The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 1977
Filed:
Aug. 11, 1975
Cyril Henderson, Woodland Hills, CA (US);
American Safety Equipment Corporation, Encino, CA (US);
Abstract
A seat belt webbing retractor for a vehicle prevents protraction of the webbing when the vehicle undergoes changes in momentum above a predetermined level. The retractor includes a retractor frame, a lockable belt storage reel and associated reel lock actuating means including a lever movable in response to movement of an associated inertia sensing pendulum. The invention includes the improvement of providing a pendulum body which includes a light weight base of cup-like configuration which has two interiorly formed actuator camming surfaces, a hollow cylindrical inertia sensing mass of a material relatively heavier than the base and means for securely attaching the mass to the base with the hollow mass and the apertured base providing a vertical axial bore through the pendulum body. An actuator shaft is disposed in the axial bore of the pendulum body and includes a thrust flange intermediate its upper and lower ends, the flange being contained within the pendulum body and normally resting on the primary actuator camming surface with the upper end of the actuator shaft extending outwardly of the pendulum. Support means on the retractor are provided for supporting the pendulum and the actuator shaft in an operative relationship for moving the lever to cause lock-up of the retractor upon movement of the pendulum body on the support and relative to said actuator shaft, the actuator shaft being moved first by engagement between the thrust flange and the primary camming surface. A secondary camming surface adjacent to and inclined upward from the primary camming surface is provided for supplying additional force to the actuator during the final stages of locking engagement. The pendulum support means are further provided with lever mounting means for mounting the locking lever to the support whereby the pendulum body, the actuator shaft, the support and the lever form a self-contained inertia sensing retractor reel lock actuating assembly.