Sealed web retractors for personal restraint systems and associated systems and methods

1. A web retractor for use with an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, the web retractor comprising:

a frame having a sidewall with a first opening;

a locking assembly having a housing with a second opening, wherein the housing is attached to the sidewall of the frame with the second opening adjacent to the first opening;

a spool shaft configured to carry a web wound thereon;

a shaft coupler operably coupling the shaft to the locking assembly through the first and second openings; and

at least one seal operably positioned in the first opening between the shaft coupler and the sidewall, wherein the shaft coupler is rotatably and sealably carried by the sidewall.

2. The web retractor of claim 1 wherein:

the shaft coupler includes an inner bearing portion having a blind hole that extends at least partially through the first opening of the sidewall; and

the shaft has an end portion that is inserted into the blind hole.

3. The web retractor of claim 1 wherein:

the web retractor further includes an outer race of a bearing assembly;

the outer race is seated at least in the first opening of the sidewall; and

the shaft coupler forms an inner race of the bearing assembly.

4. The web retractor of claim 3 wherein the seal extends between the inner and outer races.

5. The web retractor of claim 3 wherein the outer race includes a recess adjacent the first opening and receiving the seal therebetween.

6. The web retractor of claim 1 wherein the shaft coupler includes a bearing portion that forms an inner race of a bearing assembly, and at least one integral projection projecting from the bearing portion and engaging a locking component of the locking assembly.

7. The web retractor of claim 6 wherein:

the locking component includes a web-sense spring; and

the at least one integral projection includes a first projection and second projection defining a slot configured to receive an end portion of the web-sense spring.

8. The web retractor of claim 1 , further comprising:

an outer race concentrically surrounding the shaft coupler and seated at least within the first opening; and

a plurality of rotatable bearing elements operably held between the outer race and the shaft coupler.

9. The web retractor of claim 8 wherein:

the locking assembly includes a recess concentrically surrounding the second opening; and

the outer race includes an extension portion that extends into the recess and over a portion of the sidewall adjacent the first opening.

10. A sealed web retractor for use with a seat belt web, the web retractor comprising:

a frame having first and second opposing sidewalls, wherein the first sidewall has a first opening and the second sidewall has a second opening;

a locking assembly attached to the first sidewall adjacent the first opening;

a spring drive assembly attached to the second sidewall adjacent the second opening;

a web spool having a shaft operably coupled to the locking assembly and the spring drive assembly,

at least one bearing assembly, the bearing assembly including—

a shaft coupler fixedly coupled to an end portion of the spool shaft to operably couple the spool shaft to one of the locking assembly or the drive assembly,

an outer bearing member fixedly disposed in one of the first opening or the second opening and spaced apart from the shaft coupler to define an annular space therebetween,

a plurality of rotatable bearing elements operably disposed in the annular space between the outer bearing member and the shaft coupler, and

a seal member operably disposed adjacent the bearing elements to seal the annular space between the outer bearing member and the shaft coupler.

11. The web retractor of claim 10 wherein:

the shaft coupler includes an inner bearing portion and one or more integral projections projecting from the inner bearing portion; and

the one or more projections are configured to operably engage one of (1) at least one locking component within the locking assembly and (2) at least one drive component within the spring drive assembly.

12. The web retractor of claim 11 wherein the at least one locking component includes a web-sense spring, and the at least one drive component includes a drive spring.

13. The web retractor of claim 11 wherein:

the outer bearing member includes an interior groove facing the inner bearing portion of the shaft coupler; and

the seal member is inserted into the interior groove and abuts the inner bearing portion of the shaft coupler.

14. The web retractor of claim 10 wherein:

the seal member is a first seal member;

the outer bearing member includes an outer recess facing the one of the first opening and the second opening; and

the web retractor further comprises a third seal member inserted into the outer recess.

15. The web retractor of claim 10 wherein the outer bearing member includes an extension portion extending radially beyond the one of the first and second shaft openings.

16. The web retractor of claim 15 wherein:

the seal member is a first seal member;

the outer bearing member includes a recess adjacent the extension portion; and

the web retractor further comprises a second seal member inserted into the recess.

17. A sealed web retractor for retracting a web, the retractor comprising:

a frame having a first opening formed in a sidewall thereof;

a locking assembly having a housing with a second opening;

a spool shaft for carrying a web wound thereon;

a bearing assembly rotatably supporting an end portion of the spool shaft, the bearing assembly including—

an outer bearing member coupled to the sidewall in the first opening, and

a coupler fixedly coupled to the end portion of the spool shaft, wherein the coupler includes (1) an inner bearing portion rotatably coupled to the outer bearing member, and (2) means for operably engaging locking components though the second opening to releasably lock the spool shaft in response to rotation of the spool shaft above a threshold; and

means for preventing fluid to pass into the housing between the coupler and the outer bearing member.

18. The web retractor of claim 17 wherein the means for preventing fluid to pass into the housing between the coupler and the outer bearing member includes:

a first seal member between the outer bearing member and the inner bearing portion of the shaft coupler; and

a second seal member between the outer bearing member and a surface in the first opening.

19. The web retractor of claim 18 wherein the outer bearing member includes an extension portion adjacent the second seal member and projecting radially beyond the first opening.

20. The web retractor of claim 18 wherein the means for preventing fluid to pass into the housing between the coupler and the outer bearing member includes a third seal member (1) surrounding the second opening of the housing of the locking assembly and (2) positioned between the housing and the sidewall of the frame.