A seat belt retractor with a belt shaft rotatably supported in a frame for winding up a seat belt. A blocking device blocks the belt shaft in the winding off direction. A control disk (1) is spring-loaded in the direction of winding up and with a cogging (2). A sensor device (3) inertia mass (4) and a blocking lever (5) can be deflected by the inertia mass (4), which blocks the control disk (1) by deflecting the inertia mass (4) and an engagement of the blocking lever (5) into the cogging (2) of the control disk (1). A counter gear unit (6) driven by the rotary movement of the belt shaft, and a first switching device (7) is activated by the counter gear unit (6) and blocks the control disk (1) after a first belt webbing withdrawal (A) and frees it again after a second belt webbing intake (B). A second switching device (8) is activated by the counter gear unit (6) and fixes the blocking lever (5) after a belt webbing intake (C) in a non-engagement position into the cogging (2) of the control disk (1).

The invention refers to a load-bearing structural part (2) of a seat structure of a vehicle seat, which has a cavity (21), in which a belt retractor (40) is arranged.

An inclination controlling mechanism of a seatbelt device is provided with: a pulley that converts an advancing/retracting movement of a cable of the cable advancing/retracting mechanism; a drive gear mounted around a pivot shaft of the pulley and synchronized with rotation of the pulley; and a driven gear mounted around a pivot shaft of a sensor housing so as to move in conjunction with a rotation of the sensor housing. The drive gear and driven gear engage with each other in a condition where a rotational track surface of the drive gear and rotational track surface of the driven gear intersect at a predetermined angle. As a result, an inertial body supporting surface serving as a sensor reference plane can be accurately maintained horizontally even at an arbitrary seatback recline angle, and thus the accuracy of the acceleration sensor can be improved.

An inclination controlling mechanism of a seatbelt device is provided with: a pulley that converts an advancing/retracting movement of a cable of the cable advancing/retracting mechanism; a drive gear mounted around a pivot shaft of the pulley and synchronized with rotation of the pulley; and a driven gear mounted around a pivot shaft of a sensor housing so as to move in conjunction with a rotation of the sensor housing. The drive gear and driven gear engage with each other in a condition where a rotational track surface of the drive gear and rotational track surface of the driven gear intersect at a predetermined angle. As a result, an inertial body supporting surface serving as a sensor reference plane can be accurately maintained horizontally even at an arbitrary seatback recline angle, and thus the accuracy of the acceleration sensor can be improved.

A seat belt retractor that includes a torsion bar is positioned in a spool. The second end of the torsion bar is engaged with a locking mechanism mounted to the frame. The torsion bar is configured to be locked at the second end while the first end rotates with the spool so that the torsion bar deforms to absorb force. The locking mechanism includes a lock base and a locking hub that is mounted to the second end of the torsion bar and is releasably connected to the lock base to prevent the second end of the torsion bar from rotating. The locking hub is configured to be released and rotate relative to the lock base to thereby permit rotation of the second end of the torsion bar with the first end of the torsion bar and the spool.

A seat belt retractor that includes a torsion bar is positioned in a spool. The second end of the torsion bar is engaged with a locking mechanism mounted to the frame. The torsion bar is configured to be locked at the second end while the first end rotates with the spool so that the torsion bar deforms to absorb force. The locking mechanism includes a lock base and a locking hub that is mounted to the second end of the torsion bar and is releasably connected to the lock base to prevent the second end of the torsion bar from rotating. The locking hub is configured to be released and rotate relative to the lock base to thereby permit rotation of the second end of the torsion bar with the first end of the torsion bar and the spool.

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor used with a seat belt assembly of a motor vehicle. The seat belt retractor includes a reel for winding and unwinding the seat belt and an elongated shaft, with the reel attached to the shaft. In one example, a movable disc is connected to and moves longitudinally along the shaft. At least one of the reel or movable disc includes a friction layer providing a friction surface such that when the movable disc is driven axially toward the reel there is frictional engagement between the reel and movable disc that absorbs impact energy on the occupant and limits the load applied to the seat belt.

A vehicle-sensitive sensor for a self-locking belt retractor, including a carrier part (4), a locking lever (2) including an engagement point (3), and a sensor mass (1) coupled to the locking lever (2), disposed as standing upright on a supporting face (5) of the carrier part (4) and tiltable with respect to the carrier part (4) The sensor mass (1) includes a sensor part (6), made of a first material, resting on the supporting face (5), and of a mass part (7), made of a second material, connected to the sensor part (6), disposed above the supporting face (5), wherein the first material forming the sensor part (6) has a lower density and a lesser hardness than the second material forming the mass part (7).

A vehicle-sensitive sensor for a self-locking belt retractor, including a carrier part (4), a locking lever (2) including an engagement point (3), and a sensor mass (1) coupled to the locking lever (2), disposed as standing upright on a supporting face (5) of the carrier part (4) and tiltable with respect to the carrier part (4) The sensor mass (1) includes a sensor part (6), made of a first material, resting on the supporting face (5), and of a mass part (7), made of a second material, connected to the sensor part (6), disposed above the supporting face (5), wherein the first material forming the sensor part (6) has a lower density and a lesser hardness than the second material forming the mass part (7).

The relates to a sensor for activating a vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of a belt retractor, comprising an inertia body, a bearing supporting the inertia body, a release element which can be moved out of an idle position by movement of the inertia body so as to activate the vehicle occupant restraint system, wherein the inertia body can be pivoted about a stationary point of rotation.