A seat belt system for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, the system having seat belt webbing connected to a seat belt retractor that includes (a) a frame; (b) a spool with the seat belt webbing wound around, wherein the spool is rotatably mounted to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction; (c) an energy absorbing device for absorbing energy when the spool is rotated in the webbing extraction direction after an emergency event has occurred; and (d) a mechanism for selectively cancelling the operation of the energy absorbing device by preventing motion of the spool in the webbing extraction direction.

A seat belt system for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, the system having seat belt webbing connected to a seat belt retractor that includes (a) a frame; (b) a spool with the seat belt webbing wound around, wherein the spool is rotatably mounted to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction; (c) an energy absorbing device for absorbing energy when the spool is rotated in the webbing extraction direction after an emergency event has occurred; and (d) a mechanism for selectively cancelling the operation of the energy absorbing device by preventing motion of the spool in the webbing extraction direction.

In a vehicle emergency, a spool of a webbing take-up device is rotated in a pull-out direction such that a main lock is displaced toward a rotation-radial direction outside of the spool and engages with a clutch gear configuring a first rotation body. Rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction is thus restricted. Also in a vehicle emergency, the first rotation body is rotated in a take-up direction of the spool such that the main lock engages with the first rotation body, and rotation force of the first rotation body is transmitted to the spool through the main lock and the spool is rotated in the take-up direction.

In a vehicle emergency, a spool of a webbing take-up device is rotated in a pull-out direction such that a main lock is displaced toward a rotation-radial direction outside of the spool and engages with a clutch gear configuring a first rotation body. Rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction is thus restricted. Also in a vehicle emergency, the first rotation body is rotated in a take-up direction of the spool such that the main lock engages with the first rotation body, and rotation force of the first rotation body is transmitted to the spool through the main lock and the spool is rotated in the take-up direction.

The invention relates to a belt retractor (5) for a vehicle seat belt system, comprising a frame (10), a belt reel (14) which is rotatably arranged within the frame (10), and a locking system which can lock the belt reel in a webbing-sensitive manner, wherein the locking system includes an inertia pawl (30) which per se co-rotates with the belt reel (14) and is pivotable from a home position in which the belt reel is freely rotatable about a pivot axis (S) to a locking position, characterized in that a means to trigger pivoting of the inertia pawl (30) is provided which is responsive to exceeding a predetermined centrifugal force.

The invention relates to a belt retractor (5) for a vehicle seat belt system, comprising a frame (10), a belt reel (14) which is rotatably arranged within the frame (10), and a locking system which can lock the belt reel in a webbing-sensitive manner, wherein the locking system includes an inertia pawl (30) which per se co-rotates with the belt reel (14) and is pivotable from a home position in which the belt reel is freely rotatable about a pivot axis (S) to a locking position, characterized in that a means to trigger pivoting of the inertia pawl (30) is provided which is responsive to exceeding a predetermined centrifugal force.

The rotatable locking section engages with the fixed locking section resulting in pull-out direction rotation of the spool being locked. The webbing take-up device includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet that restrict displacement of the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section, and that are actuated in a vehicle emergency so as to displace the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section. A restricting force of the rotatable locking section by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet is set such that the rotatable locking section is displaced toward the fixed locking section by an inertial force that spins the rotatable locking section about its own center of rotation when the electromagnet is deactivated and the spool has been rotated in the pull-out direction with an angular acceleration greater than a predetermined angular acceleration.

The rotatable locking section engages with the fixed locking section resulting in pull-out direction rotation of the spool being locked. The webbing take-up device includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet that restrict displacement of the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section, and that are actuated in a vehicle emergency so as to displace the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section. A restricting force of the rotatable locking section by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet is set such that the rotatable locking section is displaced toward the fixed locking section by an inertial force that spins the rotatable locking section about its own center of rotation when the electromagnet is deactivated and the spool has been rotated in the pull-out direction with an angular acceleration greater than a predetermined angular acceleration.

A seat belt safety apparatus for a vehicle is provided and implements both of the functions of a retractor and a pretensioner in a structure with a seat belt disposed in a seat. The functions of a retractor and a pretensioner are separated in the seat belt safety apparatus to reduce the installation space.

A seat belt safety apparatus for a vehicle is provided and implements both of the functions of a retractor and a pretensioner in a structure with a seat belt disposed in a seat. The functions of a retractor and a pretensioner are separated in the seat belt safety apparatus to reduce the installation space.