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:
May. 11, 1982
Filed:
Sep. 26, 1980
Richard D Loose, Birmingham, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A seat belt retractor includes a belt reel rotated in the belt winding direction by a winding spring. An inertia actuated reel locking device acts to selectively lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation so that a load imposed on the belt during restraint of an occupant tends to tighten or spool down the wound-up belt stored on the reel. A belt clamp mechanism for limiting the extension of belt from the reel subsequent to reel lockup includes a lever pivotally mounted on the housing and having a belt clamping surface at one end thereof overlying the belt wound-up on the reel. A spring urges the lever to a normal position in which the belt clamping surface is spaced from the wound-up belt. The belt passes around a belt roller at the other end of the lever so that the imposition of occupant restraint load on the belt simultaneous with lockup of the reel by the inertia locking means forcibly pivots the lever to carry the belt clamping surface into clamping engagement of the belt wound upon the reel and thereby prevent belt from spooling off the reel.