Abstract: A sheet material dispenser includes a controller for automatically controlling the lengths of sheet materials dispensed from a continuous roll by identifying the type of sheet materials on the roll and dispensing suitable lengths of the identified sheet material. The dispenser desirably has a support for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material carrying identification relating to the type of sheet material on the roll, and an identifier positioned in or adjacent the dispenser for identifying the type of sheet material on the roll. A processor receives data from the identifier, processes the data and generates an output command, and a controller controls the lengths of sheet material dispensed from the roll in response to the output command. In this way, more absorbent products may be dispensed in shorter lengths and less absorbent products may be dispensed in longer lengths.

Abstract: In a pretensioner device, engaging teeth of a pinion (rotating body) have first projections which project-out toward the other side in the peripheral direction of a cam portion. Meshing claws of a clutch plate have second projections which project-out toward a one side in the peripheral direction of the cam portion, and whose gear portion side end surfaces face the first projections. In a state before operation of the pretensioner device, movement of the clutch plate toward one side in the axial direction with respect to the pinion is restricted due to the second projections engaging with the first projections. Accordingly, in the pretensioner device, in the state before operation, even if some type of external force is applied to the clutch plate, positional offset of the clutch plate toward the one side in the axial direction with respect to the pinion can be prevented.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor, especially in vehicles, is provided that includes a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon and a vehicle sensitive and/or belt sensitive controllable block device for the belt shaft. The block device includes a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device having a viscous medium-filled housing with at least one fixedly positioned contour and a counter-contour that is rotatably displaceable in response to a block event, so that the relative movement between the contour and the counter-contour forces the viscous medium between the surfaces arranged for this purpose. The level of the force limitation applied by the force limitation device is adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the buckled-in passengers via a variation of the inner pressure in the viscous medium-filled housing.

Abstract: A self-locking belt retainer with a vehicle-sensitive and/or seatbelt-sensitive actuatable locking device for the belt spool shaft, with a profile head as carrier of a locking element arranged so as to be movable with the retractor housing for locking of the belt spool shaft. A force limiting device in the form of a torsion bar is connected at its one end with the belt spool shaft and at its other end with the profile head is At least one axially projecting projection (14) is provided on the one of the components which are joined to one another (10,11), which engages in at least one recess formed on the front side of the other component (10,11) and that in the annular space formed between the projection (14) and the inner walls (21) of the recess (20), a clamping ring (16,17,18) is located between projection (14) and inner walls (21) of recess (20).

Abstract: A recording tape cartridge which includes a case, a reel including a hub accommodated in the case, a locking member supported to be non-rotatable relative to the case and disposed within the hub, and a switching member disposed in the case. The hub is provided with an engaging portion therein. The locking member can attain a rotation-locking position, at which the locking member engages with the engaging portion and fills a gap between the reel and the case in an axial direction of the reel, and a rotation-enabling position, at which the state of engagement with the engaging portion is released and the locking member being withdrawn from the gap. The switching member retains the locking member at the rotation-locking position at times of non-use of the recording tape, and moves the locking member to the rotation-enabling position when operated in a predetermined direction by a drive device.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor has a spool. An energy absorption mechanism absorbs energy from the spool during seatbelt protraction. The energy absorption mechanism has at least a first portion for a relatively high rate of energy absorption and preferably a second portion for a relatively low rate of energy absorption. The seatbelt retractor has an outer sheath cast, molded, coated or otherwise bonded to and encircling a portion of the external surface of the first portion or the second portion which upon a sufficient exposure to rotational energy breaks the bond between the first portion or the second portion and the outer sheath.

Abstract: A webbing retractor which can prevent gas, which is for rotating a take-up shaft in a take-up direction, from affecting other structural parts. In the webbing retractor, when a pretensioner mechanism operates, gas for operation within a cylinder is exhausted toward a pinion via a gas venting hole formed in a flange portion of a piston. Because a blocking wall is provided between the pinion and an acceleration sensor, exhausted gas passes between the pinion and the blocking wall, and is exhausted to an outer side of the webbing retractor from an upper end side of a cover plate or the like. In this way, blowing-out of the exhausted gas onto the acceleration sensor is blocked, and the exhausted gas can be prevented from affecting the acceleration sensor.

Abstract: The disclosed seat belt tensioner may comprise a drive motor, a gear connected to the drive motor, and a seat belt spindle connected to the gear by a spindle clutch. The spindle clutch may have spindle clutch pawls, which engage in pawl teeth of the seat belt spindle to couple the seat belt spindle and the gear. The spindle clutch may also comprise a synchronization pawl configured to alit the pawl teeth before the spindle clutch pawls engage in the pawl teeth.

Abstract: A webbing retractor is provided that enables elimination of the part of a webbing belt left in the spool in an entirely pulled-out state of a webbing belt. A space portion is formed in a notched shape in an ALR switch lever. A cam projection of a cam plate that presses the ALR switch lever and changes it to the engaging direction side to a spool enters into the inside of the space portion and, thereby, the cam projection can rotate to an advanced position at the cam pull-out direction side with respect its contact position with the ALR switch lever, whereby the webbing belt can be pulled out entirely.

Abstract: A webbing take-up device includes: a spool to which a base end portion of a long band-like webbing belt is attached and which is rotatable such that the webbing belt can be taken up and pulled out; and a rotating body that is coaxially relatively rotatable with respect to the spool. A coupling member, which causes the rotating body to rotate in a pullout direction together with the spool rotating in the pullout direction of the webbing belt when the coupling member is directly or indirectly engaged with the spool, is disposed on the rotating body.

