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.

For a vehicle seat, for instance an aircraft passenger seat, a seat belt system including a seat belt reel having a rotating shaft, a seat belt wound on the rotating shaft, and a lock for locking at least one of the rotating shaft and the seat belt. At least one sensor is operative to output a signal when a sensed parameter exceeds a predetermined magnitude threshold. An activation device is operative to activate the lock. A time delay device electrically coupled to the at least one sensor and the activation device is operative to, upon receiving the signal output by the at least one sensor, activate the activation device upon completion of a time delay after receiving the signal output by the at least one sensor. Further embodiments include shoulder belts forming loops allowing a predetermined amount of forward travel prior to restraining a passenger.

A wheelchair occupant restraint device includes: a wheelchair retractor which is disposed in a vehicle cabin, and around which one end portion of a wheelchair belt member is wound; a wheelchair buckle which is disposed on the opposite side of a securing space for a wheelchair from the wheelchair retractor, and on which a wheelchair tongue plate attached to the other end portion of the wheelchair belt member is able to be mounted; an occupant retractor which is disposed on the opposite side of the securing space from the wheelchair retractor, and around which one end portion of an occupant belt member is wound; and an occupant buckle which is disposed on the opposite side of the securing space from the occupant retractor, and on which an occupant tongue plate attached to the other end portion of the occupant belt member is able to be mounted.

The invention describes a belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprising a belt reel (12) supported for rotation in a frame, a sensor (16) for vehicle-sensitive blocking of the belt reel (12) and a mechanism (17) for disabling the sensor (16). Via a gear (18) supported for rotation on the frame and a cam follower (22) the belt reel (12) acts on the mechanism (17) for disabling the sensor (16) and can adjust the same.

The invention describes a belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprising a belt reel (12) supported for rotation in a frame, a sensor (16) for vehicle-sensitive blocking of the belt reel (12) and a mechanism (17) for disabling the sensor (16). Via a gear (18) supported for rotation on the frame and a cam follower (22) the belt reel (12) acts on the mechanism (17) for disabling the sensor (16) and can adjust the same.

A restraint system for a vehicle, with which in a pre-crash phase prior to a predicted front crash time a vehicle occupant resting on a vehicle seat can be raised from a comfort position to an upright operative position by a forward displacer, in which in a crash phase a seat belt fastened on the vehicle occupant exerts a restraining effect on the vehicle occupant, in which an electromotive reversible belt pretensioner is activated to limit the restraining force exerted on the vehicle occupant to a predefined force level, namely by means of forward displacement of the vehicle occupant along a belt force limiting travel. In accordance with the invention, when raising the vehicle occupant to the operative position in the pre-crash phase, the electromotively reversible belt pretensioner generates a pre-crash belt slack so as to provide the pre-crash belt pullout travel required for raising the vehicle occupant in a restraining-force-free manner.

A system includes a seatbelt retractor having a spool and a braking claw selectively engageable with the spool. The system includes an actuator designed to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool. The system includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuator to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool for a threshold amount of time after detecting an impact of a vehicle.

A system includes a seatbelt retractor having a spool and a braking claw selectively engageable with the spool. The system includes an actuator designed to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool. The system includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuator to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool for a threshold amount of time after detecting an impact of a vehicle.

In a webbing take-up device, when a lock tooth of a pawl is being rotated toward a lock base, a leading end of the lock tooth is rotated to between leading ends of ratchet teeth of the lock base. This enables the leading end of the lock tooth to be suppressed from colliding with the leading ends of the ratchet teeth.

A system includes a seatbelt retractor having a spool and a braking claw selectively engageable with the spool. The system includes an actuator designed to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool. The system includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuator to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool for a threshold amount of time after detecting an impact of a vehicle.