Connection assembly and seat belt retractor

Abstract

The application relates to a connection assembly comprising: a first member torsionally connected to a webbing drum, rotatable coaxially with the webbing drum, and comprising a first extrusion portion; a second member having a common axis of rotation with the webbing drum and comprising a second extrusion portion, the first and second members being coupled such that the second member can drive the first member to rotate in a webbing winding direction, a clutch member engageable with and disengageable from the second member, the second member being drivable by the clutch member to drive the first member to rotate in the webbing winding direction when the clutch member is engaged with the second member; wherein rotation of the first member relative to the second member in a webbing unwinding direction during engagement of the second member with the clutch member can cause one or both of the first and second extrusion portions to be at least partially crushed to uncouple the first member from the second member without disengaging the second member from the clutch member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates generally to the field of vehicles, and more specifically to a connecting assembly and a seatbelt retractor. Background Technology

[0002] As an effective and reliable passive safety device, vehicle seat belts have become an indispensable component of the overall vehicle safety system. With the trend towards electrification and intelligentization in automobiles, occupants' demands for the safety protection and wearing comfort of seat belts are constantly increasing.

[0003] Some seat belts known in practice include irreversible pretensioning devices, which include a pyrotechnic gas generator, a coil, and steel balls, flexible racks, or the like housed within the coil. In the event of an impending emergency, such as an impending collision, the vehicle control unit can issue a control command to activate the pyrotechnic gas generator, detonating the propellant. The steel balls, flexible racks, or the like, under the force of the explosion, move out of the coil and drive the seat belt retractor's drum in the seat belt retraction direction. This causes the seat belt to retract, eliminating gaps within the seat belt retractor and between the webbing and the occupant's body. Therefore, the occupant is better secured to the vehicle seat, providing effective seat belt protection in emergency situations.

[0004] In addition, some seat belts known in practice may include reversible active pretensioners in addition to irreversible pretensioners. Active pretensioners typically include a motor, an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the motor's operation, a transmission, and a clutch. During driving, in dangerous situations or when occupants need to be alerted, the motor can be activated via a command from the ECU according to preset control logic. This causes the motor to drive the belt reel in the seat belt winding direction via the transmission and the engaged clutch, actively pretensioning the seat belt to an appropriate degree. Then, for example, after the danger has passed or after a predetermined time, the motor can be reversed to release the active pretensioning of the seat belt. The ECU can obtain control commands, for example, from the vehicle control unit. When the active pretensioner is triggered, the clutch in the transmission path between the motor and the belt reel acts as a load-bearing component and transmits torque from the motor. In the event of an unavoidable impending collision, where the irreversible pretensioner is activated, such as when the propellant in a pyrotechnic gas generator is detonated, the activated active pretensioner should ideally not interfere with this irreversible pretensioning function. For example, under the impact inertia of a pyrotechnic gas generator, the clutch of the active pretensioner can usually irreversibly disengage from the reel, thus not affecting the occupant's ability to pull out the seatbelt under inertia. This allows the seatbelt's force-limiting module (which alleviates pressure on the occupant's chest under large impact inertia) to engage and protect the occupant. However, in some cases, there is still a risk that the clutch of the active pretensioner may not disengage from the reel. If the active pretensioner fails to disengage from the reel after a collision, the initial force-limiting module will be affected when the occupant pulls the seatbelt outward due to inertia, resulting in greater pressure on the occupant's chest and compromising the occupant's protective function.

[0005] Patent document CN111212768 A discloses an overload protection structure formed by setting circumferentially distributed shear pins between the reel and the drive wheel of a seat belt retractor. These shear pins can be integrally formed with the reel or drive wheel, or they can be inserted as separate parts into the reel or drive wheel. This overload protection structure has a large number of small shear pins, posing significant challenges in parts manufacturing processes, dimensional control, cost, and component assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a connecting assembly in which the tape reel can be reliably separated from the active pretensioner of the seat belt in the event of an unavoidable collision of the vehicle.

[0007] The purpose of this application is also to provide a seatbelt retractor that includes the above-described connecting components.

