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:
Jan. 13, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 08, 2002
John Bell, Carlisle, GB;
Martyn Neil Palliser, Carlisle, GB;
Breed Automotive Technology, Inc., Lakeland, FL (US);
Abstract
A seat belt retractor has a spool mounted for rotation on the retractor frame, for retraction or pay-out of seat belt webbing depending upon the rotation direction of the spool. The spool is locked against rotation when a crash is sensed. A force limiting mechanism allows further pay-out of the seat belt webbing after the spool shaft has locked, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum. The force limiting means includes a torsion bar attached in the force path between the spool and its axis of rotation; and a resilient mechanism. A mechanism selectively connects the resilient mechanism into the force path between the spool and its axis of rotation. A selecting mechanism selectively activates the connecting means in response to a control signal.