A belt retractor comprises a frame (10), a belt reel (12) rotatably arranged in the frame (10) and having a first end (16) and an opposite second end (17) as well as comprising a blocking mechanism (18) arranged at an end face of the belt reel (12) by which the belt reel (12) can be blocked within the frame (10). The belt retractor further comprises an axially extending first load limiter which is releasably coupled to the belt reel (12) by means of a disconnecting clutch (24), a second load limiter which is coupled to be rotationally fixed to the first load limiter or a hub, and a third load limiter which can be coupled to be rotationally fixed to the belt reel (12) by means of a connecting clutch (38). Moreover, a method for controlling such belt retractor is provided.

A seat belt retractor includes a core having an outer surface, a cover having an inner surface facing the outer surface. and a plurality of tubes between the cover and the core. The plurality of tubes is deformable relative to at least one of the core and the cover. Each tube has an outer periphery. The entire periphery of each tube is movable relative to the outer surface and the inner surface.

In a seat belt retractor (12) for a vehicle, comprising a frame (14) in which a belt reel (10) is supported which includes a reel body (26) as wed as a first flange (32) and a second flange (34), said flanges being provided at the axial ends (28, 30) of the reel body (26) and each being arranged in a seat (22) of the frame (14), wherein the first flange (32) is rotatable relative to the reel body (26) and wherein between the first flange (32) and the reel body (26) a force limiter is provided, and at the seat (22) locking teeth (24) are provided and at the first flange (32) a toothing corresponding to the locking teeth is provided, the second flange (34) is rotatable relative to the reel body (26) and at the second flange (34) and/or at the reel body (26) interacting stops (50, 54, 58) are provided for limiting rotation of the second flange (34) relative to the reel body (26). Furthermore, the second flange (34) Includes a peripheral wall (44) which encloses the axial end (30) of the reel body (26) facing the second flange (34) in the peripheral direction.

A webbing take-up device includes a spool, a lock gear that restricts pull-out direction rotation of the spool, a force limiter mechanism that permits pull-out direction rotation of the spool at or above a force limiter load, and a pawl that switches the force limiter load. The webbing take-up device further includes a cylinder section that includes a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, a gas generator that supplies gas into the second cylindrical portion, and a piston section that is moved along the first cylindrical portion by an increase in pressure inside the second cylindrical portion and the first cylindrical portion so as to press and displace the pawl. An axial center of the second cylindrical portion is disposed offset with respect to an axial center of the first cylindrical portion, and an abutted portion that is abutted by the piston section is provided at a boundary between the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion.

A winding drum used for winding a safety belt extends in the axial direction and is rotatably supported in a frame of a retractor. A gear mechanism is installed at one side of the winding drum through a force limiting mechanism and comprises a stop wheel and a ball gear which are riveted and fixedly connected in the axial direction. The stop wheel is rotatably installed on the frame, and the ball gear comprises a penetrating shaft hole. The force limiting mechanism is inserted into the shaft hole in the axial direction and both ends of the force limiting mechanism are respectively connected with the winding drum and the gear mechanism to prevent passengers from being excessively restrained by realizing the force limiting function. The gear mechanism and the force limiting mechanism are directly assembled to the winding drum, with simple steps and few independent components.

An increase in structural complexity is suppressed in a webbing take-up device provided with a force limiter load switching mechanism and a pre-tensioner mechanism. The webbing take-up device includes a spool that takes up a webbing, a pre-tensioner mechanism that takes up the webbing onto the spool by rotating the spool in the take-up direction in a vehicle emergency, and a lock mechanism that restricts pull-out direction rotation of the spool in a vehicle emergency. The webbing take-up device further includes a force limiter mechanism that permits pull-out direction rotation of the spool at a force limiter load or greater when the lock mechanism has restricted pull-out direction rotation of the spool, and a force limiter load switching mechanism that switches a force limiter load value by being input with a portion of an actuation force that actuates the pre-tensioner mechanism.

A seatbelt retractor includes a base, a spool, a cylinder, a transfer plate, and a cylinder lock. The spool is rotatably coupled to the base and has a piston portion. The cylinder is engaged with the piston portion and therewith defines a chamber. The piston portion is movable from a first position to a second position. The transfer plate is translateably disposed in the first chamber. The cylinder lock in a first condition rotatably fixes the cylinder to the base. Damping fluid is in the chamber.

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 webbing take-up device includes a spool that takes up a webbing worn by an occupant, and that is rotated in a pull-out direction due to the webbing being pulled out, and a lock base that limits pull-out direction rotation of the spool in a vehicle emergency. The webbing take-up device further includes an energy absorbing wire that undergoes deformation so as to permit pull-out direction rotation of the spool at or above a force limiter load when the lock base has limited pull-out direction rotation of the spool, and a second force limiter mechanism that adjusts the pressing force of the energy absorbing wire according to a remaining take-up amount of the webbing on the spool.

A seatbelt retractor device includes a pre-tensioner section, and a force limiter section that can change a magnitude of a load at which to start reducing tension of the retracted seatbelt. A seatbelt control ECU activates the pre-tensioner section when a deceleration G detected by a floor sensor exceeds a first threshold, and acquires a collision velocity from a radar device and sets a second threshold value to a lower value the greater the collision velocity. The seatbelt control ECU controls the starting load for tension reduction by the force limiter section to be a high load when the deceleration G has exceeded the second threshold within a determination time period after activation of the pre-tensioner section, and controls the starting load for tension reduction to be a low load when which the deceleration G has not exceeded the second threshold within the determination time period.