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. 11, 1978
Filed:
Apr. 02, 1976
Robert John Rumpf, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH (US);
Abstract
A safety belt retractor having a pair of actuating means which are independently responsive or condition sensitive to acceleration of webbing withdrawal and to ominidirectional acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. The condition sensed first actuates a pilot pawl and the pilot pawl mechanically and positively engages means which drive the locking pawl to prevent webbing withdrawal from the webbing drum or reel. The pilot pawl is cam activated by the relative movement between a flywheel and the shaft of the drum or reel as is sensed by sudden withdrawal force on the webbing, or upon relative delay of rotation or lag in the flywheel consequent to inertial displacement of a pendulum and following pawl to ratchet engagement with the flywheel. The locking force of pilot pawl to drive the ratchet and the locking force to drive the pendulum pawl to the flywheel ratchet is minimal and the locking thrust of the lock pawl to the ratchet drum is by emergency stress felt on the harness or webbing and conveyed into the retractor frame and vehicle. The pendulum is miniaturized and the actuator mechanism is predominantly formed from precision molded resin parts.