Abstract: In a webbing retractor, when a pawl engages with an internal tooth, a lock plate is guided, via a V gear, to a position at which engagement with a ratchet tooth is possible, and thereafter, the lock plate self-locks. When the V gear reversely rotates by a predetermined amount in accordance with this self-locking, engagement of the pawl and the internal tooth is cancelled. An engagement surface of the internal tooth corresponds to a locus of swinging of the pawl. Engagement with the pawl is cancelled at a smallest V gear reverse rotation angle.

Abstract: An inexpensive webbing retractor is obtained by making a pretensioner and a lock device small and reducing the number of parts. A plurality of protrusions are formed on an inner peripheral portion of the bearing body, which pivotally supports a clutch portion. These protrusions are brought into linear contact with an outer peripheral portion of the clutch portion, whereby the bearing body pivotally supports the clutch portion indirectly via the protrusions. Since the protrusions are brought into linear contact with the clutch portion, the contact area becomes quite small. Hence, the protrusions are easily plastically deformed due to friction resistance with the clutch portion. Therefore, resistance that obstructs the rotation of the clutch portion becomes small, and gas pressure can be efficiently supplied for the rotation of a take-up shaft.

Abstract: A webbing retractor for webbing belt retraction and restraint of a vehicle occupant during sudden deceleration. In a preferred embodiment, the webbing retractor includes a spring, and is for connection to an axially rotatable shaft having a locking device. The locking device includes a rotator coaxially rotatable with the shaft and a locking mechanism. The spring resiliently urges the shaft to retract the webbing belt, which can be ordinarily unwound against the spring tension. During sudden deceleration, the locking mechanism is activated and limits or prevents unwinding of the webbing belt. The retractor includes wall portions provided at the rotator and the shaft, with the spring disposed between these portions. A hole for insertion of the spring is provided between the wall portions. The hole is sized such that the spring must be at least partially compressed for insertion therethrough. The arrangement facilitates insertion of the spring, and stable connection of the spring in the assembly.

Abstract: A gear mechanism and webbing retractor having a compact size in which a pinion is prevented from being damaged when a large initial driving force is applied from a gear. When a sensor detects an emergent deceleration of a vehicle, a piston driving device is actuated so as to move a rack at its standby position in a direction to a pinion. When the rack is located at the standby position, a tooth face on a side near a front end, of a front end tooth thereof is in contact with a pressure receiving surface of the initially driving member. The rack is moved along a pitch line in the direction to the pinion so that the front end tooth presses the pressure receiving surface. As a result, the initially driving member converts the initial driving force from the rack to a rotation force thereby rotating the pinion in the taking-up direction.

Abstract: A guide pin is provided erect at a lock plate of a webbing retractor. A guide hole is formed in a V gear in correspondence with the guide pin. The guide hole is formed from a first hole portion, a second hole portion and a third hold portion. A state in which the guide pin is positioned in the first hole portion is an initial state. When relative rotation between the V gear and a spool arises, the guide pin moves from the first hole portion and reaches the second hole portion. In this process, the guide pin pushes the V gear so as to rotate reversely, and locking is cancelled. When a pushing force causing a V gear reverse rotation angle to exceed a set value is applied from the guide pin, the guide pin escapes into the third hole portion such that excessive pushing force is cancelled.

Abstract: At a lock plate of a webbing retractor, a pair of pawls and a connecting shaft are molded integrally such that the lock plate is rotated appropriately such that the connecting shaft of the lock plate is inserted into a spool from a cut-out portion and two operational surfaces oppose respective load receiving surfaces, and thereafter, other parts are assembled.

Abstract: In a webbing retractor, when a pawl engages with an internal tooth, a lock plate is guided, via a V gear, to a position at which engagement with a ratchet tooth is possible, and thereafter, the lock plate self-locks. When the V gear reversely rotates by a predetermined amount in accordance with this self-locking, engagement of the pawl and the internal tooth is cancelled. An engagement surface of the internal tooth corresponds to a locus of swinging of the pawl. Engagement with the pawl is cancelled at a smallest V gear reverse rotation angle.

Abstract: A webbing take-up device and a vehicle are provided in which different force limiter loads can be selected at arbitrary times with a simple structure. A wire is inserted into a spool. One end portion of the wire is fixed to a lock base. Thus, when rotation of the lock base is impeded, a twisting load of a torsion bar and a drawing-through load of the wire are applied to a webbing as force limiter load. Further, a cutting gear is disposed between the spool and the lock base. When the cutting gear is rotated at an arbitrary time, the wire is cut. In this way, the force limiter load is reduced to only the twisting load of the torsion bar. As a result, different force limiter loads can be selected at arbitrary times with a simple structure.

Abstract: A sensor holder and a sensor cover are provided at an outer side of a first leg plate of a webbing retractor. Attachment holes formed in the first leg plate and engaging pawls which engage with sensor openings are formed at appropriate portions of a sensor holder. Removal preventing portions are formed at corresponding portions of the sensor cover so as to prevent the engaging pawl from coming out of the attachment hole. Thus, the sensor holder and the sensor cover can be firmly secured to the first leg plate of the frame without using plugs.

Abstract: A webbing take-up device that can prevent unintended and unnecessary switching from an ELR mode to an ALR mode. In a webbing take-up device, a cam protrusion and a tongue portion are provided at a cam member that interlocks with a take-up shaft, and a breaking operational portion and an intermediate holding surface are provided at a disc control member. When a switch is made from the ELR mode to the ALR mode, unwinding and taking-up operations of the webbing are each performed twice in succession so that the webbing take-up device is switched to the ALR mode, in which an ALR pawl engages with an outer-tooth ratchet wheel of a locking wheel. Accordingly, unless the aforementioned switching is carried out by conscious volition of a vehicle occupant, unintended and unnecessary switching from the ELR mode to the ALR mode does not occur.

Abstract: There is provided a webbing take-up device of which weight can be reduced while maintaining lock strength. A single lock plate which is engaged with an internal gear ratchet at the time of sudden deceleration of a vehicle is held in an accommodating portion formed in a holding portion of a base lock. At the time of sudden deceleration of a vehicle, the lock plate is moved by being guided in a guide hole of a V gear and is engaged with the internal gear ratchet. Further, reaction force generated in the above-described engagement is utilized and the holding portion of the base lock is caused to contact by pressure the internal gear ratchet and the base lock plastically deforms and is thereby engaged with the internal gear ratchet. Accordingly, the base lock and the internal gear ratchet are in a locked state at two facing locations on the base lock in a radial direction of the base lock.

Abstract: A webbing retractor is provided that includes a winding shaft onto which a webbing used for restraining a vehicle occupant is wound; a locking pawl which is actuated to stop rotation of the winding shaft in a webbing unwinding direction; an automatic locking retractor (ALR) lever which can be moved at an operating position when the locking pawl is actuated and at a non-operating position when the locking pawl is not actuated, and which is usually biased toward the operating position; a cam member for holding the ALR lever at the non-operating position from a first state in which the webbing is wound onto the winding shaft substantially to its full length to a second state immediately before the webbing is pulled out substantially to its full length, and a stopping mechanism for holding the ALR lever at the non-operating position to the end of the second state and allowing movement of the ALR lever to the operating position when the winding shaft rotates, in a third state, in a direction in which the webbing i