Abstract:
Belt retractor and a belt-retractor spring-cassette housing for a belt retractor. The belt-retractor spring-cassette housing can be installed in a particularly simple and therefore cost-effective manner. The belt-retractor spring-cassette housing has a spring core and a driving spring which is held in the spring core, the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing and/or the spring core are designed symmetrically so that the driving spring can have any desired torque direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a belt-retractor spring-cassette housing which can be connected to a belt retractor. Belt-retractor spring-cassette housings or covers typically contain a driving spring which exerts a torque on a belt spindle of the belt retractor so that the seat belt is retracted. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An embodiment of the invention includes providing a belt-retractor spring-cassette housing which can be produced and installed in a particularly simple and therefore cost-effective manner. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, a belt retractor housing is provided. The belt-retractor spring-cassette housing and/or a spring core of the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing is designed symmetrically so that the driving spring of the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing can have any desired torque direction. 
   According to an embodiment of the invention, one substantial advantage of the retractor housing is the ability to use the retractor for different retracting directions of rotation or belt-retracting directions of rotation. Depending on the desired belt-retracting direction of rotation, a driving spring having the matching or corresponding torque direction is installed into the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing. Due to the symmetrical construction of the spring core and/or of the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing, this is readily possible. 
   A belt-retractor spring-cassette housing can be formed in a particularly simple and therefore advantageous manner by a belt-retractor spring-cassette cover. 
   According to an embodiment of the invention, a belt retractor is provided that can be produced in a particularly simple and therefore cost-effective manner. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, a belt retractor including a spring-cassette connecting plate to which a belt-retractor spring-cassette housing can be connected is provided. 
   One substantial advantage of the belt retractor according to the invention is the fact that the retractor can be used very universally because, owing to the design of the spring-cassette connecting plate, the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing or belt-retractor spring-cassette cover already explained above can be used with any desired belt-retracting direction of rotation. The belt-retracting direction of rotation of the belt retractor is therefore determined by the torque direction of the driving spring of the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing. 
   The spring-cassette connecting plate and the belt retractor overall are advantageously constructed symmetrically so that any desired belt-retracting directions of rotation of the belt spindle are possible, and the belt-retracting direction of the belt retractor is therefore established exclusively by the torque direction of the driving spring of the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing or of the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover. The belt retractor can therefore be used on any desired side of the vehicle, an appropriate driving spring merely needing to be inserted. 
   In addition, it is regarded as being advantageous if the belt retractor has a sensor device, in particular a belt-strap sensor device or a vehicle sensor. The sensor device is preferably designed so that a belt-retractor spring-cassette housing can be fitted on it. 
   According to a further preferred refinement of the belt retractor, provision is made for the sensor device to be designed so that, when the belt-retractor spring-cassette housing is connected, a transmission of force between the driving spring and the belt spindle of the belt retractor is ensured. According to this embodiment, the spring-cassette connecting plate can preferably be formed by an outer side of the sensor device. As an alternative, the sensor device and the spring-cassette connecting plate may be arranged on different sides of the belt retractor. 
   It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below. 
       FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment for a belt retractor according to the invention, in which an exemplary embodiment for a belt-retractor spring-cassette cover according to the invention is fitted on the same side as a sensor device of the belt retractor, 
       FIG. 2  shows a second exemplary embodiment for a belt retractor according to the invention, in which an exemplary embodiment for a belt-retractor spring-cassette cover according to the invention is fitted on the same side as a sensor device of the belt retractor, 
       FIG. 3  shows a third exemplary embodiment for a belt retractor according to the invention, in which the sensor device of the belt retractor and the spring-cassette side of the belt retractor are situated on different sides, 
       FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  show an exemplary embodiment for a belt-retractor spring-cassette cover according to the invention, and 
       FIG. 5  shows construction drawings for the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover according to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  in detail. 
       FIG. 6  shows a schematic drawing of the belt retractor according to  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6  show a belt retractor  10  which is equipped on one side  30  of the belt retractor with a tightening device  20 . A sensor device  50  is fitted on the side  40  (“mechanism side”) lying opposite the side  30 , which the sensor device may contain, for example, a belt-strap sensor device  51  and/or a vehicle sensor  52 . Formed on the outer side of the sensor device  50  is a spring-cassette connecting plate  53  on which a belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is fastened. The belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is therefore situated on the “mechanism side”  40  of the belt retractor  10 . 
   In the belt retractor  10 , the tightening device  20  is arranged on the side at the rear in  FIG. 1 ; the sensor device  50  and the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  are attached on the front side in  FIG. 1 . The belt retractor is preferably designed “mirror symmetrically” so that the arrangement of the tightening device  20 , of the sensor device  50  and of the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  may also be the other way around. This means specifically that, in the belt retractor  10 , the tightening device  20  may also be arranged on the front side in  FIG. 1 ; the sensor device  50  and the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  would then have to be attached on the rear side in  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a further exemplary embodiment for a belt retractor according to the invention. In contrast with the belt retractor  10  according to  FIG. 1 , the belt retractor according to  FIG. 2  does not have a tightening device  20 . Also in the belt retractor according to  FIG. 2 , the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is arranged on the “mechanism side”  40  of the belt retractor. 
     FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment for a belt retractor, in which the mechanism side  40  (side with the sensor device  50 ) is separated from the spring-cassette connecting plate and the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60 ; specifically, the sensor device  50  and the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  are arranged on different sides of the belt retractor. 
   The belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is therefore designed so that it can be fitted both on the mechanism side  40 —and therefore on the outer side of the sensor device  50 —and also on the opposite side  30 . 
     FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  each illustrate, in a three-dimensional illustration, the manner in which the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  according to  FIG. 3  or the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  can be constructed in the “interior”. A driving spring  200  which is held in a spring core  210  can be seen. 
   It can also be seen in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  that the fixing of the driving spring  200  in the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is symmetrical. The spring fixing in the spring core  210  is also symmetrical. 
   As can be seen in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the spring core  210  is configured to retain a driving spring  200 , wherein the spring core  210  has two receiving openings  402 ,  402 ′ suitable for hooking in the driving spring  200 . Each of the two receiving openings  402 ,  402 ′ has an outlet slot  404 ,  404 ′ from which the driving spring  200  emerges in an event of being unhooked from the spring core  210 , and a hook-in region  406 ,  406 ′ adjoining the outlet slot  404 ,  404 ′. Each of the hook-in regions  406 ,  406 ′ extends concentrically with a central axis of the spring core. The hook-in region  406  of one receiving opening  402  extends in a counterclockwise direction as seen from its associated outlet slot  404  and the hook-in region  406 ′ of the other receiving opening  402 ′ extends in a clockwise direction as seen from its associated outlet slot  404 ′. 
     FIG. 5  shows the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  according to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  once again in an illustration of a detail. Specifically,  FIG. 5  shows construction drawings of the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  with different cross sections and views. In this case, the belt-retractor spring-cassette cover  60  is already fastened on a spring-cassette connecting plate  300  which is fastened later in turn on the belt retractor. 
     FIG. 5  also shows the driving spring  200  which is held in the spring core  210 . In this case, the fastening of the driving spring  200  in the spring core  210  is illustrated in detail in detailed views. 
   The priority application, Germany Patent Application No. 103 20 836.4, filed May 8, 2003, is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
   Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in the art would appreciate that there may be other embodiments and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, all modifications attainable by one versed in the art from the present disclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is to be defined as set forth in the following claims.