Seatbelt retractor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046285-B2
Application number	US-201916362838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 25, 2019
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A seatbelt retractor includes a spool elongated along an axis. The seatbelt retractor includes a cylinder supported in the spool and having a thread. The seatbelt retractor includes a torsion bar in the cylinder and having a thread engaged with the thread of the cylinder. The seatbelt retractor includes a stopper supported by the torsion bar at the thread of the torsion bar and spaced from the cylinder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seatbelt retractor, comprising:
a spool elongated along an axis;
a cylinder supported in the spool and having a thread;
a torsion bar in the cylinder and having a thread engaged with the thread of the cylinder; and
a stopper supported by the torsion bar at the thread of the torsion bar and spaced from the cylinder.

2. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is axially slidable and rotationally fixed relative to the spool.

3. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the spool defines a keyed inner surface, and the cylinder includes a key engaged with the keyed inner surface.

4. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the torsion bar is elongated between a first end and a second end, the thread of the torsion bar at the first end, and the spool fixed relative to the torsion bar at the second end.

5. The seatbelt retractor of claim 4 , wherein the spool includes a flange defining a keyed opening, and the torsion bar includes a key at the second end and engaged with the keyed opening.

6. The seatbelt retractor of claim 4 , wherein the spool is free from being fixed to the first end of the torsion bar.

7. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , further comprising a base rotatably supporting the spool and a spring coupled to the base and the spool.

8. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , further comprising a webbing supported by the spool.

9. The seatbelt retractor of claim 8 , wherein the cylinder is longer than a width of the webbing.

10. The seatbelt retractor of claim 8 , wherein the spool defines a pair of slots elongated along the axis, the webbing in the slots.

11. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the spool defines a pair of slots elongated along the axis, the cylinder between the slots.

12. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , further comprising a locking device supported at an end of the torsion bar, the stopper between the locking device and the cylinder.

13. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is spaced from the stopper by a predetermined amount.

14. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the thread of the torsion bar is friction fit with the thread of the cylinder.

15. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the torsion bar is longer than the cylinder and the spool.

16. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the spool is longer than the cylinder.

17. The seatbelt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the engagement of the thread of the cylinder with the thread of torsion bar moves the cylinder closer to the stopper when the cylinder is rotated relative to the torsion bar.

18. A seatbelt retractor, comprising:
a spool elongated along an axis;
a cylinder supported in the spool and having a thread;
a torsion bar in the cylinder and having a thread engaged with the thread of the cylinder, the torsion bar elongated between a first end and a second end, the thread of the torsion bar at the first end, the spool fixed relative to the torsion bar at the second end and the second end of the torsion bar free from being fixed to the cylinder; and
a stopper supported by the torsion bar at the thread of the torsion bar and spaced from the cylinder.

19. A seatbelt retractor, comprising:
a spool elongated along an axis;
a cylinder supported in the spool and having a thread;
a webbing supported by the spool, the webbing abutting the cylinder;
a torsion bar in the cylinder and having a thread engaged with the thread of the cylinder; and
a stopper supported by the torsion bar at the thread of the torsion bar and spaced from the cylinder.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jaradi Dean M
• Faruque Mohammad Omar
• Farooq S M Iskander

Classifications

• B60R22/34 Primary

  Belt retractors, e.g. reels (anchoring devices {, e.g. guide loops} , with means to tension the belt in an emergency B60R22/195) · CPC title

• B60R2022/3427

  Seat belt connection on reels · CPC title

• B60R2022/287

  of torsion rods or tubes · CPC title

• B60R22/28 Primary

  incorporating energy-absorbing devices {(belt anchors provided with energy-absorbing means for protecting the occupants in case of physical contact therewith B60R21/055; belt retractors comprising energy-absorbing means B60R22/341, B60R22/4676)} · CPC title

• B60R22/3413 Primary

  operating between belt reel and retractor frame (B60R22/4676 takes precedence) · CPC title