To provide an energy absorbing device, a seat belt retractor, and a seat belt apparatus that can vary an energy absorbing amount depending on increase and decrease of rotation speed between relatively rotating objects and can improve durability. An energy absorbing device includes a casing connected to one object, an annular first clutch disc disposed in the casing, an annular second clutch disc disposed in the casing, and an annular clutch plate connected to the other object and having an engaging surface that faces both the first clutch disc and the second clutch disc, wherein the engaging outer teeth of the first clutch disc and the engaging inner teeth of the second clutch disc alternately engage with the engaging teeth of the clutch plate so as to absorb an energy generated by a relative rotation between one object and the other object.

A retractor assembly for a seatbelt system having a webbing for restraining a secured occupant, the retractor comprising a spool configured to wind and unwind the webbing about an axis of rotation, the spool includes a side with an opening therein; a collar including an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface configured to engage the opening; a locking base configured to operatively engage the inner surface; and an energy absorbing member configured to provide a progressive level of load resistance upon relative rotation between the spool and the locking base.

An energy absorbing device, a seat belt retractor, and a seat belt device, that can change an energy absorption characteristic continuously, and improve durability. A base plate that is connected to a spool and has a corrugated groove annularly formed, a cover plate that is opposingly connected to the base plate and has a corrugated groove synchronized with the corrugated groove of the base plate, a plurality of driving pins with a first end inserted into the corrugated groove of the base plate and a second end inserted into the corrugated groove of the cover plate, a plurality of mass bodies that are arranged in respective intermediate portions of the driving pins, and intermediate plates that are inserted with the driving pins, arranged on both sides of the mass bodies, and connected to a locking base.

A seatbelt tongue includes a webbing-receiving portion, a tongue portion, and a connecting portion connecting the webbing-receiving portion and the tongue portion. The connecting portion includes a lattice structure plastically deformable relative to the webbing-receiving portion and the tongue portion.

To provide an energy absorption apparatus, a seatbelt retractor, and a seatbelt apparatus that are capable of changing the energy absorption amount according to increases and decreases in the rotation speed between objects that rotate relative to each other and capable of improving endurance. The energy absorption apparatus includes a first plate connected to one of the objects and having a wave-shaped groove formed in an annular shape, a second plate connected to another one of the objects, disposed so as to be adjacent to the first plate, and having a plurality of radial grooves formed at locations that face the wave-shaped groove, a plurality of driving pins that are inserted, at one end, in the wave-shaped groove and inserted, at another end, in the radial grooves, and a plurality of follower bodies that are housed in the wave-shaped groove or the radial grooves and that slide along the wave-shaped groove as the driving pins move.

A retractor assembly comprising a spool configured to wind and unwind the webbing, a lock base, and an energy absorbing member having a first end operatively connected to the locking base and a second end operatively connected to the spool. The energy absorbing member provides a progressive level of load resistance upon relative rotation between the spool and the locking base.

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.

Functionalized biocompatible nanoparticles capable of penetrating through a mammalian cell membrane and delivering intracellularly a plurality of bioactive molecules for modulating a cellular function are disclosed herein The functionalized biocompatible nanoparticles comprise: a central nanoparticle ranging in size from about 5 to about 50 nm and having a polymer coating thereon, a plurality of functional groups covalently attached to the polymer coating, wherein the plurality of bioactive molecules are attached to the plurality of the functional groups, and wherein the plurality of bioactive molecules include at least a peptide and a protein, and wherein the peptide is capable of penetrating through the mammalian cell membrane and entering into the cell, and wherein the protein is capable of providing a new functionality within the cell. The protein may be a transcription factor selected from the group consisting of Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Lin28, cMyc, and Klf4.

Provided are a seat belt retractor and a seat belt device with which it is possible to improve energy absorption characteristics and a restraining property. The seat belt retractor includes a spool that performs winding of a webbing for restraining an occupant, a shaft inserted through an axial center of the spool, and a locking base connected to the shaft and capable of switching between a rotating state and a non-rotating state. The seat belt retractor further includes a load adjustment member disposed between the shaft and the locking base and that blocks or reduces load transmission in a case where a load equal to or greater than a threshold is applied to the shaft, and an energy absorption device disposed between the spool and the locking base and capable of changing an energy absorption amount according to a relative rotation speed between the spool and the locking base. The energy absorption device is connected in parallel with the load adjustment member.

To provide an energy absorbing device, a seat belt retractor, and a seat belt apparatus that can vary an energy absorbing amount depending on increase and decrease of rotation speed between relatively rotating objects and can improve durability. An energy absorbing device includes a casing connected to one object, an annular first clutch disc disposed in the casing, an annular second clutch disc disposed in the casing, and an annular clutch plate connected to the other object and having an engaging surface that faces both the first clutch disc and the second clutch disc, wherein the engaging outer teeth of the first clutch disc and the engaging inner teeth of the second clutch disc alternately engage with the engaging teeth of the clutch plate so as to absorb an energy generated by a relative rotation between one object and the other object.