Abstract:
The invention relates to a safety net device with a housing, in which a winding shaft is rotationally mounted. The winding shaft is pretensioned by a spring motor in the direction of winding of a safety net which is fixed to the winding shaft. The other edge of the safety net which is fixed to the winding shaft. The other edge of the safety net is connected to a pull bar which is suspended in the recesses in the car body. In order to minimize the effort required by the user to suspend said device, a holding device absorbs at least part of the pull-back force when the safety net is wound back into the housing immediately after the safety net has been pulled out of the housing to enable the pull bar to be suspended in the recesses. The holding device can be released at will in order to roll up the safety net back into the housing.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This patent application is a divisional application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/146,077, filed May 15, 2002, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/319,425, filed Aug. 2, 1999 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,526) which is a 371 of PCT/DE97/02838, filed Dec. 4, 1997. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to safety devices for automobiles, and more particularly to an improved safety net device for sealing off the luggage compartment or truck of an automobile from the passenger compartment.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Safety net devices function for the purpose of mechanically sealing off the luggage compartment or trunk from the passenger compartment in station wagons or similar automobiles. They should prevent objects from being thrown from the luggage compartment into the passenger compartment in case of a rear-end collision or crash, where they would injure or kill the passengers. For this purpose, the opening which is below the inside roof lining and is remaining, for example, above the edge of the rear seat back rest is closed with the safety net when such a danger potentially exists.  
         [0004]     If on the other hand, an endangering of the passengers can be ruled out with certainty because the loading height in the luggage compartment does not exceed the height of the rear seat edge, and also because objects sliding together can not pile up in such a way during a rear-end collision that they climb over the rear seat back rest, the safety net does not need to be used. On the contrary, it then becomes rather disruptive.  
         [0005]     For this reason, the safety net is frequently constructed in the manner of a self-erecting window shade.  
         [0006]     The patent EP-A-0 649 778 shows a safety net device of this type. The known safety net device has a housing, in which a winding shaft is set in bearings so that it can rotate. Onto the winding shaft, a safety net is attached with one edge and its other edge is provided with a pull bar. The pull bar carries anchorage components, which can be suspended in the corresponding receptacle bays in the car body.  
         [0007]     The spring drive, which pretensions the winding shaft in the wind-up direction, is relatively powerful, in order to hold the safety net sufficiently tautly tensioned when it is reeled-out. The spring motor, however, is not so strong that it could retain the objects that are thrown against the safety net, during a crash or a strong braking operation.  
         [0008]     In order to be able to deploy the safety net in the known arrangement, the pull bar must first be pulled sufficiently far out of the housing against the action of the winding spring. Only then can the anchorage components be suspended in the receptacle bays.  
         [0009]     On account of the strength of the spring motor, a considerable force is necessary for this and on top of that, the receptacle bays are difficult for a service person standing in front of the luggage compartment opening of the vehicle to see because of the vehicle geometry. For the service person, it is therefore not easy to suspend the anchorage components in the receptacle bays, especially taking into account the somewhat unfavorable bodily posture with outstretched arms, which is necessary for this operation.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to create a safety net device which is easier to handle when it is suspended in the receptacle bays on the car body.  
         [0011]     The present invention provides these and other advantages and overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a safety net device having a retaining device which allows the net to be unwound with as little effort as possible.  
         [0012]     The retaining device provides that at least a portion of the pull-back force that occurs through the drive device for the winding shaft or its spring motor, is reduced. The user thus only has to apply a small supplemental force on the pull bar. This smaller force can also be readily produced with outstretched arms.  
         [0013]     Moreover, the retaining device has the great advantage that it signals to the user when a sufficient quantity of safety net has been unwound, so that the pull bar can be guided into the receptacle bays in the car body. This is especially significant for safety nets that are to be used variably, in the sense that the housing is located in the one usage position at the level of the upper edge of the rear seat back rest. In the other usage position, the housing is located near the floor of the luggage compartment, so that a corresponding supply of safety net must be wound up onto the winding shaft. The retaining device makes it simpler for the user to find the corresponding intermediate position.  
         [0014]     In a corresponding manner, at least one pull-out position defines a partial pull-out length, in which the safety net is only withdrawn by a portion of its total possible pull-out length. If the safety net is constructed only for one pull-out length, it is also possible to define the pull-out position such that it almost completely corresponds to the total possible pull-out length.  
         [0015]     The handling is especially favorable when the retaining device is constructed in such a manner that it completely absorbs the pull-back force. A retaining device of this type is preferably provided so that it has two states, namely a first one in which it absorbs the pull-back force, and a second one in which it does not absorb the pull-back force, so that the safety net can be wound up again around the winding shaft.  
         [0016]     In the case of a complete absorption of the pull-back force by the retaining device, a triggering device is allocated to the retaining device and is set up in order to transfer the retaining device from the first state into the second state.  
         [0017]     This triggering device can be made from a timing element so that a manual activation is unnecessary. It can, however, also be planned for manual activation. This embodiment form is constructively the simplest; however, it has as a prerequisite a combined action of the user.  
         [0018]     The retaining device can also be designed in such a manner that it at least signals to the user that the safety net has been pulled out far enough to suspend the pull bar.  
         [0019]     For the embodiment of the retaining device, three different basic designs come into consideration. In the one basic design, the retaining device operates together with the pull bar, in the second embodiment form, together with the winding shaft and in a third embodiment form, it can act together with a bar that is affixed to the safety net.  
         [0020]     Regardless of how the retaining device is constructed in detail, it can have catch mechanisms that act together in a non-positive manner and can be overcome, which are constructed so that they do not prevent a further pull-out of the safety net over that pull-out length in which the safety net is pulled out far enough so that the pull bar can be suspended in the receptacle bays. These catch mechanisms likewise readily absorb a portion of the pull-back force and thus make handling easier during suspension of the pull bar.  
         [0021]     The retaining device can also have capture mechanisms that act together in a positive-locking manner, which are constructed so that they block a further pull out of the safety net over that pull out length in which the safety net is pulled out far enough so that the pull bar can be suspended in the receptacle bays.  
         [0022]     Catch mechanisms that act together in a non-positive manner and can be overcome can, for example, be in a groove connected to the housing, which is open on the end side and in which a pull bar that is mounted on the net can be caught.  
         [0023]     In order to create the retaining device mentioned above, which acts together with the winding shaft, a pivotable locking component can be used as a stationary retaining mechanism. This locking component is set in bearings in the housing next to the winding shaft and carries a catch that acts together with the bar affixed to the safety net. The locking component has two operating positions, where in the one position it blocks a return movement of the safety net, whereas in the other position, the bar can pass freely.  
