Seat belt retractor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12194955-B2
Application number	US-202418600052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2024
Priority date	Mar 9, 2023
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A seat belt retractor includes a housing including a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other, a winding drum configured to wind up a webbing, a locking base, a torsion bar including one end side, which is opposite to the locking base, coupled to the winding drum without being rotatable relative to the winding drum, and the other end side coupled to the locking base without being rotatable relative to the locking base, a pretensioner including: a pretensioner casing attached to the first side wall; and a drive wheel attached to the locking base, a lock member located in the locking base, and a stopper member being screwed onto a male screw of the locking base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat belt retractor comprising:
a housing including a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other;
a winding drum configured to wind up a webbing, the winding drum being housed between the first side wall and the second side wall so as to be rotatable in a winding direction and a pull-out direction of the webbing, the winding drum having a center hole opened on a first end surface of the winding drum, the first end surface of the winding drum located on a side of the first side wall;
a locking base disposed to face the first end surface of the winding drum;
a torsion bar inserted into the center hole of the winding drum, the torsion bar including one end side, which is opposite to the locking base, coupled to the winding drum without being rotatable relative to the winding drum, and the other end side coupled to the locking base without being rotatable relative to the locking base, the torsion bar being configured to be plastically deformed in a case where a pull-out force of the webbing exceeds a predetermined value in a state where the locking base is prevented from rotating in the pull-out direction, so as to absorb impact energy while allowing relative rotation between the winding drum and the locking base;
a pretensioner including: a pretensioner casing attached to the first side wall; and a drive wheel attached to the locking base, the pretensioner being configured to rotate the winding drum in the winding direction via the drive wheel, the locking base, and the torsion bar, in an emergency of a vehicle;
a lock member located in the locking base, the lock member being configured to engage with the first side wall or the pretensioner casing to prevent the locking base from being rotated in the pull-out direction, in the emergency of the vehicle; and
a stopper member being held in the center hole of the winding drum without being rotatable relative to the winding drum and so as to be movable in an axial direction of the winding drum, the stopper member being screwed onto a male screw of the locking base, the stopper member being configured to define an allowable amount of relative rotation between the winding drum and the locking base in a case where the torsion bar absorbs the impact energy,
wherein the locking base includes a first base member to which the drive wheel is attached, and a second base member, the second base member being attached to the first base member on a side of the first base member opposite to the winding drum without being rotatable relative to the first base member, the second base member being configured to hold the lock member between the first base member and the second base member,
the first base member includes:
a disk-shaped first main body portion in which the drive wheel is disposed between the first main body portion and the first end surface of the winding drum; and
a protruding portion protruding, from the first main body portion, in a second direction of the axial direction of the winding drum so as to penetrate the drive wheel, the second direction being a direction toward the second side wall,

the male screw is formed on an outer circumferential surface of a distal end side of the protruding portion,
the first base member further includes:
a first recess recessed from a distal end surface of the protruding portion, the first recess being configured to couple to the torsion bar; and
a second recess recessed from a surface of the first main body portion on a side opposite to the drive wheel, the second recess being coaxial with the first recess, and

the second base member includes:
a plate-shaped second main body portion that overlaps the first main body portion; and
a fitting protrusion that protrudes, in the second direction, from the second main body portion, the fitting protrusion fitting into the second recess.

2. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first base member is formed of a material having a higher strength than the second base member.

3. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first base member includes a partition that separates the first recess and the second recess.

4. The seat belt retractor according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second recess has a depth overlapping the drive wheel, in the axial direction of the winding drum, and
there is a space between a distal end of the fitting protrusion of the second base member and the partition of the first base member.

5. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second base member is provided with an engagement hole that is coaxial with the fitting protrusion and that is opened in a first direction opposite to the second direction, and
the seat belt retractor further includes:
a rotation shaft engaged with the engagement hole, the rotation shaft being formed of resin; and
a cover member configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft.

6. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second main body portion includes at least one crimping protrusion that protrudes from the second main body portion in the second direction,
the first main body portion is provided with at least one through hole through which the at least one crimping protrusion is inserted, and
a portion of the crimping protrusion, which protrudes from the through hole, is crimped to have a larger diameter than the through hole.

7. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stopper member is prevented from being moved in the axial direction of the winding drum by coming into contact with the drive wheel.

8. The seat belt retractor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the protruding portion includes, at a proximal side of the male screw, a proximal end portion protruding radially outward more than the male screw, and
the stopper member is prevented from being moved in the axial direction of the winding drum by coming into contact with the proximal end portion of the protruding portion.

Assignees

• Ashimori Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoyama Taro
• Suminaka Satoshi
• Ijiri Takayoshi
• Kurauchi Noriko
• Fujiwara Eri
• HIJIKATA Daiki

Classifications

• B60R22/343

  with electrically actuated locking means {(B60R22/3405 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R2022/287

  of torsion rods or tubes · CPC title

• B60R22/4628

  characterised by fluid actuators, e.g. pyrotechnic gas generators (actuating a cable B60R22/4619) · CPC title

• B60R22/4633

  Linear actuators, e.g. comprising a piston moving along reel axis and rotating along its own axis · CPC title

• B60R22/4676 Primary

  comprising energy-absorbing means operating between belt reel and retractor frame · CPC title