A restraint system includes a retractor housing, a spool rotatably coupled to the retractor housing and defining an axis of rotation, a threaded rod lockable relative to the retractor housing and elongated along the axis, a nut threaded on the threaded rod, and a spring elongated from a first end to a second end. The first end is fixed relative to the spool, and the second end is fixed relative to the nut.

A belt retractor (40) having a belt reel (14), a seat belt (12) which can be wound thereon to form a belt reel, and at least one first assembly, the first assembly being arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation of the belt reel (14) and in series with the belt reel (14). The belt retractor is especially adapted for mounting inside the frame member of a motor vehicle seat.

An adaptive load-limiting seatbelt assembly for a passenger vehicle includes a rotatable spool drum storing a length of seatbelt fabric and a piezoelectric device including a controller that can dynamically control torque applied to the spool drum resisting pay-out of the seatbelt from the spool drum during a dynamic event such as a vehicle crash.

A restraint system includes a retractor housing; a spool rotatably coupled to the retractor housing and defining an axis of rotation; a torsion bar elongated along the axis of rotation and positioned coaxially in the spool; a cylinder elongated along the axis of rotation, extending coaxially around the torsion bar, and positioned coaxially in the spool; and a cutter fixed to the spool, the cutter including a cutting edge engaging the cylinder.

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 seat-belt retractor comprising a seat-belt spindle which is rotatably mounted in a housing, an electric motor for driving the seat-belt spindle, and a gear mechanism that transmits the rotational motion from the electric motor to the seat-belt spindle, wherein: the gear mechanism, when deactivated, can be driven as an assembly for driving the seat-belt spindle with a first torque; the seat-belt retractor has a first part, which, when a tensile force exerted by the seat-belt is exceeded, is driven in a rotational motion opposite to that of the rotational direction of the electric motor; and a braking device, which brakes the rotational motion of the first part, thereby actuating a blocking device blocking a second part of the gear mechanism, the blocking device activating the gear mechanism to transmit the rotational motion of the electric motor in a reduction ratio to the seat-belt spindle.

A damped web retractor may include a frame, a spool including a spool shaft rotatably mounted to the frame, wherein the spool is configured to couple to one end of a web such that the web wraps around the spool as the spool shaft rotates relative to the frame in a web take up direction and such that the web unwraps from the spool as the spool shaft rotates in a web pay out direction, and a damper operatively coupled to the spool shaft, the damper configured to resist rotation of the spool shaft in at least one rotational direction.

In a webbing take-up device, side faces of press-fit holes in a pinion are inclined in directions toward the outside of the press-fit holes on progression toward the right. Press-fit portions of a torsion shaft are press-fit into the press-fit holes from the right such that an interference force between the press-fit portions and the side faces of the press-fit holes increases on progression toward the left. This enables the press-fit portions to be effectively retained in the press-fit holes.

A coupling element (32) which is movable between a coupling position in which the coupling element couples the belt reel (12) to the damping means (22) and an idle position in which the coupling element (32) is disconnected from the belt reel (12) is provided on a belt retractor (10) comprising a belt reel (12) which is mounted in a housing (14) and onto which webbing of a seat belt can be wound and comprising a damping means (22) adapted to dampen the winding rotation of the belt reel (12) in a defined end portion.

A retractor includes a spool, a torsion bar and a torsion tube rotationally fixed to the spool, and a locking member aligned with the torsion bar. The torsion bar and the torsion tube extend coaxially from the spool to respective first ends, and the torsion bar has a key. The locking member is movable from an unlocked position rotationally disengaged with the torsion bar to a locked position wherein the key rotationally fixes the locking member to the first end of the torsion bar. When the locking member is in the unlocked position, the torsion bar may be plastically deformed to limit the load applied by webbing against an occupant. If sufficient force is applied to the webbing, the locking member moves to the locked position in which both torsion bar and the torsion tube are locked together and, in tandem, limit the load applied by the webbing.