         [0024]     A device of this type is to be dismounted both by hand as well as automatically, and to be precise, for example, using a timing element. This timing element consists in the simplest case of a viscosity brake. So that the timing element is not effective when the locking component is brought into the locking position, it is coupled via a free-wheel to the viscosity brake. The viscosity brake only allows the locking component to slide back in a comparatively slow manner into the release position under the influence of force, so that during the total delay time, the pull-back force is absorbed by the viscosity brake.  
         [0025]     In the case of the retaining device acting together with the pull bar, at least one spacer component is provided in the simplest case, which is affixed to the housing at one end and at the other end is connected to the pull bar. In the process, the mechanical ratios are very simple if the spacer component has a fixed, non-variable length.  
         [0026]     In order to obtain the desired comfortable handling, the spacer component is connected to the housing in such a way that it prevents the movement of the pull bar away from the housing in the direction towards the luggage compartment opening, just as it prevents the suspension of the pull bar in the receptacle bays. This is achieved when the spacer component on the housing is coupled to an articulated device, which has two axles running at right angles to each other.  
         [0027]     The pull bar can be provided with a slide guide for the end of the spacer component that is set off at a distance from the housing.  
         [0028]     A catch device provided on the pull bar allows that in one state, the relevant end of the spacer component can pass freely, whereas on the other hand, in the other operating position, the spacer component can slide through in only one direction. In this way, a supporting effect occurs which is effective between the housing and the pull bar, since the pivoting of the spacer component is prevented by the catch device.  
         [0029]     These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention and upon reference to the drawings wherein: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a safety net device according to the invention, as it is attached to the rear side of a rear seat back rest, with the safety net pulled out to be suspended below the inside roof lining,  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the safety net device according to  FIG. 1 , in a suspended position,  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  shows another embodiment for a safety net device, as it is affixed on the rear side of a rear seat back rest, with a safety net partially pulled out in the direction towards the luggage compartment opening, in a perspective diagram,  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows the detail in A from  FIG. 3  in an enlarged perspective diagram,  
         [0034]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are enlarged schematic views showing the catch mechanism on one side of the safety net according to  FIG. 3   
         [0035]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are perspective views showing a retaining device in the form of catch mechanisms for the safety net device according to  FIG. 3  in different positions,  
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is a perspective break-away view showing an embodiment of a retaining device with a timing element,  
         [0037]      FIG. 10  shows the arrangement according to  FIG. 8  in a similar diagram, however, of another operating position,  
         [0038]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view showing the housing of the safety net device according to  FIG. 9 , depicted in the resting position,  
         [0039]      FIG. 12  shows the device according to  FIG. 11  in the locking position,  
         [0040]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view showing the locking component and the time function element,  
         [0041]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing a safety net device, in which the retaining device acts together with the winding shaft with the housing omitted,  
         [0042]      FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view showing the follower connected to the winding shaft,  
         [0043]      FIG. 16  is a schematic longitudinal section view showing the end of the winding shaft provided with the follower, together with the spiral groove,  
         [0044]      FIG. 17  shows the retaining device of the embodiment example according to  FIG. 14 , in the retaining position and in a section at a right angle to the axle of the winding shaft, and  
         [0045]      FIG. 18  shows the arrangement according to  FIG. 17 , in another operating position, and  
         [0046]      FIG. 19  to  FIG. 23  show a retaining device in combination with a triggering device that functions depending on acceleration. 
     
    
       [0047]     While the invention will be described and disclosed in connection with certain preferred embodiments and procedures, it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. Rather it is intended to cover all such alternative embodiments and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0048]     In  FIG. 1 , the rear part  1 , depicted in break-away, of a station wagon or automobile is shown in perspective view, where its luggage compartment  2  is defined by a floor  3  as well as two side walls, of which only the right side wall  4  is shown. Above the side wall  4 , a rear side window  5  is located, while the front edge of the luggage compartment  2  forms a rear seat back rest  6  of a rear seat bench. The side window  5  ends at the front on a C-column  7 , which is located approximately at the height of the rear seat back rest  6  and at the rear end in the area of a luggage compartment opening  8 , of which only a side edge is shown.  
         [0049]     As can be recognized in the Figure, there is an opening between the inside roof lining, which can not be recognized in the Figure, and the upper edge of the rear seat back rest  6 , by which the luggage compartment  2  is connected to the passenger compartment, which is located in front of the rear seat back rest  6 . So that in a rear-end collision, no objects from the luggage compartment  2  are thrown into the passenger compartment, a safety net device  9  is provided. This safety net device  9  has a housing  11  as well as a safety net  12  to be pulled out of the housing  11 .  
         [0050]     The housing  11  is a longitudinal housing, which is detachably connected to the rear side of the rear seat back rest  6  and extends almost over the entire width. In the inside of the housing  11 , a winding shaft  13  is located, which is set in bearings so that it can rotate on the end side in the housing  11 . The length of the winding shaft  13  corresponds approximately to the length of the housing  11 .  
         [0051]     The winding shaft  13  is tube-shaped at least in an end section and contains in this section a coil spring  14 , which functions as a spring motor. The coil spring  14  is connected at its internal end  15  rigidly to the winding shaft  13 , while its outer-lying end  16  is connected rigidly so that it cannot rotate to a bearing journal  17  for the winding shaft  13 , which is affixed to the housing.  
         [0052]     On the winding shaft  13 , the safety net  12  is attached by a crosswise edge, which leads out through an outlet slit  18  from the housing  11 , which is limited by two lips  19 ,  20  that are parallel to each other. A lip of the outlet slit  18 , namely the lip  19 , is toothed, in order to catch the safety net  12  in a crash in the manner described later. The lip  19  is adjacent to the passenger space.  
         [0053]     The safety net  12  has an edge that faces away from the winding shaft  13  and is affixed to a pull bar  21 . Lateral edges of the safety net  12  are bordered with bands  22 .  
         [0054]     The pull bar  21  is a profile tube with a weather-stripping groove for attachment of the relevant edge of the safety net  12 . In its ends, the pull bar  21  contains mushroom-shaped anchor elements  23 , which are provided for suspending in receptacle bays  24  in the car body.  
         [0055]     The spring motor  14  attempts to pull the safety net  12  into the housing  11  with a relatively large force. The force is so large that the suspension of the anchor elements  23  can be difficult. In order to prevent the running back of the safety net  12  into the housing  11  during the suspension of the anchor elements  23 , a retaining device  25  is provided.  
         [0056]     The retaining device  25  includes two stanchions  26 , each of which is hinged at one end of the housing  11 . In the following, the exact description for one of the two stanchions  26  is given. This description applies logically and spatially as a mirror image also for the respective other of the two stanchions  26 .  
