SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY WITH PAWL MOUNTED PENDULUM

摘要

An emergency spool release for use with a seat belt retractor mechanism is shown wherein the seat belt mechanism includes a spool for storing a belt which restrains the passenger of a vehicle during an emergency. The belt is urged into a retracted position by spring means while the protracted position of the belt is restrained in an emergency by the automatic engagement of a locking pawl against ratchet teeth found on the periphery of the spool. The automatic engagement is accomplished by a unique inertia locking system which uses two sets of pawls and two ratchets. The first locking pawl mounts a second pawl which is placed in motion by an inertia mass also mounted upon the first pawl. The second pawl engages a second set of ratchet teeth which pull the second pawl and thus the first pawl into engagement with the first set of ratchet teeth to lock the spool.