Takata Corporation

Yoshiichi Fujimura

Shizutaka Matsuura

Henry Hanna

Tadahiro Igawa

Hideaki Yano

Masahiro Tanabe

Tetsuo Tsuji

Shizutaka Matsuuka

An air bag apparatus is formed of a retainer having an upper opening; an air bag accommodated in the retainer and having a gas inlet, a portion of the air bag around the gas inlet being connected to the retainer; a lid covering the upper opening of the retainer; and a support plate extending from the lid and connected to the retainer. The support plate is deformable in vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions thereby allowing the lid to move relatively in the vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions. The air bag apparatus is light, and the position of the air bag apparatus relative to an instrument panel and the lid can be adjusted easily.

Air bag apparatus

An airbag device is formed of an airbag, a holding device for holding the airbag, a gas supply device for supplying gas into the airbag to inflate the same, and an adjusting device connected to the holding device. Upon inflation of the airbag, the adjusting device is actuated to move the holding device for adjusting a location of the airbag. When a vehicle collision speed is less than a predetermined speed, or when a weight of an occupant in the seat is less than a predetermined value, upon inflation of the airbag, the holding device is moved backward. Thus, the distal end position of the airbag is adjusted in accordance with the vehicle collision speed and the weight of the occupant.

Airbag device with position adjusting mechanism

A seat belt retractor in which when a lock gear (13) rotates in a direction (B) relative to a reel shaft (4), a projecting shaft (19d) moves by the action of a first cam hole (13i), causing a main pawl (19) to pivot in the direction B. Thus, teeth (20a) which are to be engaged with first and second pawl portions (19b) and (19c) are decided. At this time, a backup pawl (22) does not pivot because a projecting shaft (21c) merely moves along a hole (13m). When the lock gear (13) further moves in the direction (B) relative to the reel shaft (4), the first and second pawl portions (19b) and (19c) begin to engage with the teeth (20a), and the projecting shaft (21c) moves along a radial hole (13k). Thus, the backup pawl (22) pivots in the direction (B), and a tooth (2f) which is to be engaged with the backup pawl (22) is decided. When the lock gear (13) further rotates in the direction (B) relative to the reel shaft (4), the first and second pawl portions (19b) and (19c) completely engage with the teeth (20a) at the same time as the backup pawl (22) completely engages with the tooth (2f).

Seat belt retractor

In a seat belt retractor according to the present invention, an arcuate fall preventing flange 4m is provided on an outer surface of a guide flange 4b of the reel shaft. The central axis a.sub.2 of the reel shaft 4 is eccentrically shifted from the central axis a.sub.1 of the through-hole 2d of the right-hand side wall 2a by an eccentric amount 'b' and the reel shaft is faced to the through-hole 2d to coincide the peripheral edge of the profile consisting of the left-hand guide flange 4c and the fall preventing flange 4r with the through-hole 2d. In this state, the reel shaft is passed through the through-hole 2d. After that, the reel shaft is moved upward to align the central axis a.sub.2 of the reel shaft 4 with the central axis a.sub.1 of the through-hole 2d of the right-hand side wall 2a. Thereby, the reel shaft 4 is assembled in the predetermined position of the frame. In this state, the fall preventing projection 4m is positioned so that the fall preventing flange 4m abuts on the teeth 2f to prevent the reel shaft from coming off.

In a seat belt retractor according to the present invention, a lock gear first cover 13 has a projection 13a formed in a relatively large ring shape. The projection 13a has teeth 13c formed all around the inner surface thereof at same intervals. These teeth 13c are formed to have the same positional relation with the teeth 2 f formed on the right-hand side wall 2a. Further the number of the teeth 13c is set to be a common divisor of the number of the teeth 2f, that is to be less than the number of the teeth 2f. Thereby, the frequency of occurrence of end lock decreases.

A seat belt retractor having a reel shaft that performs relative rotation in the unwinding direction, where teeth of a main pawl approach teeth of a side wall of the seat belt retractor by a set amount, but the teeth of the main pawl do not approach the teeth of the side wall any further. When the reel shaft further rotates in the unwinding direction, a tooth of the main pawl comes into contact with the steep slope of a tooth of the side wall. Thus, the main pawl reaches a standby position. When the reel shaft further rotates in the unwinding direction, the tip of the tooth of the main pawl is guided toward the bottom tooth of the side wall by the steep slope of the tooth of the side wall, so that the teeth of the main pawl completely engage with the teeth of the side wall. Thus, the main pawl reaches a lock position or, in other words, the main pawl performs a self-lock action.

In a seat belt retractor, cross-section of a reel shaft 4 is formed in octagonal cylinder, and each side of the octagon, i.e. outer peripheral surfaces 4b between corners 4a of the reel shaft 4 are formed in inwardly curved depression. Therefore, when a webbing 3 is taken up on the reel shaft 4, the webbing 3 is brought into contact only with the corners 4a of outer peripheral surfaces of the reel 4, and high compressive force f is intensively applied on the webbing 3 at the corners 4a of the reel shaft 4. As the result, high friction force is generated between the corners 4a and the webbing 3 and between the webbing coils at the corners 4a, and this prevents the pulling-out of the webbing 3. Thus, the pulling-out of the webbing due to tightening phenomenon can be prevented in reliable and satisfactory manner.

Seat belt retractor having a tightening effect

When deceleration in excess of a predetermined value acts upon a vehicle and/or when a seat belt is pulled at an acceleration in excess of a predetermined value, lock actuating means sets a state in which a first engaging member supported on a reel shaft is capable of engaging a first engaged portion of a frame, thenceforth sets a state in which a second engaging member supported on the reel shaft is capable of engaging a second engaged portion of the frame, and then engages the first engaged portion an the first engaging member as Well as the second engaged portion and the second engaging member. As a result, engagement between the first engaged portion and the first engaging member and between the second engaged portion and the second engaging member is performed in reliable fashion. Accordingly, the reel shaft is assuredly locked against turning at both its ends in the seat belt pulling direction.

