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. 17, 1983
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1981
Masayuki Morita, Tokoname, JP;
Takashi Kawaharazaki, Ichinomiya, JP;
Toshiaki Shimogawa, Nishio, JP;
Nippon Soken, Inc., Nishio, JP;
Abstract
A seat belt retracting and winding device in which a seat belt may be automatically retracted and wound on a winding reel under restoring or unwinding spring force of spiral springs. A cylindrical ratchet wheel is coaxially rotatably supported on a shaft of a winding reel, and is covered with a case attached to one of the side plates of a frame of the device. There are provided a first spiral spring disposed in a doughnut-shaped space defined between the case and the ratchet wheel, and a second spiral spring disposed in the ratchet wheel. The first spring has one end fixed to the case and the other end fixed to the ratchet wheel, while the second spring has one end fixed to the ratchet wheel and the other end fixed to the shaft of the reel. The ratchet wheel is formed with a plurality of ratchet teeth on its periphery, and a ratchet is pivotally disposed in the case for releasable engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth. While the seat belt is being paid out both the first and the second springs are wound, however, after the seat belt has been fastened to the vehicle occupant the engagement of the ratchet with the ratchet wheel locks the ratchet wheel against rotation, thereby preventing the first spring from exerting the unwinding spring force to the winding reel, thus reducing unpleasant restraining force applied to the vehicle occupant.