         [0057]     In order to affix the right stanchion  26  to the right side of the housing  11 , a bearing block  27  is attached on the upper side of the housing. The bearing block  27  is located next to the outlet slit  18  on the side of the toothed lip  19 . In it, a hinged bearing  28  is set so that it can be rotated around an axle. The pivot axle of the hinged bearing  28  lies parallel to the longitudinal axis of the winding shaft  13 . On the hinged bearing  28 , the housing-side end of the stanchion  26  is coupled, and to be precise, the stanchion  26  can be rotated in the hinged bearing  28  around an axle that runs at a right angle to the axle around which the hinged bearing  28  itself can turn.  
         [0058]     The end of the stanchion  26  that lies away from the housing  11  is pivotally connected, to a carriage  29  that can be conducted to slide in a guide groove, not shown, in the pull bar  21 . The connection between the stanchion  26  and the carriage  29  occurs, for example, via a loosely sitting rivet  31 , which allows the desired hinge movement of the stanchion  26 .  
         [0059]     The guide groove, which receives the carriage  29 , extends over the entire length of the pull bar  21 .  
         [0060]     On the pull bar  21 , a catch device  32  is provided, which contains a cover  33 . This cover  33  is provided for the purpose of covering the groove in which the two carriages  29  run, and it is connected to a hinge  34  so that it is movable with the pull bar  21 . Using a spring that is not shown, the cover  33  is pretensioned in a position in which it projects in the movement path of the two carriages  29  in the guide groove. In order to lift the cover  33  out of this position, an activating clip  35  is present which is rigidly connected to the cover  33 . Between the activating clip  35  and the pull bar  21 , a handle ring  36  is located, which is attached to the pull bar  21 .  
         [0061]     The handling of the depicted safety net device  9  is as follows, where it is assumed that the safety net  12  is first located in the wound up position in the housing  11 .  
         [0062]     In this position, the two stanchions  26  are parallel to the pull bar  21  and their carriages  29  are opposite each other a short distance apart. The cover  33  is lifted and lies on the respective parts of the carriages  29 , which project out from the corresponding guide groove.  
         [0063]     The force of the spring motor  14  causes the pull bar  21  to lie tightly on the outlet slit  18 .  
         [0064]     When the user wants to deploy the safety net  12 , he grasps the pull bar  21  from out of the luggage compartment opening  8  on the handle ring  36  and pulls the pull bar  21  to himself in the direction towards the luggage compartment opening  8 . During this movement, the safety net  12  is pulled out against the action of the spring motor  14  over the smooth lips  20  of the outlet slit  18 , as is shown in  FIG. 1 . The movement of the pull bar  21  away from the housing  11  pivots the stanchions  26  out of the position parallel to the pull bar  31  into a position that is at an angle to it, where the carriages  29  move, at the same time, away from the vicinity of the center of the pull bar  31  in the direction towards the respective adjacent end. The pivot movements are accommodated in the hinge  31  and the hinge bearing  28 .  
         [0065]     As soon as the length of the safety net  12  is pulled out of the housing  11 , as is necessary so that the anchor elements  23  can be suspended in the receptacle bays  24 , the two carriages  29  come into an area of their guide slit which is no longer covered by the cover  33 . The cover  33  is, starting from this position of the carriage  29 , no longer kept away from the pull bar  21 , instead it can be pushed against the pull bar  21  under the action of its pretensioning spring. In this pushed position, it is located in the clearance space of the sliding path of the two carriages  29 .  
         [0066]     When the user pulls the safety net  12  out of the housing  11  beyond this point and then lets the pull bar  21  go, the spring motor  14  can then pull the safety net  12  only far enough back into the housing  11 , until the two carriages  29  hit against the ends of the cover  33  that are set in the longitudinal direction of the pull bar  21 . Further movement of the carriages  29  is prevented by the cover  33 . The carriages  29  are held apart from each other at a defined distance by the cover  33 . This distance defines the angle which the stanchions  26  enclose together and thus also the distance of the pull bar  21  from the housing  11 .  
         [0067]     The pull bar  21  is then rigidly supported via the two stanchions  26  opposite the housing  1 . The two stanchions  26  run at a slant angle and form a trapezoid, which is stable in shape and has equal legs, together with the corresponding section of the pull bar  21  and the corresponding section of the housing  11 . This is, so to speak, a frame for the safety net.  
         [0068]     The user can then without additional force exertion, guide the pull bar  21  to the top from the position according to  FIG. 1 , where it performs a circle movement around the axles of the hinge bearings  28 . At the end of the swing-up movement, the anchorage components  23 , as is recognized in  FIG. 2 , slide into the receptacle bays  24 . The opening above the rear seat back rest  6  is closed by the safety net  12 .  
         [0069]     The safety net  12 , which is itself elastic and flexible, and which in addition, is under pretension by the spring motor  14 , can be swung to the top, just like a completely rigid formed body. The stanchions  26  and the pull bar  21  form a rigid frame for the safety net  21  during handling.  
         [0070]     The catching of the anchor elements  23  in the receptacle bays  24  is simplified even further when the receptacle bays  24  are provided with a type of lead-in funnel that provides for an additional short piece of the safety net  12  to then be pulled out of the housing  11  during the catching movement.  
         [0071]     As is apparent, the user does not need to constantly apply an opposing force against the pull-back force of the spring motor  14  when guiding up the pull bar  21  into the receptacle bays  24 . The introduction of the anchor elements  23  into the receptacle bays  24  is done almost free of forces. The user must not, as is otherwise customary, lift up the pull bar  21  with extended arms against the action of the spring motor  14 .  
         [0072]     The retraction of the safety net  12  occurs as is logical in the reverse manner, in which at first the anchor elements  23  are pulled out of the receptacle bays  24 ; where for this purpose, overcoming the catching force is sufficient. Then, the pull bar  21  is moved to the bottom, such that the movement is in turn guided by the stanchions  26 . At the end of the movement, the stanchions  26  are set down on the upper side of the housing  11 . The user can now grasp with a finger through the grip ring  36  and press down the clip  35  with his thumb. In this way, he lifts the cover  33  out of the clearance space of the carriages  29 , which can now move freely towards each other. This makes it possible for the pull bar  21  to be guided onto the housing  11 , where at the same time, the spring motor  14  winds up the safety net  12 . The end position is achieved when the pull bar  21  is set down on the outlet slit  18 . In this position, the stanchions  26  again run parallel to the pull bar  21  and to the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0073]     If a crash should occur when the safety net  12  is deployed and objects fly out of the luggage compartment  3  into the safety net  12 , an additional pulling off of the safety net from the winding shaft  13  is prevented through the toothed lip  19 . Its teeth grip into the meshes of the safety net  12  and block a pull-off movement.  
         [0074]     In the FIGS.  3  to  7 , an embodiment is shown, in which the retaining device  25  acts together with the safety net  12 . If structural components and other components reoccur in the figures, which have already been explained in relation to the  FIGS. 1 and 2 , they will not be described again.  
