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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 15, 1997
Thomas Modzelewski, Brighton, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A vehicle seat belt webbing retractor (10) including a pretensioner (61), includes a length of seat belt webbing (16) and a spool (50) on which the seat belt webbing is wound. The spool (50) is rotatable in a belt retraction direction (56) and in an opposite belt withdrawal direction (58). The retractor (10) includes a member (70) having a chamber (100), a fixed portion (98), and a movable portion (88). The fixed portion (98) of the member (70) is fixed in position relative to the spool (50). The member (70) has a first condition in which the movable portion (88) of the member is twisted in a first direction of rotation about an axis (72) relative to the fixed portion (98) of the member. The movable portion (88) of the member (70) untwists in a second direction of rotation about the axis (72) relative to the fixed portion (98) of the member in response to the introduction of fluid under pressure into the chamber (100) of the member. The retractor (10) includes a mechanism (64, 66, 68) for transmitting torque from the movable portion (88) of the member (70) to the spool (50) to effect rotation of the spool in the belt retraction direction (56).