Abstract: An improved seat belt retractor has a rotatable reel around which a safety belt may be wound. A locking pawl is movable between a disengaged condition and an engaged condition engaging ratchet wheel teeth on the reel to hold the reel against rotation. To move the locking pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth, a pilot pawl is moved from a disengaged condition toward an engaged condition. As the pilot pawl moves toward the engaged condition, it engages a pilot pawl gear and moves the locking pawl toward its engaged condition. A releasable connector assembly or clutch is connected with the ratchet wheel and pilot pawl gear to allow relative rotation to occur between them after movement of the pilot pawl to the engaged condition. The relative rotation results in a change in the angular relationship between the teeth on the ratchet wheel and the teeth on the pilot pawl gear.

Abstract: An improved subassembly can be used in either a top release buckle or an end release buckle. The subassembly includes an elongated metal base. A latch bar is pivotally supported in openings in side portions of the base for movement between an engaged condition and a disengaged condition. A slide is movable along the base to move the latch bar between the engaged and disengaged conditions and to hold the latch bar in the engaged condition. The slide has a pair of side sections which are engaged by either the actuator pad of a top release buckle or the actuator slide of an end release buckle. The side sections of the slide have cam surfaces which move the latch bar between the engaged and disengaged conditions. The side sections of the slide member have blocking surfaces which hold the latch bar in the engaged condition.