         [0075]     In order to simplify the operation of the new safety net device  9 , two mirror-image retaining devices  25  are provided on both sides of the safety net  12 . The structure of the retaining devices  25  is better seen from  FIG. 4 , which shows an enlarged section of the area framed by the dash-dot circle A. Since the retaining devices  25  are equivalent on both sides of the safety net  12  as mentioned, the explanation of the retaining device  25  that faces the observer will be sufficient.  
         [0076]     The retaining device  25  is a retaining device that is positive locking and has two catch mechanisms  41  and  42  that act together with one another, of which one is attached to the lip  20  as a stationary retaining mechanism  41  and the other is attached to the safety net  12  as a movable retaining mechanism  42 .  
         [0077]     The catch mechanisms  42  attached to the safety net  12  are the ends of a rod or stanchion  43  that is essentially rectangular in cross-section and stable in shape.  
         [0078]     The stanchion  43  is attached to the side of the safety net  12  that faces the luggage compartment opening  8  and runs over the entire width of the safety net  12 . On both side edges which are formed from the bordering bands  22 , the stanchion  43  overhangs by a corresponding piece extending further out so that, as mentioned, its ends  42  can form the catch mechanism connected to the safety net  12 . It runs parallel to and at a distance from the pull bar  21 ; the exact distance can be gathered from the functional description.  
         [0079]     The other catch mechanism  41  is locationally fixed and consists of a spring steel band  44 , which, as is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , is bent. The spring steel band  44  forms an essentially straight or only slightly bent strut  45  in the state free of force, as is seen in  FIG. 5 , which on its lower end, for example using a rivet  46 , is riveted fixed on the inside of the housing  11  to the lip  20 . The lip  20  is not shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0080]     On the end that faces away from the attached end, the spring band  44  at  47  is angled in the direction away from the slit  18 , so that a step  48  results. At  49 , the spring band  44  is again bent around in the direction parallel to the strut  45 , and to be precise, at such a distance that the step  48  resulting from this is smaller than that corresponding to the thickness of the stanchion  43 .  
         [0081]     Starting from the bending position  49 , the spring band  44  essentially runs straight to a position  51  and there changes in a 180° arc  52 , at the open end of which the spring band  44  is bent to the outside while forming an entry slope  53  in an S-shape. In this way, a hook  54  results, that has a clearance width that is sufficient to receive the catch mechanism  42 , i.e. the projecting end of the stanchion  43 .  
         [0082]     When it is in the installed position, the strut  45  goes through the slit  18  to the inside, while the hook  54  projects as shown out of the slit  18 . The hook  54  is to open in the direction to the winding shaft  13  and its hook opening is located on that side of the strut  45 , which faces the lip  19 , such that the function described in the following can occur.  
         [0083]     The functional method of the safety net device described thus far is as follows:  
         [0084]     In the resting condition, the safety net  12  is completely wound up on the winding shaft  13 . The loop of the safety net  12  with the pull bar  21  contained in it lies on the outside on the two lips  19  and  20  of the outlet slit  18 .  
         [0085]     When the user wants to suspend the safety net  12  in the receptacle bays  24  above the C-columns when the back rest  6  is erected as it is shown in  FIG. 1 , he pulls the safety net  12  in the direction towards the luggage compartment opening  8  out of the housing  11  using an activation loop  55  that is attached to the safety net  12 . In this process, the safety net  12  unwinds from the winding shaft  13  opposite the effective direction of the spring motor  14 .  
         [0086]     During the pulling off or pulling out of the safety net  12 , it slides over the smooth lip  20  and moves essentially in a horizontal plane. In the process of this movement out, at some time corresponding to the distance of the pull bar  21  from the stanchion  43 , the stanchion  43  is pulled out of the slit  18 . During this movement directed to the outside, the projecting ends  42  with the strut  45  of the locationally fixed catch mechanism  41  come into engagement and bend the strut  45  spring-elastically, as  FIG. 5  shows, around the lip  20 . During the additional movement, the projecting ends  42  get into the hook  54 , where they are reliably guided by the inlet slopes  53  into the hook  54 .  
         [0087]     As soon as the catch mechanisms  42  that can be moved with the safety net  12 , in the form of the projecting ends of the stanchion  43 , have hooked into the two locationally fixed hooks  54 , no additional pull-out movement of the safety net  12  is possible. The user feels a correspondingly clear resistance and he is signaled through the retaining device  25  that has now become effective, that the exact quantity of safety net  12  has been pulled out which is sufficient to suspend the anchorage mechanisms  23  in the receptacle bays  24 . The user can now, without observing the suspension operation, using the loop  55 , blindly guide the next adjacent edge of the safety net  12  with the pull bar  21  to the top, where the safety net  12  will perform a pivot movement around the stanchion  43 , or when the movable strut  45  of the locationally fixed catch mechanism  41  is added, around the rivet  46 . The safety net  12  functions as the spacer and provides that inevitably the anchor elements  23  get into the receptacle bays  24 .  
         [0088]     During this movement pivoting up, the struts  45  become oriented from the position, as is shown in  FIG. 5 , again into the position according to  FIG. 6 . Since, furthermore, the distance of the receptacle bays  24  from the housing  11  is somewhat shorter than that corresponding to the quantity of safety net  12  that has been pulled out, the winding shaft  13  pulls the small excess portion of safety net  12  again back into the housing  11 . This movement is a movement out of the hook  54  and is prevented by the step  48 . Since, however, the step  48  is not exactly sharp-edged, but instead has a certain residual slope, it acts like a catch mechanism that releases the stanchion  26  after a corresponding force has been overcome, so that at the end of the suspending operation, a position, approximately as shown in  FIG. 6 , is achieved or a position, in which the stanchion  43  is released completely from the hook  54 .  
         [0089]     The purpose of the step  48  consists in absorbing a part of the pull-back force of the winding shaft  13  so that the user, when he must move the pull bar  21  to the top to the receptacle bays  24  with his arm extended, must not apply the full opposing force for the pull-back force of the safety net  12 . Moreover, the retaining force is smaller than the pull-back force, so that in each case the winding shaft  13  can pull the stanchion  43  out of the hook  54  when the safety net  12  is driven in. When the safety net  12  is deployed and an object is thrown from the luggage compartment  2  into the safety net  12 , it is pressed to the front under the action of this object in the direction to the toothed lip  19 , such that the mesh of the safety net  12  is hung in the teeth of the toothed lip  19  and an subsequent unwinding of the safety net  12  from the winding shaft  13  is blocked.  
         [0090]     In order to retract in the safety net  12 , it is sufficient to allow the anchor elements  23  to be dismounted from the receptacle bays  24  and to allow the safety net  12  to run back.  
