Patent ID: 6494395
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A seat belt retractor, comprising:a reel for winding a seat belt, a spring member connected to the reel for providing a retracting force thereto so as not to provide a feeling of oppression to a passenger when the passenger has fastened the seat belt, a motor connected to the reel for driving the reel only in a direction of retracting the seat belt and generating a retracting force greater than that of the spring member, a clutch mechanism situated between the motor and the reel, said clutch mechanism, when the seat belt is withdrawn from the reel while the motor is being actuated to retract the seat belt, disengaging a connection between the motor and the reel so that the motor does not provide the retracting force to the reel and the seat belt can be freely withdrawn, and a detector for detecting a direction of rotation of the reel connected to the reel, said detector having a switch plate moved according a rotation of the reel, and a switch actuated by the switch plate so that when the seat belt is withdrawn, the switch is operated to detect the direction of rotation of the reel, said switch being connected to the motor such that when the switch is turned on while the motor is being actuated to retract the seat belt, the motor is turned off.