IP Library Granted Patent US 10,899,312
Granted Patent B2
US 10,899,312 · App. 16/087,307 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Safety belt retractor, a vehicle safety belt and a vehicle

Inventor: Yong Han (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD
B60R22/3413B60R22/28B60R22/46B60R22/4676B60R2022/286
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,899,312
App. No.
16/087,307
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A safety belt retractor, a vehicle safety belt with the safety belt retractor and a vehicle with the vehicle safety belt are provided. The safety belt retractor is provided, on an end segment thereof, with a pre-tensioning, force-limiting and decoupling device that comprises a safety belt reel ( 1 ), a driving element ( 2 ), a sleeve ( 3 ) and an energy absorbing disc ( 4 ). The safety belt reel ( 1 ) is provided with a first recess ( 10 ) and a second recess. A first helical surface ( 9 ) is arranged in the first recess ( 10 ), and the driving element ( 2 ) is provided with a first projection ( 21 ) having a second helical surface acting together with the first helical surface ( 9 ). The sleeve ( 3 ) is provided with a second projection ( 31 ) mounted in the second recess. Under a predetermined load, the second projection ( 31 ) is cut off, such that the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ) is plastically deformed due to squeezing. The safety belt retractor achieves on the same end segment, the pre-tensioning, force-limiting and decoupling functions as well as a compact structure.

Claims (31)

1. A safety belt retractor ( 6 ), provided, on an end segment thereof, with a pre-tensioning, force-limiting and decoupling device that comprises a safety belt reel ( 1 ) supported rotatably and immovably axially and that comprises a driving element ( 2 ), wherein,

the pre-tensioning, force-limiting and decoupling device further comprises a sleeve ( 3 ) and an energy absorbing disc ( 4 ),

viewed outwards axially, the end segment of the safety belt reel comprises a first section ( 11 ), a second section ( 12 ) and a third section ( 13 ), diameters of which are successively reduced, wherein a first recess ( 10 ) is arranged in the second section ( 12 ); a first helical surface ( 9 ) is arranged on an end of the first recess facing a safety belt retracting direction, wherein a helical direction of the first helical surface corresponds to the safety belt retracting direction, wherein a generatrix of the first helical surface being in a radial direction or being at an angle of less than 20° with respect to the radial direction, and wherein a second recess ( 17 ) is arranged in the third section ( 13 ),

the driving element ( 2 ) is sleeved on the second section ( 12 ), with an axial inner end thereof abuts against an axial outer end of the first section ( 11 ), and has a first projection ( 21 ) on an inner circumferential surface thereof, wherein the first projection is mounted in the first recess ( 10 ), wherein a second helical surface ( 23 ) is arranged on an end of the first projection facing the safety belt retracting direction and in planar close fit with the first helical surface in a mounting state,

the sleeve ( 3 ) is sleeved on the third section ( 13 ) and is located within the driving element ( 2 ) radially, and on an inner circumferential surface thereof has a second projection ( 31 ) that is mounted in the second recess, wherein the second projection ( 31 ) can be cut off when a predetermined load is exceeded, while the first projection ( 21 ) can bear the predetermined load, wherein the driving element ( 2 ) can transfer an axial force to the sleeve ( 3 ),

an axial gap is arranged between the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ) on one side and an axial outer end of the sleeve and an axial outer end of the driving element on the other side, wherein an axial dimension of the axial gap is smaller than an axial dimension of the first projection, wherein the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ) is plastically deformable when squeezed by the axial outer end of the sleeve and/or the axial outer end of the driving element,

under the predetermined load, a rated pre-tensioning time is defined by the sum of the cut-off time of the second projection ( 31 ), and the squeezing plastic deformation time of the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ).

2. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ) is made of a steel sheet, and can be flattened completely when squeezed by the axial outer end of the sleeve and/or the axial outer end of the driving element.

3. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the driving element ( 2 ) is a gear wheel.

4. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the driving element ( 2 ) has two first projections ( 21 ) that are arranged oppositely in a diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the driving element, which are provided with a second surface respectively, correspondingly, the second section ( 12 ) has two first recesses ( 10 ).

5. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve ( 3 ) has two second projections ( 31 ) that are arranged oppositely in a diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve and extend in a circumferential direction, wherein the third section ( 13 ) has two corresponding L-shaped grooves ( 8 ), wherein when the sleeve ( 3 ) is sleeved on the third section ( 13 ), the second projections ( 31 ) firstly move axially along the axial branches of the L-shaped grooves ( 8 ) up to intersection points of axial branches and circumferential branches of the L-shaped grooves and then move into the circumferential branches of the L-shaped grooves through a rotational motion, wherein the circumferential branches form the second recesses ( 17 ).

6. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the second projection ( 31 ) and the second recess are provided, on an end thereof facing the safety belt retracting direction, with a snap-fit connection ( 33 ).

7. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve ( 3 ) is provided, on the axial outer end thereof, with a flange ( 32 ), and the driving element ( 2 ) is provided, on the axial outer end thereof, with a recess for receiving the flange, wherein the axial outer end of the sleeve and the axial outer end of the driving element form a common plane.

8. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein viewed outwards axially, the end segment of the safety belt reel further comprises a fourth section ( 14 ) with a reduced diameter, and therefore, the axial outer end of the third section ( 13 ) forms a surrounding shoulder, wherein the fourth section ( 14 ) passes through a hole ( 51 ) in a housing ( 5 ) and the energy absorbing disc ( 4 ) is sleeved on the fourth section ( 14 ) and is clamped between the housing ( 5 ) and the shoulder.

9. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the first helical surface ( 9 ) has a variable helical angle that is reduced progressively from inside to outside axially according to the following formula:

tan α=tan α 0 *(1− x /( k*l )),

k =( l/c ) 1/2 ,

wherein α represents the helical angle of the first helical surface at a certain point,

α 0 represents the helical angle of the first helical surface at the axial inner end thereof,

x represents an axial distance between the certain point and the axial inner end of the first helical surface,

l represents a distance between the axial inner end and the axial outer end of the first helical surface,

k represents a constant greater than 1,

and c represents an initial axial gap between the energy absorbing disc and the axial outer end of the sleeve and/or the axial outer end of the driving element.

10. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the generatrix of the first helical surface is at an angle of less than 10° with respect to the radial direction.

11. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the axial gap is 1-3 mm.

12. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the axial gap is 1 mm.

13. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the first projection is 2-10 mm.

14. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the first projection is 4-6 mm.

15. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the first projection is 4 mm.

16. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the cut-off time of the second projection is 3-6 ms and the squeezing deformation time of the energy absorbing disc is 8-16 ms.

17. The safety belt retractor of claim 1 , wherein the axial dimension of the axial gap is 1 mm, the axial dimension of the first projection is 4 mm, the cut-off time of the second projection is 3-6 ms, and the squeezing deformation time of the energy absorbing disc is 8-16 ms.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2024
From: ZF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
To: ZF ASIA PACIFIC AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069496/0645 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 17, 2024
From: TRW AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
To: ZF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069180/0705 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2018
From: HAN, YONG
To: TRW AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD
Reel/Frame 047171/0286 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2016 1 0160006 · Mar 21, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190039562A1 · Feb 7, 2019