         [0091]     When the rear seat back rest  6  is laid down and the housing  11  is attached to the floor, and a larger pull-out quantity is necessary, as a rule the handling can no longer readily occur from out of the luggage compartment opening  8 . The housing  11  is located in proximity to the rear seat back rest of the front seat, which is why the operation must occur through the rear doors. In this type of operation, the pull-out direction of the safety net  12  is no longer, as described previously, approximately horizontal, but instead is more vertical. When the strut  45  of the catch mechanism  41  is bent somewhat from out of the housing, the hooks  54  are outside of the movement path of the stanchion  43  during the vertical movement of the safety net  12  and the stanchion will not be suspended in the hooks  54  during the vertical pull-out of the safety net  12  so that the full pull-out length is available.  
         [0092]     Instead of a retaining device  25  that acts in a positive locking manner, which definitively defines the pull-out path, a retaining device  25  can also be used, which can be overcome when there is sufficient activation force. Such a retaining device  25  is shown in various operating positions, greatly schematized in  FIG. 7  and  8 . Belonging to it, are in turn a locationally fixed catch mechanism  56  as well as a catch mechanism  42  that can be moved with the safety net  12 . This catch mechanism  42  that can be moved is in turn, the laterally projecting ends of the stanchion  43 , which is provided on a flat side with a catch trough or catch groove  57 , which runs in the longitudinal direction of the strut  43 .  
         [0093]     Similar to the catch mechanism  41 , the locationally fixed catch mechanism  56  has a flexible strut  58 , the lower end of which is attached to a rivet  46  in the inside of the housing  11 . On the upper end, the strut  58  is provided with a groove  59  that is opened to both sides, and which is limited by two groove walls  61  and  62  that are parallel to each other. Both groove walls  61  and  62  are connected to each other as a single piece via a back piece  63 . In the assembled condition, the groove  59  is located outside of the outlet slit  18 .  
         [0094]     This configuration can be obtained, either in that a corresponding piece is cut and bent or as a flexible elastic plastic molded part.  
         [0095]     On the groove side wall  62 , a rib  64  projecting to the inside into the groove  59  is located, which is complementary to the catch groove  57 . In the case shown, the cross-sectional design of the rib  64  is approximately in the shape of a partial circle.  
         [0096]     The functional method of the retaining device that does not act in a positive locking manner according to  FIGS. 7 and 8  is similar to what was explained previously in relation to FIGS.  3  to  6 .  
         [0097]     When the safety net  12  is pulled out in the horizontal direction, the stanchion  43  comes into contact with strut  58  of the locationally fixed catch mechanism  56 . This catch mechanism stands, prior to engagement, between the strut  58  and the stanchion  43  essentially vertically upright and is bent around the lip  20  through the sliding stanchion  43  in the movement direction of the safety net  12 . During further pulling out of the safety net  12 , the ends of the stanchions  43  reach into the relevant grooves  59 . In this process, the groove  59  expands as soon as the stanchion  43  runs into the rib  64 . During a subsequent pull on the safety net  12 , the stanchion  43  slides through below the rib  64 , continuing until the groove  57  catches with the rib  64 . This signals to the user that now a sufficient quantity of safety net  12  has been pulled out, so that as described above, the anchor elements  23 , guided through the length of the unwound net  12 , can be suspended in the receptacle bays  24 . During suspension, the strut  58 , starting from the position according to  FIG. 8 , will be extended again.  
         [0098]     Through the corresponding contouring of the rib  64 , as well as the catch groove  57  or the small edges of the struts  43 , the forces can be controlled, which are necessary, in order to maintain or release the catch of the rib  64  in the catch groove  57 . In a functional way, the rib  64  obtains for this an approximately sawtooth-shaped cross-sectional shape, where the more rigid side points away from the winding shaft  13 . In this way, it can be achieved that the catch absorbs a part of the pull-back force of the winding shaft  13 , in order to, as described above, increase the operating comfort.  
         [0099]     If the described intermediate position of the safety net  12  is not needed, but instead the full pull-out length, the user can overcome the catch between the rib  64  and the catch groove  57  with a correspondingly large force, in order to pull the stanchion  43 , at the end that faces away from the strut  58 , out of the groove  59 , as is shown to the left in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0100]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of the safety net device  9  in a greatly schematized diagram, where a timing element  71  is allocated to the retaining device  25 .  
         [0101]     Provided in this embodiment, structural components and other components arise, which have already been described or act or are constructed in a similar manner, these same reference indicators are used, without a further detailed explanation being given.  
         [0102]     The retaining device  25  in the embodiment example according to FIGS.  9  to  13  contains in turn a short bar  43  that is connected to the safety net  12  and projects by its end  42  over the edge of the safety net  12  and is attached in the border band  22 ; it does not project beyond the border band in the direction of the safety net.  
         [0103]     This bar  43  forms the movable retaining mechanism of the retaining device  25 .  
         [0104]     The locationally fixed retaining mechanism of the retaining device  25  consists of a locking lever  72 , which is set in bearings so that it can rotate and is parallel to the axis of the winding shaft  13  within the housing  11  on its front side. The locking lever  72  has on one end a drill hole  73 . With this drill hole  73 , it is inserted on a housing  74  of a viscosity brake, which represents the timing element  71 . The viscosity brake involves a commercially available structural component, so that its exact construction must not be explained. Essentially, it consists of a locationally fixed part and the cylindrical housing  74  that can be rotated on it, where between the fixed anchorage part and the housing  74 , a gap filled with a high-viscosity liquid is present.  
         [0105]     The housing  74  is cylindrical on the outside and transforms on a front side  75  into a single piece molded-on toothed ratchet wheel  76 . Acting together with this toothed ratchet wheel  76  is a catch ratchet  77  that is molded so that it is spring-elastic as a single piece on the locking lever  72  in the area of its bearing drill hole  73 . The orientation of the teeth of the ratchet wheel  76  as well as the effective direction of the catch ratchet  77  can be gathered from the following functional description.  
         [0106]     A catch  78  runs parallel to the locking lever  72  at a distance to it, and forms a type of hook together with the locking lever  72 . The end of the locking lever  72  facing away from the bearing drill hole  73  is provided with an eyelet  79  into which a tension spring  81  is suspended, whose other end at  82  is connected to the housing  11 .  
         [0107]     The effective method of the arrangement described thus far is as follows:  
         [0108]     At first it is assumed that the safety net  12  is completely wound up onto the winding shaft  13 . In this position, the bar end  43  is located at a radial distance from the axle of the winding shaft  13  corresponding to the roller diameter involved. The locking arm  72  is, due to the effect of the tension spring  81 , in the position shown in  FIG. 11 . In this position, the catch lever  78  appears, extending out from the bearing drill hole  73 , approximately in the direction towards the axle of the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0109]     If, starting from this operating position, the safety net  12  is pulled out of the housing  11  by the pull bar  21 , the winding shaft  13  with the roller located on it is set into rotation by the safety net  12 . It rotates, relative to  FIG. 11 , in the counter-clockwise direction.  
