A belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprises a frame, a belt reel which is rotatably supported within the frame, a shell (16), a sensor (18) for vehicle-sensitive locking which includes a sensor lever (20), and comprising an idler arm (22) contacting a sensor (18) and being adjustable between an initial position in which the sensor lever (20) is locked and an extracting position in which the sensor lever (20) is released. The idler arm (22) is coupled to a damping element (26) having speed-sensitive damping characteristics.

A vehicle side structure includes: a rocker disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction at a lower section of a vehicle side; and a pillar disposed along a vehicle up-down direction at the vehicle side whereby a lower end section of the pillar is joined to the rocker, the pillar including: a pillar inner panel disposed at a vehicle interior inner side, and a pillar outer panel disposed at a vehicle interior outer side of the pillar inner panel, and the pillar having an opening, formed at a lower section of the pillar inner panel, the pillar inner panel having formed therein a reinforcing section including an extended-out section that extends out toward an outer side in a vehicle width direction from an entire periphery of a peripheral edge of the opening, and a lower section of the reinforcing section being joined to an upper section of the rocker.

A 3-point seat belt system having a seat belt retractor (20) with a spool (32), the spool (32) having a locked mode of operation and a freewheeling mode of operation; a seat belt (411) characterized as having a known elongation rate under stress; a collapsible member (40) wrapped about a center portion of the spool (32) of the retractor (20), the member (40) having an initial diameter dl when unstressed and collapsible to a lesser diameter of d2 under stress. The method having the step of generating a retarding force on the occupant (404) in proportion to the degree by which the collapsible member (40) collapses.

A three-point safety belt includes a belt body, a winder, a shoulder belt guide ring, and a lock tongue. The winder and the shoulder belt guide ring are fixed onto a vehicle body. The winder is located below the shoulder belt guide ring. The lock tongue is disposed on the belt body. The lock tongue divides the belt body into a shoulder belt and a waist belt. The shoulder belt penetrates through the shoulder belt guide ring. The free end, away from the lock tongue, of the shoulder belt and the free end, away from the lock tongue, of the waist belt are both wound in the winder. The winder synchronously winds or unwinds the shoulder belt and the waist belt.

A belt retractor includes a retractor frame (10) having first and second end faces (10a, 10b) between which a belt reel (12) is pivoted. The belt retractor further includes a belt tensioner and a spring cassette (30) having a helical spring (26) coupled to the belt reel (12). The spring cassette (30) is arranged between the first end face (10a) of the retractor frame (10) and at least one component of the belt tensioner. A method of fitting such belt retractor includes mounting the spring cassette (30) on a component of the belt tensioner, especially on an inside of a tensioner casing (22) and mounting the belt tensioner including the spring cassette (30) on the retractor frame (10), especially on an end wall (10a) of the retractor frame (10). An alternative fitting method includes mounting the spring cassette (30) on an end wall (10a) of the retractor frame (10) and attaching the belt tensioner to the spring cassette (30) mounted on the end wall (10a) of the retractor frame (10).

Provided are a seat belt retractor and a seat belt apparatus the number of components of which can be reduced and the size and weight of which can be reduced. A pretensioner 5 includes a rotor 51 that is connected coaxially with a spool 2 and that has a plurality of engaging teeth 51a formed on the outer periphery thereof, a power generating means 52 that engages with the engaging teeth 51a and rotates the rotor 51, and a cover member 53 that houses at least the rotor 51, and the cover member 53 is disposed inside the base frame 3, and can bear the spool 2.

A seat assembly includes a seat back and a headrest adjustably coupled to the seat back. The headrest defines a first guide passage and a second guide passage, each extending through the headrest. The seat assembly includes a retractor and a belt. The belt extends continuously from a first end to a second end. The first end is engaged with the retractor. The belt has a looped portion from the first guide passage to the second guide passage. The belt extends from the looped portion through the first guide passage to the first end, and extends from the looped portion through the second guide passage to the second end.

To provide a seat belt retractor and a seat belt device capable of shortening time taken to restrict rotation of a spool. A seat belt retractor according to the present invention includes a spool 2, a base frame 3, a spring unit 4, a vehicle sensor 5, a locking mechanism 6, and a pretensioner 7. The locking mechanism 6 includes a lock gear 61 and a retainer 62. The lock gear 61 includes an outer circumferential wall 61a that is disposed at an end portion of the spool 2 and engageable with the vehicle sensor 5. The retainer 62 includes an inner circumferential wall 62a disposed on the inner side of the outer circumferential wall 61a and a side wall 62e that defines a space accommodating the lock gear 61. The lock gear 61 becomes engaged with the inner circumferential wall 62a or the side wall 62e of the retainer 62 when the lock gear 61 becomes eccentric relative to the retainer 62.

A belt retractor (10) is provided with a retractor shaft (12) and a device (26) for determining the rotational speed and/or the angle of rotation of the retractor shaft (12), with a rotating magnetic element (18), a stationary magnetic field sensor (24) and a stationary element guiding the magnetic flux (20) arranged between the rotating magnetic element (18) and the magnetic field sensor (24).

A seat belt retractor including a fixed frame connected to a vehicle body; a spool mounted on the fixed frame so as to be rotatable about a shaft arranged in a predetermined direction, in which a seat belt is wound around the spool; a control disc connected to the shaft about which the spool rotates to rotate together with the spool, and having external teeth; a vehicle sensor unit for detecting a change in acceleration of a vehicle by a fluctuation of an inertial member to prevent the control disc from rotating; and an installation member coupled to a housing which is coupled to one sidewall of the fixed frame, wherein the vehicle sensor unit is directly and rotatably coupled to the installation member.