Patent ID: 7628349
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A seat belt retractor for a seat belt system comprising: a first and a second rotatable spool for storing seat belt webbing and allowing retraction and extraction of the webbing from the retractor, and an inertia sensitive actuator wherein the inertia sensitive actuator causes locking of the first and second spools in response to inertial forces acting on the retractor for restricting extraction of the webbing from the retractor, the inertia sensitive actuator having an excitation mass moveable from a neutral position to a displaced position in response to the inertial forces, and a linkage in the form of a first sensor lever and a second sensor lever, the first and second sensor levers contacting the excitation mass and each being mounted for rotation about separate pivot points and responsive to movement of the excitation mass from the neutral position to the displaced position, the first sensor lever coupled with the first spool to cause the locking of the first spool, and the second sensor lever coupled with the second spool to cause locking of the second spool; wherein the excitation mass is a standing man type mass which tilts about a pivot point positioned at near a bottom of the mass from a generally vertical neutral position to a tipped displaced position, and the excitation mass engaging with said first and second levers above said pivot point when in the displaced position.