Web retractor with side, top or bottom web exit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565136-B2
Application number	US-202117788349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2021
Priority date	Jan 16, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A web retractor may include a frame with spaced-apart first and second side walls and a bottom wall coupling together the side walls, the frame defining an opening through the first side wall, the second side wall or the bottom wall, a spool rotatably mounted to and between the first and second side walls and spaced apart from the opening, a web having one end mounted to the spool, the spool being rotatable to take up and pay out at least some of the web, and a web deflector mounted to at least one of the first side wall, the second sidewall and the bottom wall and positioned between the spool and the opening, the web deflector configured to guide the web from the spool out of the web retractor through the opening and to guide the web into the retractor and to the spool through the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A web retractor, comprising:
a frame including spaced-apart first and second side walls and a bottom wall coupling together the first and second side walls, the frame defining an elongated channel extending from one end of the frame to an opposite end of the frame between the first and second side walls and the bottom wall, a spool rotatably mounted within the channel to and between the first and second side walls, a web having one end mounted to the spool, the spool being rotatable to take up and pay out at least some of the web, a web deflector spaced apart from the spool and mounted within the channel to at least one of the first side wall, the second sidewall and the bottom wall, the web deflector configured to guide the web to and from the spool longitudinally along the channel between the web deflector and the spool, and to guide the web into and out of the frame through the first side wall, the second side wall, or the bottom wall, wherein an opening is defined through the first side wall, the second side wall, or the bottom wall, and a web guide mounted over the opening, the web guide defining a slot through which the web passes into and out of the frame, and wherein the web guide is rotatable relative to the opening to vary an orientation of the slot and the web relative to the frame, wherein the opening defines an axis extending through a center thereof, and wherein the web guide is rotatable relative to the opening about the axis.

2 . The web retractor of claim 1 , wherein the web deflector is configured to guide the web into and out of the frame through the opening defined through the first or second side wall or through the bottom wall.

3 . A web retractor, comprising:
a frame including spaced-apart first and second side walls and a bottom wall coupling together the first and second side walls, a spool rotatably mounted to and between the first and second side walls such that the spool rotates relative to the first and second side walls about a spool axis, a web having one end mounted to the spool, the spool being rotatable to take up and pay out at least some of the web, and a web deflector spaced apart from the spool and the bottom wall and mounted to and between the first side wall and the second sidewall, the web deflector configured to guide the web within the frame to and from the spool along a plane normal to the spool axis, and to guide the web into and out of the frame through the first side wall, the second side wall, the bottom wall or through a top of the frame opposite the bottom wall, wherein an outer surface of the web deflector is spaced apart from the bottom wall by a fixed distance such that the web, guided by the web deflector, is maintained at the fixed distance from the bottom wall at the web deflector, wherein the web deflector is conically shaped.

4 . The web retractor of claim 3 , wherein an opening is defined through the first side wall, the second side wall or the bottom wall,
and wherein the web deflector is configured to guide the web into and out of the frame through the opening defined through the first or second side wall or through the bottom wall.

5 . The web retractor of claim 3 , wherein the top of the frame opposite the bottom wall is open, and further comprising a housing mounted to the frame and having a housing portion disposed over or on the top of the frame,
wherein an opening is defined through the housing portion, and wherein the web deflector is configured to guide the web into and out of the frame through the opening defined through the housing portion.

6 . The web retractor of claim 4 , further comprising a web guide mounted over the opening, the web guide defining a slot through which the web passes into and out of the frame,
wherein the web guide is rotatable relative to the opening to vary an orientation of the slot and the web relative to the frame.

7 . A web retractor, comprising:
a frame including spaced-apart first and second side walls and a bottom wall coupling together the first and second side walls, a spool rotatably mounted to and between the first and second side walls such that the spool rotates relative to the first and second side walls about a spool axis, a web having one end mounted to the spool, the spool being rotatable to take up and pay out at least some of the web, a web deflector spaced apart from the spool and mounted to at least one of the first side wall, the second sidewall and the bottom wall, the web deflector configured to guide the web within the frame to and from the spool along a plane normal to the spool axis, and to guide the web into and out of the frame through the first side wall, the second side wall, the bottom wall or through a top of the frame opposite the bottom wall, a toothed wheel operatively coupled to and rotatable with the spool, a locking pawl selectively engageable with the toothed wheel, a ratchet handle operatively coupled to the toothed wheel, and a mode switch coupled to the locking pawl and manually movable between at least two positions to selectively engage and disengage the locking pawl with and from the toothed wheel respectively, wherein the spool is rotatable in a web take up direction to take up at least some of the web thereon and is rotatable in a web pay out direction, opposite the web take up direction, to pay out at least some of the web therefrom, and wherein the at least two positions of the mode switch includes a ratchet position which engages the locking pawl with the toothed wheel in a manner which prevents the spool from rotating in the web pay out direction and which engages the toothed wheel to allow the spool to be rotated by the ratchet handle in the web take up direction.

8 . The web retractor of claim 7 ,
wherein the at least two positions of the mode switch includes a drag position which engages the locking pawl with the toothed wheel in a manner which applies a rotational resistance to and against the toothed wheel.

9 . The web retractor of claim 8 , wherein the locking pawl is configured to apply the rotational resistance to the toothed wheel in a manner which allows the spool to rotate in the web take up and web pay out directions against the rotational resistance.

10 . The web retractor of claim 8 , wherein the locking pawl is configured to apply the rotational resistance to the toothed wheel in a manner which allows the spool to rotate in the web pay out direction against the rotational resistance but which prevents the spool from rotating in the web take up direction.

11 . The web retractor of claim 7 ,
wherein the at least two positions of the mode switch includes a free spooling position which disengages the locking pawl from the toothed wheel to allow the spool to rotate in the web take up and pay out directions.

12 . The web retractor of claim 3 , further comprising a housing having a face plate mounted to one of the first and second side walls of the frame, the web retractor sized and configured to be mounted to a side wall of a bed of a motor vehicle with the face plate flush with or recessed relative to an externally-facing surface of the side wall of the bed.

13 . A motor vehicle and web retractor combination, comprising:
a motor vehicle having a cargo area bounded by at least one retaining wall, the at least one retaining wall having an opening defined therein, and a web retractor according to claim 3 , wherein the web retractor is mounted in the opening of the at least one retaining wall with a face plate flush with or recessed relative to an externally-facing surface of the at least one retaining wall.

Assignees

• Indiana Mills & Mfg

Inventors

• King Jeffrey A
• Mashino Thomas

Classifications

• B65H75/4494

  Arrangements or adaptations of the crank · CPC title

• B65H75/4428

  acting on the reel or on a reel blocking mechanism · CPC title

• B65H75/425

  attached to, or forming part of a vehicle, e.g. truck, trailer, vessel · CPC title

• B65H23/00

  Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs (registering articles B65H9/00; in connection with splicing B65H21/00) · CPC title

• B65H18/10

  Mechanisms in which power is applied to web-roll spindle · CPC title