Patent ID: 8459583

Claim:
A seat belt retractor comprising: a spindle around which a seat belt is wound; a torsion bar disposed in a cavity of said spindle, said torsion bar having a first axial end portion located opposite of a second axial end portion, the first axial end portion of said torsion bar being attached to a first axial end portion of said spindle; a first pretensioner that is attached to said spindle at the first axial end portion of the spindle at least during a collision, wherein during said collision, said first pretensioner causes said spindle to rotate in a retraction direction using a gas pressure from a first gas source; and a second pretensioner that is attached to the second axial end portion of said torsion bar at least during a collision, wherein during said collision, said second pretensioner causes said torsion bar to rotate using a gas pressure from a second gas source, whereby said rotation of said torsion bar by said second pretensioner causes rotation of said spindle via said torsion bar in said retraction direction.