Kelsey-hayes Company

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Zf Passive Safety Systems US Inc.

Scott M Franz

Eduardo Morais

Thomas Moedinger

Neal H Delventhal

Andreas Pregitzer

Chhay S Siev

Jonathan Wemple

Charles C Giacomazza

Brend Gentner

Kelly Andrews

William J Vander Roest

A seat belt retractor comprises a rotatable spool on which seat belt webbing is wound. The spool is rotatable in a webbing withdrawal direction and an opposite webbing retraction direction. The seat belt retractor also comprises a pretensioner actuatable to rotate the spool in the webbing retraction direction and a load-limiting system to limit a load applied to a vehicle occupant by the seat belt webbing. The load-limiting system includes a torsion bar mounted such that the torsion bar is twisted when a load in excess of a predetermined load is applied to the spool in the webbing withdrawal direction by the seat belt webbing. The bad-limiting system also includes a stop assembly actuatable to limit rotation of the spool in the webbing withdrawal direction to a predetermined number of rotations while the torsion bar is being twisted. The stop assembly is actuated upon actuation of the pretensioner.

Seat belt retractor with load limiting stop mechanism

In a belt retractor () having a belt tensioner () and a force-limiting device, the belt tensioner () includes a pivoted pinion gear () associated with a belt reel (), a drive unit () and an oblong force-transmitting element () movable by the drive unit () supported at least partly in a tubular portion () and adapted to be engaged in the pinion gear () so as to rotate the pinion gear () in a tensioning direction (A). The force-transmitting element () includes a bending portion () which is provided at the rear end of the force-transmitting element () viewed in the tensioning direction and which is designed to be pressure-resistant in the longitudinal direction (L) of the force-transmitting element () but to be flexible in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L).

Seatbelt retractor

A brake pad assembly includes a brake pad including a base portion, a first ear portion, and an opposed second ear portion. The first ear portion and the second ear portion extend outwardly from the base section. The first ear portion includes a first upper section, a first central section, and a first lower section. The second ear portion includes a second upper section, a second central section, and a second lower section. A first clip receives the first ear portion and a second clip receives the second ear portion. The first ear portion includes a first defined contact location and a second defined contact location in relation to the first clip. The second ear portion includes a third defined contact location in relation to the second clip.

Defined brake pad abutment

A seat belt retractor () associated with a seat () includes a spool () about which seat belt webbing () is wound. The spool () is supported for rotation in a belt withdrawal direction and in an opposite belt retraction direction. A vehicle sensitive sensor () is responsive to at least one sensed vehicle condition for preventing rotation of the spool () in the belt withdrawal direction. A first mechanism () is responsive to a first condition for disabling the vehicle sensitive sensor (). A second mechanism () is responsive to a second, different condition for preventing rotation of the spool () in the belt withdrawal direction. The second condition is a condition of the associated seat (). In one embodiment, a third mechanism () is responsive to the first condition for allowing rotation of the spool () in the belt withdrawal direction.

Retractor having mechanisms for disabling a vehicle sensitive sensor and for preventing webbing withdrawal

This invention relates to an improved brake shoe assembly and a disc brake assembly including such a brake shoe assembly. The disc brake assembly includes an anchor bracket adapted to be secured to a vehicle component; a brake caliper adapted to be secured to the anchor bracket; an inboard brake shoe and an outboard brake shoe carried by the disc brake assembly and adapted to be disposed on opposite axial sides of an associated brake rotor, each of the brake shoes including a pair of opposed ends; actuation means for selectively moving the shoes into frictional engagement with the rotor; and a first clip carried by at least one of the opposed ends of one of the brake shoes to thereby urge the one of the brake shoes against a trailing end of the anchor bracket to prevent caliper rotation when the disc brake assembly is actuated.

Brake shoe assembly and disc brake assembly including such a brake shoe assembly

This invention relates to a disc brake assembly having a slide pin bushing protection shield attached thereto using the existing slide pin. The disc brake assembly includes an anchor plate secured to a stationary component of the vehicle and a caliper secured to the anchor plate for sliding movement therewith by a pair of slide pin bushing assemblies. Each of the slide pin bushing assemblies includes a slide pin, a sleeve, and a flexible bushing. The slide pin bushing protection shield includes at least a first side, a second side, a third side and a pair of mounting tabs. Once the slide pin bushing protection shield it is attached to the brake assembly, the shield effectively surrounds a substantial portion of the exposed portions of the flexible bushing to protect the same from possible damage due to rocks, dirt, and other road debris.

Growing community of inventors

Clinton Township, MI, United States of America

Scott M Franz