A retractor 1 for a seat belt according to the present invention having a locking means 100, which is capable of inhibiting rotation of a bobbin 3 around which a webbing 50 is wound in a direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out in an emergency of a vehicle and a torsion bar 200A disposed between the bobbin 3 and the locking means 100 and arranged to be twisted to respond to a fact that a predetermined load is applied to the locking means 100 so as to rotate the bobbin 3 in the direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out, the retractor 1 for a seat belt having a rotation restraining mechanism 300 for restraining rotation of the bobbin 3 when the bobbin 3 has been rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction in which the webbing 50 is drawn out to correspond to torsion of the torsion bar 200A.

A webbing anchorage is provided for use in a seat belt system. The webbing anchorage comprises a bolt; an anchor metal plate having a base portion and a free end portion, said base portion defining a bolt hole through which said bolt is inserted, and said free end portion defining a slot through which a webbing can extend supportedly; a lower cover extending over one side of said base portion of said anchor metal plate; a flexible upper cover member extending over at least an opposite side of the said base portion of said anchor metal plate; and an impact-absorbing member arranged within a space between an inner wall of said upper cover member and at least one of said opposite side of said base portion of said anchor metal plate and a top wall of a head portion of said bolt.

Webbing anchorage for seat belt system

A webbing retractor is provided with a lock mechanism. The webbing retractor further comprises a bobbin, a webbing-holding member and a webbing. The bobbin has a drum portion and a pair of flanges arranged on opposite ends of the drum. The flanges define grooves formed in a mutually-opposing relationship and angularly extending over a predetermined length in a webbing-releasing direction as a first direction of rotation. The webbing-holding member extends between the grooves. The webbing is secured at one end thereof in the bobbin, wound back about the webbing-holding member at a first portion thereof apart from the one end thereof toward an opposite end thereof, and then wound in layers around the drum portion in the first direction of rotation at a second portion thereof closer to the opposite end than the first portion.

Webbing Retractor

A retractor for a seat belt includes a winding force reducing mechanism for reducing a webbing winding force when an occupant wears the seat belt. The retractor includes a base; a winding shaft supported rotatably on base for winding a webbing; a first winding spring for energizing the winding shaft in a webbing winding direction; a second winding spring disposed on the winding shaft in parallel to said first winding spring; and gear unit interposed between the winding shaft and the second winding spring for applying the energizing force of the second winding spring to the winding shaft in the same direction as the energizing force of the first winding spring and for tightening the second winding spring in an elastic energy storing direction by means of the energizing force of the first winding spring. The gear unit is structured such that, when the seat belt is in use, the elastic energy of the second winding spring stored therein can act in a manner to cancel the energizing force of the first winding spring so that a reduced energizing force in the webbing winding direction can be applied to the winding shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Satoshi Hirase