Patent ID: 6669133
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A seat belt retractor comprising: a spool rotatably mounted in a frame for retraction or pay-out of seat belt webbing depending upon the direction of rotation of the spool; a locking ring attached to one end of the spool; a means for locking the locking ring against rotation when a crash is sensed; and load limiting means for allowing further pay-out of the seat belt webbing after the spool has locked, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum, wherein the load limiting means comprises a torsion bar attached at one end to the locking ring and at the other end to the spool; and a resilient mechanism comprising a wire releasably connected between the spool and the locking ring in the force path between the spool and the locking ring; and means for de-coupling the resilient mechanism after a predetermined number of turns of the torsion bar, the wire being drawn onto the torsion bar during load limiting.