| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080217457 | Inertia actuator for seat belt retractor - An inertia sensitive actuator especially adapted for use with a dual spool retractor for a motor vehicle seat belt system. The dual spool retractor includes shoulder belt and lap belt spool assemblies engaging with the shoulder belt and lap belt portions of the seat belt webbing. The dual spool retractor incorporates an inertia sensitive actuator having an excitation mass which is coupled with both of the retractor spool assemblies via linkages. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080217458 | Hybrid vehicle sensitive seat belt retractor inertial locking system - A vehicle sensitive retractor locking system which may have reduced sensitivity to Z-axis accelerations experienced during driving conditions. The locking system incorporates a ball mass which is maintained within a nest surface of a ball cage. A locking lever is provided having a pair of arms, including an upper and lower arm. The lower arm forms a support post which directly engages with the ball mass in the normal condition of the locking system. The upper arm forms an actuation rim which encircles the upper portion of the ball mass. When the ball mass is displaced within the nest surface in response to inertial forces, two locking modes are provided. First, by relieving pressure exerted by the ball against the post support as the ball is displaced, the locking lever is free to rotate into a locking condition. A secondary locking mode is provided through direct contact between the ball mass and the actuation rim of the locking lever upper arm. The control system also optionally incorporates a vertical ball restrictor which directly contacts the ball mass and restricts its upper Z-axis motion. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080230644 | Vehicle sensitive seat belt retractor control with suppressed Z-axis sensitivity - A vehicle sensitive retractor control system having reduced sensitivity to Z-axis acceleration experienced during normal driving. The retractor control system incorporates a rolling mass and a locking lever which, in a resting position, are arranged such that the locking lever does not engage a ratchet wheel of a seat belt retractor spool. In response to accelerations in the horizontal plane, the rolling ball mass becomes unseated from its resting position and engages the locking lever, causing it to pivot and lock the retractor. In response to Z-axis acceleration, the rolling mass is prevented from contacting the locking lever by a mass restrictor. A soft damping spring is also provided to bias the locking lever against a lever rest. The spring is sized to overcome the inertia of the locking lever and prevent it from “bouncing up” and engaging the ratchet wheel in response to Z-axis accelerations. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080237384 | Occupant size variable adaptive and progressive load limiting seat belt retractor - A seat belt retractor providing adaptive load-limiting characteristics. The retractor incorporates a torsional load-limiting element in the retractor for providing torsional deflection of the webbing spool in response to restraint loads exerted by seat belt webbing. The seat belt webbing is chosen to have an enhanced thickness to provide a significant difference in torsion drive radius between conditions in which a small occupant uses the belt where a large number of wraps of webbing is stored on the spool as compared with a larger occupant using the belt in which a smaller number wraps of webbing are present on the spool. These differing conditions produce differences in spool drive radius and consequently greater torque is applied by the small occupant for given belt forces compare with the larger occupant. In this manner, the retractor provides belt webbing load-limiting which is self-adaptive between sizes of occupants without the requirement of retractor switching mechanisms. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080288141 | Active Anti-Bunching D-Ring Seat Belt System - A motor vehicle seat belt system having an active system for avoiding bunching of webbing in a D-ring during a rapid deceleration event. The system includes a controlled locking mechanism engageable with a rotatably mounted D-ring to restrict backward rotation of the D-ring. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090267332 | Dual Spool Retractor in Belt-in-Seat - A restraint assembly of a type including a seat belt assembly and a side impact air bag assembly. The seat belt assembly and side impact assembly are preferably mounted to a motor vehicle seat. The seat belt assembly includes one or two retractors, preferably each having roto pretensioners. A single gas source is used to actuate retractor pretensioning functions, as well as providing a gas source for initiating the production of inflation gas for the side impact air bag assembly. Preferably, these elements are all mounted to a motor vehicle seat. | 10-29-2009 |
