Abstract: An object of the invention is to reduce the weight of a pretensioner by reducing the length of a piston and a wire of the pretensioner. A pretensioner (1) is used in a seat belt device and pulls a seat belt. Due to gas supplied into a cylinder (10) from a gas generator (4), a piston (20) is moved in the cylinder (10). A wire (60) is connected to the piston (20) and the seat belt and pulls the seat belt when the piston (20) moves. The wire (60) has both ends that are connected to the seat belt and has a folded portion (63) that is connected to the piston (20) via connecting means (51). The connecting means (51) has a connecting hole (24) that is formed in the piston (20) and through which the folded portion (63) passes and has a detachment preventing member (52) that is positioned between the folded portion (63) and the piston (20) to prevent the folded portion (63) from being detached from the connecting hole (24).

Abstract: A winding drum with a webbing wound thereon has one axial end rotatably supported by one sidewall section of a housing, and a shaft section raised from the other axial end is rotatably supported through a cover member mounted on the outer end of the other sidewall section of the housing. The housing has an opening formed in the other sidewall section through which a ratchet gear is inserted with gap therebetween, the ratchet gear being formed on the outer peripheral edge of the winding drum at the other axial end side thereof; and inner teeth formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening. When pretensioner mechanism is activated and tensile force greater than predetermined level acts on the webbing, the cover member is plastically deformed through the shaft section and locks the ratchet gear into engaged state wherein the ratchet gear is engaged with the inner teeth.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to reduce the weight of a pretensioner by reducing the length of a piston and a wire of the pretensioner. A pretensioner (1) is used in a seat belt device and pulls a seat belt. Due to gas supplied into a cylinder (10) from a gas generator (4), a piston (20) is moved in the cylinder (10). A wire (60) is connected to the piston (20) and the seat belt and pulls the seat belt when the piston (20) moves. The wire (60) has both ends that are connected to the seat belt and has a folded portion (63) that is connected to the piston (20) via connecting means (51). The connecting means (51) has a connecting hole (24) that is formed in the piston (20) and through which the folded portion (63) passes and has a detachment preventing member (52) that is positioned between the folded portion (63) and the piston (20) to prevent the folded portion (63) from being detached from the connecting hole (24).

Abstract: A winding drum with a webbing wound thereon has one axial end rotatably supported by one sidewall section of a housing, and a shaft section raised from the other axial end is rotatably supported through a cover member mounted on the outer end of the other sidewall section of the housing. The housing has an opening formed in the other sidewall section through which a ratchet gear is inserted with gap therebetween, the ratchet gear being formed on the outer peripheral edge of the winding drum at the other axial end side thereof; and inner teeth formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening. When pretensioner mechanism is activated and tensile force greater than predetermined level acts on the webbing, the cover member is plastically deformed through the shaft section and locks the ratchet gear into engaged state wherein the ratchet gear is engaged with the inner teeth.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor includes a take-up drum with webbing wound therearound, a torsion bar coupled to a first end of the take-up drum non-rotatably relative thereto, and a ratchet wheel coupled to a second end of the torsion bar non-rotatably relative thereto. The seat belt retractor further includes a deformable member provided on a second end of the take-up drum for rotating integrally therewith, an internal tooth element (8) provided non-rotatably relative to the torsion bar, and planet gears in mesh with a gear surface of the internal tooth element and in engagement with the deformable member, the planet gears being assembled non-rotatably relative to the torsion bar. The planet gears revolve around the deformable member while biting into the surface of the deformable member to plastically deform the deformable member when the webbing is paid out to cause the sun element and the internal tooth element to rotate relative to each other after an emergency locking member is locked.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor (1) includes a take-up drum (2) with webbing (6) wound therearound, a torsion bar (4) coupled to a first end of the take-up drum (2) non-rotatably relative thereto, and a ratchet wheel (5) coupled to a second end of the torsion bar (4) non-rotatably relative thereto. The seat belt retractor (1) further includes a deformable member (7) provided on a second end of the take-up drum (2) for rotating integrally therewith, an internal tooth element (8) provided non-rotatably relative to the torsion bar (4), and planet gears (13) in mesh with a gear surface of the internal tooth element (8) and in engagement with the deformable member (7), the planet gears (13) being assembled non-rotatably relative to the torsion bar (4).

Abstract: An image generation apparatus and information storage medium wherein the flow of a fluid over a course influences the behavior of a moving body. The moving body is moved along the course, based on manipulation data, flow data PSn (position of a point Sn), flow velocity VSn, and flow direction &agr;Sn, this data being set for the course in an object space. A flow-velocity vector VECFn at the position of the moving body is obtained by interpolation based on flow data that is set for sample points Sn and position data for the moving body, and the moving body is moved in accordance with this VECFn. The flow velocity VSn is assumed to be the maximum value through the cross-section of the course and the interpolation is based on this VSn and the flow velocity at either the left edge Ln or the right edge Rn of the course. The flow velocities at the left edge Ln and right edge Rn of the course are made to be greater than zero.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor is provided in which a torsion bar of an energy absorption mechanism and a ratchet wheel of an emergency locking mechanism can be easily combined in a constant angular phase without requiring any special precise working, which always stably operates without causing any problem such as that the emergency locking mechanism is out of synchronization, and in which an energy can be effectively absorbed without accompanying any time delay.