A seatbelt pretensioning retractor assembly for use in a passenger vehicle is provided. The pretensioning assembly includes a tube in fluid communication with a gas generator and a driving element disposed therein that travels in a first direction in response to actuation of the gas generator. The driving element includes a polymer rod. A stopper is coupled to an end portion of the polymer rod. In one example, a seal member is disposed between the gas generator and the stopper. In another example, the tube has an opening that is adjacent to an exit to facilitate venting gas from the gas generator.

The invention provides in a best tensioner (10), especially a rotary tensioner, for a seat belt comprising an elongate and preferably cylindrical pressure cylinder (129, a piston (18) movably supported in the pressure cylinder (12) in the longitudinal direction which is adapted to be pressurized with fluid under pressure and thus to be moved into a tensioning direction (S), a thrust means (20) interacting with the piston (18) and a stop (24) provided on the inside (38) of the pressure cylinder (12) to which the piston (18) can be adjacent in the tensioning direction (S) at an end position at which the piston (18) seals the pressure cylinder (12), that the stop (24) is made of a plastically deformable material and is plastically deformed by the piston (18) at the end position so that the piston is in sealing contact with the inside of the pressure cylinder (12).

[Object] To provide a seat belt retractor that is capable of generating a more stable load when restricting a load acting on the seat belt and when absorbing energy, and a seat belt apparatus including the same. [Solution] A seat belt retractor 3 includes a frame 11, a seat belt 4, a spool 12 that is rotatably supported by the frame 11 and that retracts the seat belt 4, a lock mechanism 60 that allows rotation of the spool 12 while not in operation and that prevents rotation of the spool 12 in a seat belt withdrawing direction while in operation, and an energy absorption mechanism 20 that restricts a load acting on the seat belt 4 and that absorbs energy of an occupant. In the seat belt retractor 3, the energy absorption mechanism 20 includes a first energy absorption member 21 that absorbs energy through a rotational difference between the spool 12 and the lock mechanism 60, a first energy transmission member 22 that is attached on one end side of the first energy absorption member 21, a second energy transmission member 23 that meshes with the first energy transmission member 22, and a second energy absorption member 24 that absorbs energy through a rotational difference between the second energy transmission member 23 and the spool 12.

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 belt tensioner for a seat belt system comprises a pinion (10) pivoted about an axis of rotation A which is adapted to be coupled to a best reel of a belt retractor, a drive unit, a force transmission element (12) and a guide means. By activating the drive unit the force transmission element (12) is moved along the guide means so that it engages in the pinion (10). The guide means includes a portion (16) which is deformable in a direction x perpendicular to the axis of rotation A of the pinion (10) and to the direction of movement y of the force transmission element (12).

A pretensioner includes a drive wheel provided with a plurality of engaging teeth for rotating a spool, the spool for winding up a webbing for fastening a passenger; and an elongated resin component that transmits power to the drive wheel during an emergency, wherein the plurality of teeth is positioned such that, when one engaging tooth is caused to contact a tip of the elongated resin component in an approximately planer manner, another engaging tooth adjacent to the one engaging tooth in a direction opposite to a rotation direction can contact a side surface of the elongated resin component.

In a method of producing a tubular structure for a gas generator, a tubular body is positioned relative to a forming device having inner and outer tools, which are moved relative to an end portion of the tubular body until an inner circumferential surface of a neck of the end portion rests against a support surface of the inner tool to reduce a diameter of the end portion by a tool contour of the outer tool and thereby form a shoulder. The outer tool is held in position upon the end portion and the neck inner circumferential surface is calibrated by a calibrating surface on a calibrating member of the inner tool while an outer circumferential surface of the neck is supported by the outer tool, as the inner tool is removed from the end portion. The outer tool is then removed from the end portion of the tubular body.

The invention relates to a pressure unit (64) for pressurizing a belt shaft (12) in a seat belt system comprising a screw (66) for fastening the pressure unit (64) to a frame (18) of the seat belt system, the screw (66) including a screw head (68) and a screw shank (70), wherein the pressure unit (64) comprises a fastening portion (72) having a screw hole (74) for inserting the screw shank (70), wherein radial play is provided between the screw hole (74) and the screw shank (70) and the fastening portion (72) on the screw head side includes mounting arms (76) for axially fixing the screw (66) in a pre-assembly position. Moreover, the invention also comprises an end fitting (11) of a seat belt system comprising such pressure unit (64).

A seat belt retractor includes a housing including a pair of side walls facing each other, a winding drum configured to wind up a webbing, a locking base being prevented from being rotated in the pull-out direction, in an emergency of a vehicle, an impact energy absorbing member connecting the winding drum and the locking base so as to be integrally rotatable in a normal state, an impact energy absorbing wire housed in a slot provided in the winding drum so as to form an opening in the first end surface of the winding drum, a ring provided integrally with or separately from the locking base, and a stopper member being configured to define an allowable amount of relative rotation between the winding drum and the locking base in a case where the impact energy absorbing member absorbs the impact energy.

A webbing pull-in device has a take-up shaft at which a webbing can be pulled in due to the take-up shaft being operated, a first pulley that is rotated at a time of an emergency of a vehicle, and a second pulley that, by being rotated, operates the take-up shaft. Further, the webbing pull-in device has a connecting wire that connects the first pulley and the second pulley, and that, by being taken up onto the first pulley at a time when the first pulley is rotated, transmits rotational force of the first pulley to the second pulley.