On a belt retractor (10) for a vehicle seat belt comprising a frame (12) provided with plural locking teeth (24), a belt reel (14) which is rotatably supported in the frame (12) and includes a locking tooth system (26) corresponding to the locking teeth (24), and comprising a locking mechanism adapted to transfer the belt reel (14) from a home position in which it is freely rotatable into a locking position in which the locking tooth system (26) of the belt reel (14) engages in the locking teeth (24) of the frame (12), wherein at least one pivoting control lever (28) is provided in which one side of the belt reel (14) is rotatably supported and which is adapted to guide the belt reel (14) from the home position into the locking position, an interlock mechanism is provided which releases the pivoting movement of the control lever (28) not before the latter has been rotated in the unwinding direction (A) of the webbing out of a home position into a release position.

A locking retractor includes a frame, a spool shaft rotatably mounted thereto, an outer surface of a base of a housing mounted to the frame with one end of the spool shaft extending into an opening defined through the base, one or more locking components arranged on an inner surface of the housing and configured to cooperate with the spool shaft to selectively block rotation of the spool relative to the frame, a sealing member configured to extend about and engage a periphery of the first opening and to extend about and engage a periphery of the spool shaft to form a seal between the base of the housing and the spool shaft to block ingress of moisture and particles, and a cover hermetically attached to the housing with the locking components sealed between the cover and the base of the housing.

A locking retractor includes a frame, a spool shaft rotatably mounted thereto, an outer surface of a base of a housing mounted to the frame with one end of the spool shaft extending into an opening defined through the base, one or more locking components arranged on an inner surface of the housing and configured to cooperate with the spool shaft to selectively block rotation of the spool relative to the frame, a sealing member configured to extend about and engage a periphery of the first opening and to extend about and engage a periphery of the spool shaft to form a seal between the base of the housing and the spool shaft to block ingress of moisture and particles, and a cover hermetically attached to the housing with the locking components sealed between the cover and the base of the housing.

A seat belt retractor includes a housing and a spool supported by the housing. Webbing is wound around the spool. A webbing engagement member is supported by the housing and is movable to a locked position engaged with the webbing for preventing movement of the webbing relative to webbing engagement member. An activating device is slideably supported by the housing and is slideably engageable with the webbing engagement member for moving the webbing locking device to the locked position. In the locked position, the webbing locking device prevents the webbing from being fed from the spool, thus preventing any slack in the webbing on the spool from being fed out when the webbing locking device is in the locked position.

A vehicle seatbelt apparatus includes a seatbelt web wrapped in a reel around a motor-rotated shaft. A latch is selectively engageable with the reel to lock a seatbelt retractor from movement in one direction while allowing movement of the retractor under motor rotation of the shaft in response to pre-crash vehicle braking deceleration, a vehicle downhill angle or a vehicle lateral g force exceeding a threshold. When a retractor locked position is detected, the motor is activated to retract the seatbelt web for a predetermined time period to urge the passenger toward a center upright position in a vehicle seat.

A vehicle seatbelt apparatus includes a seatbelt web wrapped in a reel around a motor-rotated shaft. A latch is selectively engageable with the reel to lock a seatbelt retractor from movement in one direction while allowing movement of the retractor under motor rotation of the shaft in response to pre-crash vehicle braking deceleration, a vehicle downhill angle or a vehicle lateral g force exceeding a threshold. When a retractor locked position is detected, the motor is activated to retract the seatbelt web for a predetermined time period to urge the passenger toward a center upright position in a vehicle seat.

A seat belt retractor includes a vehicle acceleration sensor. The vehicle acceleration sensor includes a sensor holder including a placement surface and an attachment member to which the sensor holder is coupled. The attachment member is attached to the housing in a state in which the sensor holder is in either a first posture or a second posture. The sensor holder is configured to be coupled to the attachment member at any one of a plurality of angular positions. The plurality of angular positions are positions of the sensor holder in a case where the sensor holder rotates around a rotation axis. A plurality of sensor attachment angles corresponding to the plurality of angular positions are different between the first posture and the second posture. The plurality of sensor attachment angles are angles, with respect to the housing, of the center line of the placement surface.

A seat belt retractor includes a vehicle acceleration sensor. The vehicle acceleration sensor includes a sensor holder including a placement surface and an attachment member to which the sensor holder is coupled. The attachment member is attached to the housing in a state in which the sensor holder is in either a first posture or a second posture. The sensor holder is configured to be coupled to the attachment member at any one of a plurality of angular positions. The plurality of angular positions are positions of the sensor holder in a case where the sensor holder rotates around a rotation axis. A plurality of sensor attachment angles corresponding to the plurality of angular positions are different between the first posture and the second posture. The plurality of sensor attachment angles are angles, with respect to the housing, of the center line of the placement surface.

There is provided an acceleration sensor enabling precise positioning of a sensor lever of the acceleration sensor, for ensuring a stable operation of the acceleration sensor, and a seat belt retractor including the acceleration sensor. Shafts of a sensor lever projects from a base. The sensor lever is supported between supports of a sensor holder so as to be rotatable and shiftable in a rotation axis direction. The sensor lever is rotated by displacement of an inertia mass. A limiting portion of the sensor holder is brought into contact with contact portions of the sensor lever. The limiting portion limits shifting of the sensor lever in the rotation axis direction, so as to avoid contact between the base and the supports.

A seatbelt retractor for a vehicle seatbelt webbing includes a frame and a spool rotatably mounted to the frame. The spool is configured to have the seatbelt webbing wound thereon. First and second bands are disposed in the spool symmetrically about an axis of the spool. The first and second bands are configured to plastically deform to at least partially absorb a load on the seatbelt webbing.