         [0110]     The length of the catch lever  78  is measured so that its free end  83  is a radial distance from the axle of the winding shaft  13 , such that the end  42  of the stanchion can freely pass the end  83  of the catch  78  during the rotation of the winding shaft  13 , and to be precise, as long as the stanchion  43  is located on or in the roller of the safety net  12 . The locking lever  72  is located with its outer end also outside of the circle of motion that the stanchion  43  located on the roller or in the roller defines.  
         [0111]     As soon as the safety net  12  is unwound so far that the stanchion  43  also is released from the outer side of the roller, its end  42  gets into the hook formed between the catch  78  and the locking lever  72 . This is achieved by a corresponding position of the lip  20  relative to the catch lever  78 .  
         [0112]     When the stanchion end  43  becomes suspended behind the catch lever  78 , the additional pulling out of the safety net  12  from the housing leads to the catch lever  78  being rotated together with the locking lever  72  out of the position shown in  FIG. 11 , into the position shown in  FIG. 12 . In this process, these two levers  72  and  78  rotate with the bearing drill hole  73  on the cylindrical outer surface of the housing  74  of the viscosity brake  71 .  
         [0113]     The free-wheel formed from the ratchet wheel  76  and the catch ratchet  77  is designed so that in a pivoting of the locking lever  72  in the clockwise direction, i.e. out of the position according to  FIG. 11  into the position according to  FIG. 12 , no obstruction results through the viscosity brake  71  when the safety net  12  is pulled out.  
         [0114]     At the same time as the pivoting of the locking lever  72 , the tension spring  81  is also tensioned.  
         [0115]     When the position according to  FIG. 12  is reached, the locking lever  72  is recognizable in the movement path of the stanchion end  43 . In this position, so much of the safety net  12  has been pulled off of the winding shaft  13 , that the user can suspend the anchor elements  23  free from tension in the receptacle bays  24 . When the user relaxes the safety net  12  in this position, the pull-back force applied by the spring motor  14  is absorbed by the locking lever  72 , on which the strut end  42  rests. The locking lever  72  is coupled onto the viscosity brake via the combined action of the catch ratchet  77 . The viscosity brake is only to be rotated back slowly, so that the return movement of the locking lever  72  into the release position is greatly slowed.  
         [0116]     Since the brake  71  is a viscosity brake, it does not act as a blocking component, but instead as a delay component, which makes possible a slow rotation by a torque that acts from outside. The viscosity brake  71  will consequently not block a return rotation of the locking lever  72  into the position according to  FIG. 11 , but instead only slow it. The locking lever  72  will in the end go back into the position according to  FIG. 11  under the action of the tension spring  81 . Thus, the winding shaft  13  can stretch the safety net  12  tight without obstruction through the locking lever  72 , in which the stanchion end  43  has been caught.  
         [0117]     When the user wants to completely allow the safety net  12  to retract, he completely unfastens the anchor elements  23  from the receptacle bays  24  and allows the pull bar  21  to run back in the direction to the slit  18 . Thus, the stanchion end  43  slides over the rear side of the catch lever  78  that has in the meantime swung down, and it reaches the outside of the roller made of the safety net  12  that is wound up such that the stanchion end  43  is released from the effective area of the catch  78 .  
         [0118]     From the explanation given above it results that the user has a limited time available for suspending the anchor elements  23 . This time is measured from the delay time which the locking lever  72  requires until it has rotated back under the action of the forces acting on it in the direction to the position according to  FIG. 11  where it no longer prevents a pulling back of the safety net  12 . This delay time is a function of the characteristic of the viscosity brake  71  and the force acting on the catch lever  72 , which is comprised of the pull-back force of the safety net  12  and the force of the spring  81 .  
         [0119]     FIGS.  14  to  18  show an embodiment of a safety net device  9 , in which the retaining device  25  acts between the housing and the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0120]     Also in this embodiment, the same reference indicators are used for structural components and other components that have already been described, without a new detailed functional description being given. Moreover, the diagram is limited to the components necessary for the understanding of the invention.  
         [0121]     The retaining device  25  consists of a stationary retaining mechanism  85  and a follower component  86  connected to the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0122]     The stationary retaining mechanism  85 , which is not attached in the housing, has the design of a container with a cylindrical collar  87  that is to be adapted to the winding shaft  13  and that extends out from a bottom  88 . A drill hole  89  for a bearing journal  91  of the winding shaft  13  leads concentrically through the bottom  88 . Within the cylindrical collar  87 , a wall  92  runs in a spiral shape, which begins at  93  and ends radially further inside at  94 . This radially internal end  94  is located at a clear radial distance from the drill hole  89 .  
         [0123]     As best shown in  FIG. 14 , because of the progression of the spiral wall  92 , a groove extending in a circular pattern occurs in the immediate proximity to the cylindrical inner wall of the collar  87  defined by the inner wall of the collar and the radially outermost winding of the spiral wall, while between the adjacent windings of the wall  92 , a groove  95  that extends in a spiral results.  
         [0124]     This groove  95  changes radially on the inside into an essentially cylindrical area  96 , which is concentric to the drill hole  89 .  
         [0125]     The follower component  86 , which has the shape of a cylindrical journal, is seated on a slide  97 . This slide  97  contains a longitudinal hole  98  that is closed on all sides and is continuous over its entire length, in which a screw compression spring  99  is housed.  
         [0126]     An end piece  101  that is T-shaped in cross-section is plugged into a tube that forms the winding shaft  13  and is anchored in the winding shaft  13  so that it can rotate. This endpiece  101  carries a journal  102  that projects into the winding shaft  13  and transforms into a cylindrical flange  103  outside of the winding shaft  13 . The flange  103  has a front side  104  that faces away from the winding shaft  13 , onto which the bearing journal  91  is molded as a single piece, which is set in bearings in the bearing drill hole  89  so that it can rotate.  
         [0127]     In the flange  103 , a hole passing through  105  is located, running through the diameter of the flange  103 , and emerging to the outside at  106  through the circumferential surface of the flange  103 . The cross-section of the pass-through hole  105  corresponds to the cross-section of the slide  97 , so that the slide  97  is guided in the pass-through hole  105  so that it can move longitudinally and cannot rotate. In addition, the flange  103  contains a slit  107  that, starting from the bearing journal  91 , extends up to the circumferential side, i.e. the opening  106  of the pass-through hole  105 . It is aligned with the pass-through hole  105  and functions as a penetration opening for the follower component  86 , when the slide  97  slides more or less deeply into the pass-through hole  105 .  
         [0128]     In order to receive the compression spring  99 , the cross-section of the pass-through hole  105  is expanded cylindrically in the center, such that the cylindrical expansion  109  ends at one end  111  prior to the circumferential surface of the flange  103 .  
