Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Strand tensioning device – Tortuous course
Patent
1987-12-21
1989-04-04
Jillions, John M.
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Strand tensioning device
Tortuous course
2421074R, B60R 2240
Patent
active
048178853
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an improved automatic-emergency locking retractor for seat belts which is provided in a vehicle to restrain a seat occupant in case of emergency. More particularly, this invention relates to a highly reliable automatic-emergency locking retractor for seat belts which enables the seat occupant to feel comfortable when he is wearing the seat belt and which is operable without fail and has a special lever member mounted on a clutch plate for locking, and a control cam mechanism for controlling the lever member.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, a variety of traffic accidents are increasing with the increase in the number of road transport vehicles, and it is necessary to protect vehicle drivers and fellow passengers from these accidents. Therefore, at present, in many countries, vehicle's seat occupants are obligated to wear seat belts in order to prevent them from getting hurt or being physiologically injured. In general, a seat belt comprises a webbing for restraining a seat occupant, a buckle for wearing this webbing, and a retractor for controlling the unwinding and winding of the webbing. A variety of contrivances are exercised on the retractors for controlling the unwinding and winding of the webbing. As for such retractors for seat belts, there are Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) wherein when the unwound webbing is once rewound operationally it cannot be pulled out any longer, and Emergency Locking Retractors (ELR) wherein arrangement is made such that when the acceleration exerted on the vehicle body is detected and it has increased to a predetermined value, the webbing cannot be pulled out any longer. A good many kinds of such retractors are already put on the market. Further, child restraining devices for child passengers have already been marketed. These child restraining devices are used by securing each of them onto a common seat by means of a seat belt. In this case, it is necessary from the viewpoint of safety to fixedly secure the child restraining device to a common seat prior to putting it to use. In such a case, the purpose of fixing the child restraining device securely onto the seat can readily be achieved by using a seat belt having an ALR function wherein when the webbing is once rewound it cannot be pulled out any longer. In contrast thereto, in case the child restraining device is fixedly secured onto a seat in the vehicle by means of a seat belt having ELR function, the vibration of the vehicle when it is running causes a relative motion between the child restraining device and the seat to which it is attached, and as a result, the seat belt tends to be unwound gradually from the retractor and get loose thus causing a condition in which the child restraining device is not fixedly secured by the seat belt. Therefore, to avoid such a risk, in case of fixedly securing the child restraining device to a seat by a seat belt having ELR function, it becomes necessary to carry out operations such as fixing the child restraining device to the seat securely in the condition the whole webbing is pulled out from the retractor and winding the remaining part of the webbing round a locking clip, thus requiring a very troublesome operation to attach the child restraining device to a common seat. For such reasons, in case of fixedly securing the child restraining device to a seat in the vehicle, it is convenient and recommendable from the viewpoint of safety to use a seat belt of ALR type.
However, the seat belts of ALR type are arranged when the webbing is once rewound, it cannot be pulled out any longer, and so in case there is no need of securing the child restraining device in the vehicle; that is to say, in case adult passengers occupy the seats in the vehicle, the use of seat belt of this type restrains the seat occupant always to his seat so as not to allow him to move his body freely thus letting him to feel uncomfortable when he is wearing the seat belt during the running of the vehicle.
In view of such situations, there has been developed in rec
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Ashimori Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Jillions John M.
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