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:
Aug. 10, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 16, 1998
Patrick J Gorman, White Lake, MI (US);
Phillip D Yee, Troy, MI (US);
Mark F Gray, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Kenneth H Kohlndorfer, Roseville, MI (US);
Breed Automative Technology, Inc., Lakeland, FL (US);
Abstract
A safety belt retractor (10) comprised of a spool (28), a belt (40) wound on the spool (28), a ratchet wheel (48), and a torsion bar (44) interconnecting the spool (28) to the ratchet wheel (48) and capable of yielding in response to loading exerted on the belt (40) when the ratchet wheel (48) is locked against rotation. The safety belt retractor (10) also includes a holdout mechanism (18) which is normally operable in an ELR mode to permit operation of an emergency locking mechanism (16) and which can be selectively shifted into an ALR mode for locking the ratchet wheel (48) against rotation to prevent further payout of the belt (40) after a predetermined length of the belt (40) has been withdrawn from the spool (28). A timing assembly (124) functions to determine when the predetermined length of the belt (40) has been withdrawn or retracted for controlling engagement and disengagement of a latch mechanism (110). A timing clutch mechanism (20) interconnects the torsion bar (44) to the timing assembly (124) and is normally operable for driving the timing assembly (124) in response to withdrawal and retraction of the belt (40). The timing clutch mechanism (20) is further operable to permit relative movement between the torsion bar (44) and the timing assembly (124) for resetting the timing assembly (124) to a predefined set position in response to full retraction of the belt (40) after the torsion bar (44) has yielded. As such, the timing clutch mechanism (20) functions to maintain the predetermined length of the belt (40) required for selective actuation of the holdout mechanism (18) in a manner which is independent of yielding of the torsion bar (44).