         [0129]     Depending on the rotational direction, the follower component  86  either slides along in the circular shaped running groove defined by the cylindrical inner wall of the collar  87  and the radially outer most winding of the spiral wall  92  or is guided back into the spiral running groove  95 , by a spring component  112 . The. spring component  112  functions as a distributing mechanism, or switch by directing the follower  86  either around the circular inner wall of the collar  87  or into the spiral groove  95  depending on the direction of travel of the follower (i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise). The spring component  112  is provided on the radially outer-lying end of the wall  92 . In the resting position, the leaf spring tongue  112  rests on the cylindrical inside of the collar  87 .  
         [0130]     Finally, a catch recess  113  is provided in the spiral running wall  92 .  
         [0131]     The functional method of the retaining device according to FIGS.  14  to  18  is as follows, where from the functional description, the winding direction of the spiral groove  95  also can be gathered:  
         [0132]     When the safety net  12  is completely driven in, the follower component  86  is located within the approximately cylindrical section  96 , as is limited by the radially inner lying end area of the wall  92 . In this position, the slide  97  is pressed in at maximum depth, i.e. the follower component  86  is located in practically immediate proximity to the bearing journal  91 .  
         [0133]     If, starting from this position, the user would like to pull the safety net  12  out, in order to suspend it in the receptacle bays  24 , the winding shaft  13  is set into rotation, as is indicated by the spiral arrow  119 . In this turning, the follower component  86  runs into the spiral groove  95  on its end that lies radially to the inside in the area of the end  94  of the spiral wall  92 . This running in is achieved by the follower component  86  being pretensioned radially to the outside away from the bearing journal  91  as a result of the screw compression spring  99 .  
         [0134]     As soon as it has run into the spiral groove  95 , it is forcibly guided radially between the walls of the spiral groove  95 . After a corresponding number of revolutions or partial rotations of the winding shaft  13 , the follower component  86  gets into the catch recess  113 . The position of the catch recess  113  corresponds in the case presented here to approx. 2¾ revolutions of the winding shaft  13 . This in turn corresponds to a pull-out length on the safety net  12 , which allows a hassle-free suspending of the anchor elements  23  into the receptacle bays  24 , when the short pull-out length is necessary.  
         [0135]     Since the catch recess  113  is provided with rigid sides, the follower component  86  catches in the catch recess  113 . When the user lets go of the pull bar  21  after the catching, the follower component  86  is set on the relevant wall in the circumferential direction of the catch recess  113 . In this way, a catch force results in combination with the compression spring  99 , which can not be overcome by the pull back force of the angular spring  14 . The user can now suspend the anchor elements  23  in the receptacle bays  24  without exerting force. As soon as this has occurred, he activates a release button  114  that is present on the housing, which is located at a position corresponding to the position of the slide  97  during catching in the catch recess  113 . By pressing down the activation button  114 , which acts on the respective end of the slide  97 , on which the follower component  86  is located, the follower component  86  is pressed out of the catch recess  113  against the action of the compression spring  99 , so that now the angular spring  14  can tension the safety net  12 . After the tensioning of the safety net  12 , the follower component  86  is located is between the catch recess  113  and the radially inner end  94  of the side wall  92 , (see  FIG. 14 ).  
         [0136]     Without further activation of the release button  114 , the user can run the safety net  12  back into the housing  11 , such that the follower component  86  is conducted radially in the direction towards the bearing journal  91  as a result of the spiral groove  95  with each rotation of the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0137]     If the user requires a larger quantity of safety net  12 , for example, because the housing  11  is located in proximity to the luggage compartment floor, it first goes back into its functional position, in which the follower component  86  catches in the catch recess  113 , when the safety net  12  is pulled out. This position is shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . By pressing down the release button  114 , the follower component  86  is lifted out of the catch recess  113  and the user can now pull the safety net  12  further out unobstructed by the catch recess  113 . In the further movement, the follower component  86  moves past and over the leaf spring tongue  112  that functions as a distributing mechanism, and then engages en the cylindrical inner wall of the collar  87 . After each complete rotation, the follower component  86  runs over the leaf spring tongue  112  which presses the free end of the follower component  86  away from the cylindrical inner surface of the collar  97 . The cam follower component passes the spring tongue  112  in this way unobstructed and correspondingly often.  
         [0138]     For removal, the user guides the pull bar  21  back in the direction to the slit  18 . After at most one almost complete revolution, the follower component  86  moves past the leaf spring tongue  112  resting on the inside of the collar  87  and is threaded back into the radial outer lying beginning of the groove  95 . After an additional revolution of approx. 90° in the embodiment depicted, the follower component  86  in turn gets into the catch recess  113 , out of which it must be lifted in order to drive the safety net  12  further in using the release button  114 . The lifted position is shown in  FIG. 18 .  
         [0139]     From now on, the follower component  86  runs in the circumferential passages of the spiral groove  95  lying further inside to its inside end corresponding to the end  94  of the wall  92 .  
         [0140]     Regardless of how much safety net  12  is located outside of the housing and must be wound on the winding shaft  13 , the follower component  86  rotates in the free-wheel direction in the almost cylindrical area  96 , without bringing about an obstruction of the wind-up movement.  
         [0141]     The advantage of this arrangement is that the number of windings in the spiral groove can be configured such that less windings of the groove are necessary, than the number of revolutions of the winding shaft  13  that are required to completely pull-out the safety net.  
         [0142]     As is apparent from the above description, the spiral groove  95  acts together with the catch recess  113  as a type of counter, which records the revolutions of the winding shaft  13  in order to determine how many complete revolutions plus partial revolutions are made for a pull-out length on the safety net  12 , so that the safety net  12  can be suspended without difficulties in the receptacle bays  24 .  
         [0143]     FIGS.  19  to  23  show in a greatly schematized basic representation, a retaining device  25 , which acts together directly with the winding shaft  13  and is triggered by an acceleration-dependent device  121 . The safety net  12  is connected by an edge to the winding shaft  13  is, as previously, where its other edge is attached to the pull bar  21 .  
         [0144]     As a locationally fixed retaining component, a locking ratchet wheel  122  functions, which carries saw-tooth shaped teeth in a known way and is coupled to the winding shaft  13  in a rotationally fixed manner. The movable retaining component is represented by a locking ratchet slide  123 .  
         [0145]     In detail, the structure is as follows:  
         [0146]     In a schematically indicated housing  124 , the locking ratchet slide  123  is set in bearings so that it can move in a corresponding guide, so that it can be moved on the locking ratchet wheel  122  radially toward and away from it. The locking ratchet slide  123  has on its upper side a first catch  125  and on its rear end, a second catch  125 . The two catches  125 ,  125  are extensions or arms that are set off at right angles from the slide  123 .  
