Seat belt tightening device
An object of the present invention is to provide a seat belt tightening device including a driving unit having excellent properties which assures that an intensity of webbing tightening power and a quantity of webbing tightening activity can easily be increased, and moreover, acceptable webbing tightening properties can be obtained with the seal belt tightening device. A driving unit 4 for a pretensioner disposed on one side wall of a retractor base 18 includes a pair of gas generators 8 and 9 which are arranged on the base end side of a cylinder 5. At the time of vehicle collision, a piston 6 slidably received in the cylinder 5 is driven by the explosion pressure derived from explosion of an explosive filled in both the gas generators 8 and 9, whereby a webbing winding shaft is rotated in such a direction that the loosened state of a seat belt can be eliminated.
Latest NSK Ltd. Patents:
- Indentation resistance measurement method, indentation resistance prediction method for rolling bearings, machining condition selection method, bearing material quality selection method, burnishing condition selection method, and bearing manufacturing method
- Rolling bearing for air turbine
- Vehicle steering device
- Worm reducer and electric assist device
- THRUST NEEDLE ROLLER BEARING
Claims
1. A seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a retract or base;
- a winding reel rotatably supported on said retractor base for freely winding and withdrawing a webbing thereabout;
- a cylinder;
- a piston slidably received in said cylinder;
- a driving force transmitting member having a first end connected with said piston and a second end opposed to said first end;
- at least two gas generators mounted on a base end side of said cylinder for driving said piston with an expansion of combustion gas generated in said gas generators;
- a coupling means for coupling said second end of said transmitting member with said winding reel when said gas generators are actuated, thereby said webbing is wound on said winding reel by rotating said winding reel being subjected to a driving force of said piston connected to said transmitting member which is coupled with said winding reel through said coupling means; and
- a cylindrical housing connected and communicated with said base end side of said cylinder, said cylindrical housing being extended in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said cylinder, said gas generators being disposed at both ends of said cylindrical housing, respectively.
2. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 1, wherein each said gas generators includes an explosive, a heat generating element embedded in said explosive, and a signal line electrically connected to said heat generating element, wherein said heat generating elements of said gas generators are independently ignited.
3. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 2, wherein said heat generating elements of said gas generators are different from each other in an ignition time.
4. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 1, wherein one of said gas generators is constructed with an explosive, a heat generating element embedded in said explosive, and a signal line electrically connected to said heat generating element, and the other one of said gas generators is exploded by the function of shock and explosion pressure induced by said one of the gas generators.
5. A seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a retractor base;
- a winding reel rotatably supported on said retractor base for freely winding and withdrawing a webbing thereabout;
- a cylinder;
- a piston slidably received in said cylinder;
- a driving force transmitting member having a first end connected with said piston and a second end opposed to said first end;
- at least two gas generators mounted on a base end side of said cylinder for driving said piston with an expansion of combustion gas generated in said gas generators;
- a coupling means for coupling said second end of said transmitting member with said winding reel when said gas generators are actuated, thereby said webbing is wound on said winding reel by rotating said winding reel being subjected to a driving force of said piston connected to said transmitting member which is coupled with said winding reel through said coupling means; and
- a housing the upper opening portion of which is fixed to and is communicated with the base end of said cylinder, wherein said housing has at least two cylindrical insert portions which are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of said cylinder, and said gas generators are respectively mounted on the ends of said insert portions.
6. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 5, wherein said insert portions are extended in parallel with each other, and said insert portions are extended in a direction away from said base end of said cylinder.
7. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 6, wherein an ignition time of each of said gas generators is independently controlled so that one of said gas generators which is disposed at the furthest position from the base end of said cylinder is firstly ignited.
8. A seat belt tightening device according to claim 6, wherein said insert portions are arranged on a side of said cylinder..Iadd.
