Patent ID: 6241172
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A self-locking belt retractor comprising:a belt reeling shaft having a belt connected thereto;a locking device, activatable in a vehicle sensitive or belt-sensitive manner for preventing belt removal from said belt reeling shaft;said locking device comprising a locking member and a profiled head connected to said belt reeling shaft, wherein said belt reeling shaft is locked when said locking member engages said profiled head;at least two force-limiting elements arranged in parallel or in series to one another, wherein one of said force-limiting elements is a torsion bar allowing a limited belt removal when said locking device locks said belt reeling shaft, and wherein a second one of said force-limiting elements is a torsion sleeve surrounding said torsion bar and connected to said profiled head;a switching device for selectively engaging at least one of said force-limiting elements to thereby connect said belt reeling shaft and said profiled head, wherein said switching device comprises at least one coupling element for selectively connecting said torsion bar, said torsion sleeve, or both said torsion bar and said torsion sleeve to said belt reeling shaft, wherein said belt reeling shaft engages radially an end of said torsion bar and an end of said torsion sleeve and wherein said coupling elements are coupling pawls mounted on said belt reeling shaft, wherein a first one of said coupling bawls engages said torsion bar and wherein a second one of said coupling pawls engages said torsion sleeve;said switching device being switched between said at least one of said force-limiting elements and said belt reeling shaft for adjusting the energy absorption of said belt retractor and adapting said belt retractor to pre-adjustable incidents of loading.