         [0147]     Somewhat below the catch  125 , a compression spring  127  meshes in a drill hole  126 , the other end of which is anchored at  128  in the housing. The position of the anchor point  128  is selected so that the compression spring  127  can act as a catch spring for the locking ratchet slide  123 .  
         [0148]     Above the locking ratchet slide  123 , a sensing slide  129  is located, which is guided in the direction parallel to the locking ratchet slide  123  in the housing  124 . The sensing slide  129  acts via a slope surface  131  on its left end together with the pull bar  21 . It pretensions a position, via a tension spring  132  that meshes at the rear end of the sensing slide  129  and finds its abutment in the housing  124 , in which the slope surface  131  of a stopper surface  133  fixed to the housing is as closely adjacent as possible. In this position, an arm  134  that extends to the bottom from the sensing slide  129  lies on a housing wall  135 . The length of the arm  134  is measured so that the open end of the arm  134  can come into contact with the catch  124 .  
         [0149]     In an inner space  136  of the housing  124 , in which the catch  125  also moves, a hook-shaped catch slide  137  is set in bearings so that it can move. The catch  137  has an arm  138  that points to the top, which is provided so that it can come into mesh with the catch  125 .  
         [0150]     In the movement direction behind the catch slide  137 , a weight  139 , which is guided in a chamber  138  of the housing  124 , is located, which is pretensioned by a compression spring  141  in the direction towards the winding shaft  13 .  
         [0151]     The kinematic connection between the weight  139  and the catch slide  137  is created by a coupling spring  142  that is attached on the end of the catch slide  137  that faces away from the arm  138  and towards an arm  143 , which extends out from the mass  139  and projects in the direction towards the catch slide  137 .  
         [0152]     The device according to  FIG. 19  operates as follows:  
         [0153]     At first, an operating position is assumed, as shown in  FIG. 19 . The safety net  12  is completely wound around the winding shaft  13 , so that the pull bar  21  penetrates into the wedge-shaped space between the slope surface  131  and the housing stopper surface  133 . In this way, the sensing slide  129  is moved in its end position directed towards left, in which the pull spring  132  is tensioned to the maximum extent. At the same time, the compression spring  127  is snapped in the direction towards the winding shaft  13  and presses a catch projection  144  of the locking ratchet slide  123  into the teeth gaps of the locking ratchet wheel  122 .  
         [0154]     The weight  139  is also brought via the compression spring  141  into the left end position.  
         [0155]     When the vehicle equipped with this device begins to move towards the left relative to the representations, the inertia of the weight  139  causes it to move against the action of the compression spring  141  into the chamber  138  into the right end position, as is shown in  FIG. 20 . In this way, the catch slide  137  is also pulled via the coupling spring  142  to the right relative to the housing  124 . This movement directed towards the right is transferred from the arm  138  to the arm  125 , such that the locking ratchet slide  123  is also bent back to the extent until its catch  124  comes to rest on the arm  134 . This arm  134  can not move out of the left end position, since the pull bar  21  is clamped between the slope surface  131  and the stopper surface  133 . The sensing slide  129  will thus maintain its left end position, which is why the locking ratchet slide  123  can only be pulled back into the position corresponding to  FIG. 20 . This slide of the locking ratchet slide  123  directed towards the right is not sufficient to allow the compression spring  127  to reverse. When the acceleration force disappears, the locking ratchet slide  123  will as a result move back into the position according to  FIG. 19 , when the force that pulls it back, which is exerted by the catch slide  137 , stops acting upon it.  
         [0156]     The user can grasp the pull bar  21  in order to deploy the safety net  12  and move it to the top in the direction towards the receptacle bays  24 . In this way, the sensing slide  129  comes free and can get into its right end position as a result of the action of the tension spring  132 , see  FIG. 21 . At the same time, through the pulling out of the safety net  12 , the winding shaft  13  is set into rotation in the clockwise direction. In this way, the flat tooth sides of the locking ratchet wheel  122  ratchet past the locking projection  144  of the locking ratchet slide  123  and press it periodically to the right against the action of the compression spring  127 . Since the shift does not exceed the transition point of the compression spring  127 , the locking ratchet slide  123  in each tooth gap jumps back to the left in the tooth gaps.  
         [0157]     When the user has pulled out sufficient safety net and the tension in the safety net subsides, the spring motor  14  acts to move the winding shaft  13  back in the direction of the wind up. It is however, prevented in this by the combined action of the locking ratchet wheel  122  with the locking projection  144 , since the rigid tooth side surfaces rest on the locking projection  144  and can not press them back, see  FIG. 21 .  
         [0158]     The user is now in a position to suspend the anchor elements  23  in the receptacle bays  24  without applying force.  
         [0159]     If after suspending the safety net  12 , the vehicle is driven for the first time, the operation explained above repeats. The inertia of the weight  139  shifts the mass  139  to the right relative to the housing  124  against the action of the compression spring  131 , as shown in  FIG. 22 . This movement will in turn transfer via the coupling spring  142  to the catch slide  137 , which pulls the locking ratchet slide  123  to the right for the combined action of the arm  138  with the arm  125 . Since, however, this time the sensing slide  129  is located in its right end position, the movement of the locking ratchet slide  123  is not stopped as described above, but instead can continue further to the right, where the reversal point of the compression spring  127  is exceeded. After this point is exceeded, the compression spring  127  no longer acts to the left in the direction towards the locking ratchet wheel  122 , but instead to the right in the sense that it holds the locking ratchet slide  123  out of mesh with the locking ratchet wheel  122 , even if the weight  139  is then returned into the position according to  FIG. 23 . The force applied by the spring motor  14  is thus free and can set the winding shaft  13  into rotation in the direction of winding up and thus tensioning of the safety net  12 .  
         [0160]     If the user wants to retract the safety net, it is sufficient to allow the pull bar  21  to be dismounted and the safety net  12  to run back. On the end of the drive-in movement, the pull bar  21  again comes into the wedge-shaped space between the sloped surface  131  and the stopper  133  and presses the sensing slide  129  back into its left end position. In this movement, the sensing slide  129  carries with it the locking ratchet slide  123  to the left over the reversal point of the compression spring  127 , so that the starting position is achieved according to  FIG. 19 .  
         [0161]     A safety net device has a housing, in which a winding shaft is set in bearings so that it can rotate. Using a spring motor, the winding shaft is pretensioned in the wind-up direction of a safety net attached to the winding shaft. The other edge of the safety net is connected to a pull bar, which is to be suspended in the receptacle bays in the car body.  
         [0162]     So that the suspension can be done by the user with as little force as possible, a retaining device is provided, which absorbs at least a part of the pull-back force occurring when the safety net is run back into the housing, as soon as the safety net has been pulled out of the housing far enough until the pull bar can be suspended in the receptacle bays. The retaining device can be voluntarily unlocked in order to again make possible stowage of the safety net in the housing.  
         [0163]     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.