9. A seat belt tightening device including a retractor base, a winding reel rotatable supported on said retractor base, and a webbing connected to said winding reel, in which the seat belt tightening device eliminates the looseness of said webbing by driving said winding reel in a retracting direction to apply a tension to said webbing in an emergency, the seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a driving unit supported by said retractor base, said driving unit being partitioned into first and second compartments that are communicated with each other;
- a driving member disposed in the first compartment for driving said winding reel;
- a coupling member for coupling said driving member with said winding reel; and
- at least two gas generators arranged in said second compartment independently of each other, said gas generators each including an explosive for driving said driving member by an explosion pressure generated by said explosive, said explosives of said gas generators being capable of being operated independently of each other, wherein said second compartment is provided with a plurality of accommodating portions for accommodating said gas generators independently of each other..Iaddend..Iadd.10. A seat belt tightening device including a retractor base, a winding reel rotatably supported on said retractor base, and a webbing connected to said winding reel, in which the seat belt tightening device eliminates the looseness of said webbing by driving said winding reel in a retracting direction to apply a tension to said webbing in an emergency, the seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a driving unit supported by said retractor base, said driving unit being partitioned into first and second compartments that are communicated with each other;
- a driving member disposed in the first compartment for driving said winding reel;
- a coupling member for coupling said driving member with said winding reel; and
- at least two gas generators arranged in said second compartment independently of each other, said gas generators each including an explosive for driving said driving member by an explosion pressure generated by said explosive, said explosives of said gas generators being capable of being operated independently of each other,
- wherein said second compartment is an elongated compartment, and said gas generators are disposed at opposite ends of said second compartment..Iaddend..Iadd.11. A seat belt tightening device including a retractor base, a winding reel rotatable supported on said retractor base, and a webbing connected to said winding reel, in which the seat belt tightening device eliminates the looseness of said webbing by driving said winding reel in a retracting direction to apply a tension to said webbing in an emergency, the seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a driving unit supported by said retractor base, said driving unit being partitioned into first and second compartments that are communicated with each other;
- a driving member disposed in the first compartment for driving said winding reel;
- a coupling member for coupling said driving member with said winding reel; and
- at least two gas generators arranged in said second compartment independently of each other, said gas generators each including an explosive for driving said driving member by an explosion pressure generated by said explosive, said explosives of said gas generators being capable of being operated independently of each other,
- wherein said second compartment comprises at least two elongated insert portions, and said gas generators are respectively mounted on one end of said insert portions..Iaddend..Iadd.12. A seat belt tightening device eliminating the looseness of a webbing by driving a member connected to said webbing with a driving force of a driving member to apply a tension to said webbing in an emergency, the seat belt tightening device comprising:
- a driving unit partitioned into first and second compartments that are communicated with each other, said driving member being disposed in said first compartment;
- at least two gas generators arranged in said second compartment independently of each other, said gas generators each including an explosive for driving said driving member by an explosion pressure generated by said explosive; and
- means for operating the explosives of said gas generators with a time difference therebetween..Iaddend..Iadd.13. The seat belt tightening device according to claim 12, in which said second compartment is provided with a plurality of accommodating portions for accommodating said gas generators independently of each other..Iaddend.
| 4447017 | May 8, 1984 | Inukai |
| 4508287 | April 2, 1985 | Nilsson |
| 5145209 | September 8, 1992 | Lenzen |
| 5163708 | November 17, 1992 | Kotama |
| 5344095 | September 6, 1994 | Frei |
| 1450901 | October 1973 | GBX |
| 1441385 | February 1974 | GBX |
| 2228183 | February 1990 | GBX |
| 2244203 | April 1991 | GBX |
| 2265814 | October 1993 | GBX |
| 9011913 | October 1990 | WOX |
Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 17, 1997
Date of Patent: Apr 20, 1999
Assignee: NSK Ltd. (Tokyo)
Inventors: Katsuyasu Ono (Kanagawa), Haruyuki Ikesue (Kanagawa), Ryohei Yamauchi (Kanagawa)
Primary Examiner: John M. Jillions
Law Firm: Sughrue, Mion, Zinn, Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Application Number: 8/842,894
International Classification: B60R 2246;