A seat belt retractor having a webbing guide (22) which slides along guide holes (2p and 2q) in side walls (2a and 2b) in accordance with the roll diameter of a webbing (3) taken up on a reel shaft (4), thereby allowing the webbing (3) to be wound up and unwound smoothly and also protected. Since guide portions (22d and 22e) abut on the upper end surfaces of the two side walls (2a and 2b) at all times, the webbing guide (22) will not rotate to tilt when the webbing (3) is wound up and unwound. Accordingly, the webbing guide (22) can slide smoothly along the guide holes (2p and 2q), and the webbing (3) can be wound up and unwound even more smoothly.

A seat belt retractor having a main pawl (17) which is rotatably fitted in a fourth recess (4n) provided in a reel shaft (4). In this state, a load transfer portion (17e) abuts on a load bearing surface (4j) of the reel shaft (4). Since the load transfer portion (17e) abuts on the load bearing surface (4j) of the reel shaft (4), a load (w) applied to a pawl portion (17c) of the main pawl (17) is transferred from the load transfer portion (17e) to the load bearing surface (4j) and borne by the reel shaft (4). Since teeth (17d), which serve as a point of application of load, and the load transfer portion (17e) are relatively close to each other, the main pawl (17) is subjected to only compressive force substantially. Moreover, since the load transfer portion (17e) and the load bearing surface (4j) are in plane contact with each other and hence the load is transferred to the reel shaft (4) while being dispersed over a wide area, the stress produced therein is relatively small.

An inertia member (15) of a webbing sensor is set so that when it abuts on a first stopper (14h), the center of gravity (G) of the inertia member (15) lies at a position which is on an extension of an imaginary line (.gamma.) connecting the center of a first rotating shaft (4d) of a reel shaft (4) and the center of a shaft (14f) of a lock gear (14) at a side thereof closer to the shaft (14f) and which is a little apart from the shaft (14f). Thus, when the lock gear (14) rotates as the webbing (3) is unwound or wound up under normal circumstances, centrifugal force acts on the center of gravity of the inertia member (15), but since the line of action of the centrifugal force lies on the line (.gamma.), the inertia member (15) is not subjected to moment about the shaft (14f) by the centrifugal force. Therefore, there is no possibility of the inertia member ( 15) rotating about the shaft (14f) under normal circumstances. Consequently, there is no possibility that a pawl (15c) of the inertia member (15) will engage with a tooth (13c) and stop the reel shaft (4) undesirably.

In the seat belt retractor of the invention, the main pawl 17 turns into engagement with the teeth 23a of the lock ring 23, so that the rotational force of the reel shaft in the webbing unwinding direction is transmitted to the lock ring 23 to turn it in the same direction . This rotation of the lock ring 23 is transmitted to the clamp member 26 through the arm 24 to turn the clamp member 26. As a result, the webbing 3 is fastened between the clamp member 26 and the force-bearing member 27, so that the webbing 3 can be locked against further unwinding. This makes it possible to incorporate clamp means to even a frame lock type of seat belt retractor, and improves the reliability of part engagement much more.

In a seat belt retractor according to the present invention, a first protruding shaft of a reel shaft is loosely fitted into a recess, which is formed in an end of an output shaft, in such a manner that there is a prescribed gap between the shaft and the inner wall of the recess. The output shaft and the reel shaft are loosely fitted together so as to be capable of moving relative to each other in the axial direction but incapable of rotating relative to each other in the rotational direction. Accordingly, the reel shaft is capable of pivoting about the end of the first protruding shaft, which is the loosely fitted end. When the reel shaft pivots in this manner, the teeth of a ratchet on one side engage with teeth formed on a wall on the same side.

A deceleration sensing member (7) includes a casing (7a), a lever (7b) having a pawl, and an inertia member (7c) that tilts to a two-dot chain position when deceleration exceeding a predetermined value acts on the vehicle. The bottom of the inertia member (7c) is formed in the shape of a small-mass portion (7j), while the top of the inertia member (7c) is formed in the shape of a large-mass portion (7k), so that the center of gravity of the inertia member (7c) lies at a relatively high position. Further, an actuating projection (7m) is formed on the large-mass portion (7k). Thus, it is possible to obtain a relatively large pivoting stroke of the actuator with a relatively small angle of inclination of the inertia member (7c). The deceleration sensing member (7) can be attached without play by longitudinally press-fitting engagement ridges (7g and 7h) into respective recesses (13j and 13k ). By virtue of the wedge effect produced by the slant side surfaces of the engagement ridges (7g and 7h) and the recesses (13j and 13k), each having a trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration, the casing 7a is attached to guide members even more rigidly.

A device for maintaining a biasing state of a biasing force application means used in a seat belt retractor. The inner end (8a) of a power spring (8) of the biasing force application means (5) is retained by a bush (9), and the outer end (8b) of the power spring (8) is retained by a retaining portion (10d) of a spring casing (10). In a state where the biasing force application means (5) is formed as a subassembly and the power spring (8) has been wound up by a predetermined amount in a direction in which a webbing (3) is unwound, a spring pin (12) is attached to the subassembly so that a pair of rotation preventing arms (12a) and (12b) of the spring pin (12) pierce through small holes (11b and 11c) provided in a cover (11), either of grooves (9b and 9c) and either of grooves (9 d and 9e), which are provided in the bush (9), and small holes (10b and 10c) provided in the spring casing (10), thereby enabling the power spring (8) to be readily maintained in the wound-up state.

Growing community of inventors

Shiga, Japan

Yoshiichi Fujimura