Patent ID: 6805381
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
In a retractor for a restraining belt for a vehicle occupant, including a reel for winding said belt thereon, a retarder mechanism for the vehicle occupant restraining belt retractor operably connected to said reel and including a quantity of a magnetorheological fluid responsive to a magnetic field imposed thereon to selectively control dereeling of said belt, wherein said mechanism includes a housing, including a space occupied by said quantity of said fluid and an electromagnetic coil supported on said mechanism and operable to impose a magnetic field on said fluid to selectively change properties of said fluid and a belt dereeling retarding force imposed on said retractor, and wherein said housing includes a generally cylindrical part defining a cylindrical bore wall and said mechanism includes a core member disposed in said housing and in spaced relationship to said bore wall to form an annular passage, and said coil is disposed in proximity to said annular passage to impose a magnetic field on said passage and on a quantity of said fluid disposed therein, and a rotatable input shaft operably connected to said housing for rotating said housing with respect to said core member in response to a dereeling force exerted by said belt.