Abstract: A motorized retractor which includes a spool with a webbing wound therearound, a reversible motor, a forward and a reverse driving force transmission mechanisms. The forward and the reverse driving force transmission mechanisms are provided between the spool and an output shaft of the motor, respectively. The forward driving force transmission mechanism reduces forward rotation of the output shaft by a predetermined reduction ratio and transmits this rotation to the spool for rotating the spool in a winding direction. The reverse driving force transmission mechanism reduces reverse direction rotation of the output shaft by a reduction ratio which is lower than the predetermined reduction ratio of the forward driving force transmission mechanism, and transmits this rotation to the spool for rotating the spool in the winding direction. The forward and the reverse driving force transmission mechanisms both block transmission to the output shaft of rotations generated at the spool side.

Abstract: A seat belt device has a gas generator for generating a high pressure gas when the vehicle is in emergency, a cylinder for conducting the high pressure gas from the gas generator, a piston received movably within the cylinder and pressed and moved by the high pressure gas, and a drive unit for rotating a winding shaft of a seat belt retractor in a direction of removing the slack of a belt, using the movement of the piston, wherein the pretensioner is employed with the energy absorbing mechanism, for reversely rotating the winding shaft if a tension acting on the belt exceeds a predetermined value after removing the slack of the belt.

Abstract: A webbing retractor for an elongated, strip-shaped webbing belt used for application to a body of a vehicle occupant riding in a vehicle. The webbing retractor has: a frame in which a pair of leg plates, which are disposed so as to face one another, are connected by a back plate so as to be integral; a spool which is disposed between the pair of leg plates, one end of the webbing belt being anchored to the spool; a driving mechanism which is disposed between the pair of leg plates and has an output shaft and which is for rotating the spool in at least a take-up direction; and a clutch disposed between the pair of leg plates, transmitting rotation of the output shaft to the spool. Because a motor and gears can be disposed between the leg plates of the frame, the webbing retractor can be made compact.

Abstract: An apparatus for locking a rotatable portion of a storage device is provided. The apparatus comprises a component irrotatably engaged with the rotatable portion, the component having first teeth for engaging second teeth disposed on a surface irrotatable with respect to the component. A spring is disposed between the component and the reel to urge engagement of the first teeth and the second teeth. The component is slidably engaged with the reel such that by pulling on the component, the component slides with respect to the reel and the first teeth disengage from the second teeth, thereby permitting the reel and the component to rotate. A method for accessing media disposed on the reel includes pushing the reel away from a bottom portion of the storage device, pulling down on the component to disengage the first teeth from the second teeth, and rotating the reel to access the media.

Abstract: At least one function of a seat belt retractor by is controlled by an electric motor. Torque of which is transmitted from the electric motor via a coupling to at least one component of the seat belt retractor. After the application of the seat belt with the transmitted torque, the seat belt retractor is adjusted to a starting position for adjustable functions in normal driving conditions and in dangerous driving conditions.

Abstract: A retractor of a seatbelt apparatus to be installed in a vehicle is structured such that a motor is accommodated in a hollow cylinder portion of a spool and such that the correlation among the volume V1 of the motor housing of the motor, the volume of the cylinder portion of the spool, and the storage volume within the seatbelt retractor housing is set to achieve the equation V3<V1+V2.

Abstract: An adjustment mechanism for a wire tensioning apparatus of the type in which tension on the wire is varied by linear movement of an adjustment rod. The adjustment mechanism includes a cam shaft having a number of cams mounted on the cam shaft along the length thereof. Each cam has a lobe with the lobes positioned circumferentially around the cam shaft relative to one another. A guide plate is attached to the adjustment rod so that it is slidable diametrically relative to the cam shaft. A cam follower plate is mounted on the guide plate. A number of cam followers are carried by the cam follower plate with each cam follower aligned with one of the cams and engageable with its cam. An electric motor with a reduction gear is provided to rotate the cam shaft sequentially to move a cam in and out of engagement with its cam follower.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor assembly (10) has a seatbelt retractor (14) and an actuator (26) for locking and unlocking the seatbelt retractor (1). An inertial sensor mass (30) detects changes in vehicle speed. The mass (30) has a guide surface (34) for interacting with the actuator (26). The guide surface (34) moves between an unlocking position (38) in which the actuator (26) unlocks the seatbelt retractor (14) and a locking position (42) in which the actuator (26) locks the seatbelt retractor (14). The actuator (26) has an actuator arm (25) with a surface contacting portion (54) in contact with the guide surface (34) and an open slot (57) above the surface contacting portion (54). The surface contacting portion (54) is connected to the actuator arm (25) by a beam structure (56) having a spring rate Kbeam sufficient to maintain the open slot (57) open during normal vehicle operation.

Abstract: The wire feeder apparatus according to the invention has a carrying body (12), tubular guide elements fixed in the openings on the two opposite sides of the body determining a straight-line path for welding wire, further, two spatially separated feed rolls (33, 34) with parallel axles and provided with grooves on their curved surface fitting to the path of wire. The feed rolls (33, 34) are pivotally fixed on the mounting plate of the carrying body and they are individually connected to a gear-wheel via interlocking connection. A pressure arm (14) is fixed to the carrying body (12) by a turning joint, which pressure arm carries two pinch rollers (43, 44) having parallel axles with the feed rolls.

Abstract: A web tensioning device utilizes a dancer arm which can be positioned by a controlled servo motor. In a preferred embodiment, the controller for the servo motor receives an input signal based on the acceleration (positive or negative) of the dancer arm and implements a torque component necessary to maintain predetermined web tension, for example, an applied torque component that changes the position of the dancer arm. The controller may also receive additional input signals indicative of the acceleration of the web itself.