초록 ▼

A latching inertial reel temporarily holds an inertial reel in a locked position during a lateral acceleration and resetably holds the reel in a latched position as a result of a vertical acceleration. The reel is latched when a latching sensor experiences a vertical acceleration above a threshold.

A latching inertial reel temporarily holds an inertial reel in a locked position during a lateral acceleration and resetably holds the reel in a latched position as a result of a vertical acceleration. The reel is latched when a latching sensor experiences a vertical acceleration above a threshold. A latch holds the reel in the latched position after the acceleration reduces to prevent subsequent injury from secondary impacts of a vehicle occupant with objects or surfaces in the vehicle. The latch may later be reset to release the reel. A vehicle seat may further include a seat inertial reel to provide support to the seat during a crash. The seat inertial reel may be attached to a floor mounting point, or to an elevated mounting point.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A latching inertial reel comprising: a reel portion; a locking portion comprising; a locking mechanism for temporarily locking the reel portion, the locking mechanism moveable to a locked position in response to a horizontal acceleration of a first level while the horizontal accelerati

We claim: 1. A latching inertial reel comprising: a reel portion; a locking portion comprising; a locking mechanism for temporarily locking the reel portion, the locking mechanism moveable to a locked position in response to a horizontal acceleration of a first level while the horizontal acceleration of the first level remains present, the locking mechanism comprising: a horizontally residing annular seat with an upward sloping wall; a ball resting on the seat; and a locking lever having an engaging end and a pivot end opposite the engaging end and to the left of the ball, wherein the horizontal acceleration of the first level causes the ball to move upwards on the sloping wall and push upwards on the locking lever to pivot the locking lever about the pivot end causing the engaging end to engage the locking tooth mechanism attached to the reel portion to temporarily lock the reel; and a latching mechanism for resettably locking the reel portion in response to a vertical acceleration of a second level until the latching mechanism is reset, which second level is independent of the first level, the latching mechanism comprising: a calibration spring; a latching mass comprising the ball and seat of the locking sensor, the latching mass resting on the calibration spring; the locking lever attached to the latching mass and the latching mass and the locking lever sharing a common pivot positioned to the right of the latching mass and between the latching mass and the engaging end of the locking lever, wherein the vertical acceleration of the second level causes the latching mass to move downwards compressing the calibration spring, pivoting the locking lever counter clockwise about the common pivot, and moving the engaging end of the locking lever to engage the locking tooth mechanism attached to the reel portion to lock the reel; and a reset for resetting the latching mechanism. 2. The latching inertial reel of claim 1, wherein; the pivot end of the locking lever is attached to the latching mass; and the locking lever pivots counter clockwise about the pivot end in response to the horizontal acceleration of the first level to engage the locking tooth mechanism attached to the reel portion to lock the reel. 3. A latching inertial reel comprising: a reel portion; a locking tooth mechanism connected to the reel portion; a locking mechanism for locking the reel portion, the locking mechanism comprising: a horizontally sensing first mechanical sensor including a mass responsive to horizontal accelerations in all directions in the horizontal plane; and locking lever having a pivot end, and an engaging end for engaging the locking tooth mechanism to lock the reel portion, wherein the locking lever is moveable to temporarily engage the locking tooth mechanism in response to the first mechanical sensor; and a latching mechanism for latching the reel portion, the latching mechanism comprising: a vertically sensing second mechanical sensor including the same mass as the first mechanical sensor, the mass responsive to vertical acceleration; and the locking lever, wherein the locking lever is moveable to resetably engage the locking tooth mechanism in response to the second mechanical sensor. 4. The latching inertial reel of claim 3, wherein the mass comprises a ball residing in a horizontally residing annular ball seat having a sloped wall, wherein the ball is displaceable up the sloped wall by a horizontal acceleration, and wherein displacement of the ball up the sloped wall urges the locking lever to rotate about the pivot end to engage the engaging end with the locking tooth mechanism. 5. The latching inertial reel of claim 4, wherein the second mechanical sensor comprises the ball, the ball seat, a ball seat pivot, and a spring vertically supporting the ball and the ball seat, wherein the locking lever is connected to the ball seat, and wherein compressing the spring causes: the ball seat to pivot about the ball seat pivot; the locking lever to pivot about the ball seat pivot; and the locking lever to engage the locking tooth mechanism. 6. The latching inertial reel of claim 5, further including a stop for holding the inertial reel in a latched position until the stop is released, wherein the stop slides against a cooperating surface on the ball seat to hold the ball seat in a pivoted position until the stop is released. 7. A latching inertial reel comprising: a reel portion; a locking tooth mechanism connected to a reel residing in the reel portion; a locking lever having a pivot end and an engaging end, the engaging end for engaging the locking tooth mechanism to lock the reel; a locking mechanism comprising a ball residing in a ball seat having a sloped wall, wherein the ball is displaceable up the sloped wall by a horizontal acceleration, and wherein displacement of the ball up the sloped wall urges the locking lever to rotate about the pivot end to engage the engaging end with the locking tooth mechanism; and a latching mechanism comprising the ball, the ball seat, a ball seat pivot, and a spring vertically supporting the ball and the ball seat, wherein the locking lever is connected to the ball seat, and wherein compressing the spring causes: the ball seat to pivot about the ball seat pivot; the locking lever to pivot about the ball seat pivot; and the locking lever to engage the locking tooth mechanism. 8. The latching inertial reel of claim 7, further including a stop for holding the inertial reel in a latched position until the stop is released, wherein the stop slides against a cooperating surface on the ball seat to hold the ball seat in a pivoted position until the stop is released.