Belt reel for a vehicle safety restraint arrangement and method for limiting the retraction speed of a belt during retraction onto a belt reel

1. A vehicle safety restraint arrangement comprising:

a retractable and extractable belt;

a belt reel on which the belt is windable;

a retraction mechanism adapted to retract the belt from an extracted position; and

a belt retraction brake adapted to limit the retraction speed of the belt by imparting a braking force to the belt reel during retraction of the belt, the braking force of the belt retraction brake being impartable to the belt reel via inductance so that the braking force is not applied via friction between the belt retraction brake and the belt reel.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises a coil portion adapted to cooperate with the belt reel, and at least one magnet arranged on the belt reel.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the coil portion of the belt retraction brake comprises an inductor.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises a copper cylinder.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises a disc shaped element, and at least one permanent magnet.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the disc shaped element comprises a copper disc.

7. The arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the disc shaped element is arranged on the belt reel.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt reel comprises first and second ends, and a belt portion arranged between the first and second ends, the belt being windable about the belt portion.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the first end and/or the second end comprises a substantially circular periphery.

10. The arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises at least one magnet arranged on the first end and/or the second end of the belt reel.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the at least one magnet is arranged about a substantially circular periphery of the first end and/or the second end of the belt reel.

12. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake is a passive belt retraction brake, such that the belt retraction brake requires no electricity to operate.

13. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the retraction mechanism is adapted to impart a retraction force to the belt reel that is larger than the braking force imparted to the belt reel via the belt retraction brake.

14. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises a circular magnet portion attached to the belt reel and including a plurality of poles.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14 wherein the belt reel is rotatable about an axis, and the belt retraction brake comprises an inductor having two legs positioned adjacent the magnet portion such that the two legs are aligned with each other in a direction perpendicular to the axis.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the inductor comprises a core and a wire wrapped around a portion of the core between the two legs.

17. The arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the inductor is positioned outside of an outer periphery of the belt reel and an outer periphery of the magnet portion, such that the inductor does not extend inwardly of the outer periphery of the magnet portion.

18. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the belt retraction brake comprises a magnet portion attached to the belt reel at one end of the belt reel and including a plurality of poles, and an inductor positioned outside of an outer periphery of the one end of the belt reel and having two legs that extend toward the one end of the belt reel.

19. A vehicle safety restraint arrangement comprising:

a retractable and extractable belt;

a belt reel on which the belt is windable;

a retraction mechanism adapted to retract the belt from an extracted position; and

a belt retraction brake adapted to limit the retraction speed of the belt by imparting a braking force to the belt reel during retraction of the belt, the braking force of the belt retraction brake being impartable to the belt reel via inductance, wherein the belt retraction brake is a passive belt retraction brake, such that the belt retraction brake requires no voltage source to operate.

20. A vehicle safety restraint arrangement comprising:

a retractable and extractable belt;

a belt reel on which the belt is windable;

a retraction mechanism adapted to retract the belt from an extracted position; and

a belt retraction brake adapted to limit the retraction speed of the belt by imparting a braking force to the belt reel during retraction of the belt, the braking force of the belt retraction brake being impartable to the belt reel via inductance, the belt retraction brake comprises a magnet portion attached to the belt reel at one end of the belt reel and including a plurality of poles, and an inductor positioned outside of an outer periphery of the one end of the belt reel and having two legs that extend toward the one end of the belt reel.