A seatbelt device for a vehicle comprises a belt which restrains an occupant, a retractor which supports the belt so as to wind up one end of the belt, a frictional-force applier which is configured to apply a frictional force to the belt by contacting the belt, and an actuator to actuate the frictional-force applier so as to change the frictional force.

A safety belt retractor having a load limiting device is provided. The load limiting device comprises: a hollow spool (1) on which a webbing can be wound, a locking disk (2) having a flange (21) and a sleeve (22) attached thereto, and a torsion bar (3); the locking disk (2) can be mounted with the flange (21) on an end of the spool (1) and can extend with the sleeve (22) into a hollow chamber of the spool (1), and the spool (1) is rotatable in relation to the locking disk (2); the torsion bar (3) can be arranged in the hollow chamber of the spool (1) and is fixed on the spool (1) and on the locking disk (2) in a rotationally secured manner. The load limiting device further comprises a load limiting ring (5) with a thread (51) on the inner circumference, the load limiting ring (5) can be rotated around the sleeve (22) with the rotation of the spool (1), and the sleeve (22) is provided on its outer circumference with an engaging section (221) and with a resistance part for applying a resistance to the load limiting ring (5), the sleeve (22) having in the engaging section (221) a mating thread which matches with the thread (51) of the load limiting ring (5) and the resistance part being arranged downstream of the engaging section (221) in the axial displacement direction of the load limiting ring (5).

A seat belt retractor comprises (a) a rotatable spool on which seat belt webbing is wound and (b) a load-limiting system to limit a load applied to a vehicle occupant by the webbing. The load-limiting system includes a flow control orifice through which fluid is forced when a load in excess of a predetermined load is applied to the rotatable spool by the webbing. The cross-sectional flow area of the flow control orifice is adjustable in response to unwinding of webbing from the rotatable spool prior to a vehicle crash event and ceases to be adjustable after the crash event is in progress. The load-limiting system also includes a piston in a cylinder. The piston and cylinder are operatively coupled to the spool such that rotation of the spool causes the piston to move relative to the cylinder, which movement causes fluid to be forced through the flow control orifice.

A three-point seatbelt device includes: a webbing configured to function as a shoulder belt and a lap belt; a shoulder-side reeler that includes a pre-tensioner mechanism and a shoulder-side force limiter mechanism, and is configured to reel up an end portion of the webbing on a shoulder belt side so as to allow the webbing to be pulled out; a tongue mounted on the webbing; and an inner belt including a buckle to which the tongue is coupled, the inner belt including, of a pre-tensioner mechanism and a buckle-side force limiter mechanism, only the buckle-side force limiter mechanism. An initial load of the buckle-side force limiter mechanism is set to be larger than an initial load of the shoulder-side force limiter mechanism.

A load limiter may include a load limiter body to which a downward pulling force and an upward pulling force are applied together in opposite directions, wherein the load limiter absorbs energy by deformation to limit the downward pulling force in a multi-stage manner and simultaneously absorbs energy by deformation to limit the upward pulling force in a multi-stage manner.

A seat belt retractor comprises (a) a rotatable spool on which seat belt webbing is wound and (b) a load-limiting system to limit a load applied to a vehicle occupant by the webbing. The load-limiting system includes a flow control orifice through which fluid is forced when a load in excess of a predetermined load is applied to the rotatable spool by the webbing. The cross-sectional flow area of the flow control orifice is adjustable in response to unwinding of webbing from the rotatable spool prior to a vehicle crash event and ceases to be adjustable after the crash event is in progress. The load-limiting system also includes a piston in a cylinder. The piston and cylinder are operatively coupled to the spool such that rotation of the spool causes the piston to move relative to the cylinder, which movement causes fluid to be forced through the flow control orifice.

A belt retractor comprises a frame (10), a belt reel (12) rotatably arranged in the frame (10) and having a first end (16) and an opposite second end (17) as well as comprising a blocking mechanism (18) arranged at an end face of the belt reel (12) by which the belt reel (12) can be blocked within the frame (10). The belt retractor further comprises an axially extending first load limiter which is releasably coupled to the belt reel (12) by means of a disconnecting clutch (24), a second load limiter which is coupled to be rotationally fixed to the first load limiter or a hub, and a third load limiter which can be coupled to be rotationally fixed to the belt reel (12) by means of a connecting clutch (38). Moreover, a method for controlling such belt retractor is provided.

A restraint system includes a housing defining a cavity tapering to an end and a plug disposed in the cavity. The plug is larger than the end of the housing. A seatbelt buckle is fixed relative to one of the housing and the plug and is moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the other of the housing and the plug. The plug is moveable relative to the housing toward the end during movement from the first position to the second position. One of the housing and the plug is plastically deformable by the other of the housing and the plug during movement from the first position to the second position.

A seatbelt retractor includes a spool, a piston, and a cylinder. The spool is rotatably coupled to a base by a piston and a cylinder. The piston is fixed to one of the base and the spool. The cylinder receives the piston and is fixed to the other of the base and the spool. A cutter is disposed between and fixed to one of the piston and the cylinder. The cutter is in engagement with the other of the piston and the cylinder.

Methods and mechanisms for a shoulder belt assembly for a vehicle are provided. The shoulder belt assembly includes a shoulder belt mechanically coupled to a seat in the vehicle, a control module operationally coupled to the shoulder belt and a vehicle management system, the control module configured to detect current movement of the vehicle and passenger information for a passenger in a seat, identify an event, and generate a customized control signal that is a function of the current movement of the vehicle and a physical characteristic of the passenger in the seat. The shoulder belt assembly also has a load limiting mechanism configured to respond to the control signal by, causing a fold in the shoulder belt, the fold having the characteristics of (i) being oriented width-wise, and (ii) having a substantially uniform fold depth; and holding the fold in accordance with the control signal.