[0008] A first aspect of this application relates to a connection component, the connection component comprising:

[0009] A first component is torsionally connected to the reel of the seatbelt retractor and is rotatable coaxially with the reel in the seatbelt winding direction and the seatbelt unwinding direction. The first component includes a first compression section.

[0010] The second component, having a common axis of rotation with the tape reel and including a second compression portion, is connected to the first and second components via the engagement of the first and second compression portions, such that the second component can drive the first component to rotate in the seatbelt retraction direction.

[0011] The clutch component is capable of engaging and disengaging with the second component. When the clutch component is engaged with the second component, the second component can be driven by the clutch component to cause the first component to rotate in the seat belt retraction direction.

[0012] During engagement between the second member and the clutch member, rotation of the first member relative to the second member in the seatbelt unwinding direction can cause one or both of the first and second compression portions to be at least partially crushed, thereby disengaging the connection between the first member and the second member without disengaging the second member from the clutch member, thus allowing the first member to rotate relative to the second member.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first member and the second member can be frictionally connected to each other through the engagement between the first extrusion part and the second extrusion part, and the rotation of the second member relative to the first member in the seat belt retraction direction increases the force between the first extrusion part and the second extrusion part.

[0014] In some embodiments, one of the first extrusion portion and the second extrusion portion is configured as a protrusion, and the other is configured as a corresponding helical portion that mates with the protrusion, such that during engagement of the second member with the clutch member, the rotation of the first member relative to the second member in the seatbelt unwinding direction can at least partially crush the helical portion.

[0015] In some embodiments, when viewed along the direction of the rotation axis, the diameter of the circle tangent to the point where the height of the protrusion is maximum, for concentric circles centered on the rotation axis, is between the maximum and minimum diameters of the surface of the corresponding helical portion that mates with the protrusion.

[0016] In some embodiments, the helical portion is configured as a cantilever extending from one of the first and second components toward the other.

[0017] In some embodiments, one of the first member and the second member has a cylindrical surface facing the other of the first member and the second member, the cylindrical surface having a plurality of protrusions extending radially toward the other member, wherein the plurality of protrusions have equal height and are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical surface, wherein the other of the first member and the second member has a plurality of corresponding helical portions that mate with the plurality of protrusions, the plurality of helical portions having the same shape and being evenly distributed in the circumferential direction around the axis of rotation corresponding to the plurality of protrusions.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second member is configured to be disposed around the first member in a radial direction, the second member including a second extrusion portion disposed radially inner, and the first member including a corresponding first extrusion portion disposed radially outer.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second extrusion portion is configured as the protrusion.

[0020] In some embodiments, the spiral portion includes a recess that mates with the protrusion in shape before the crushing process begins.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first extrusion part and the second extrusion part each have a shape-fitting part, and the shape-fitting part of the first extrusion part and the shape-fitting part of the second extrusion part are shape-fitted before the crushing process begins.

[0022] In some embodiments, the protrusion is configured as a columnar portion that extends along the rotation axis of the tape reel.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first member is disposed on the end portion of the tape reel in the axial direction.

[0024] In some embodiments, the second component is configured as a ratchet, and the clutch component is configured as a pawl.

[0025] In some embodiments, the clutch member and the second member constitute part of a clutch for an active pretensioning device for seat belts.

[0026] In some embodiments, the clutch member is rotatable about a pivot axis between a first pivot position and a second pivot position, the pivot axis being parallel to the rotation axis, wherein in the first pivot position the clutch member is disengaged from the second member, and in the second pivot position the clutch member is engaged with the second member.

[0027] In some embodiments, the clutch member is configured as a pawl and has a claw portion remote from the pivot axis, the claw portion being configured to engage and disengage with the second member.

[0028] In some embodiments, the clutch includes a guide structure, and the pawl is rotatable between a first pivot position and a second pivot position under the guidance of the guide structure.

[0029] A second aspect of this application relates to a seatbelt retractor that includes the connection components described above.

[0030] The technical features mentioned above, those to be mentioned below, and those shown individually in the accompanying drawings can be combined arbitrarily, provided that the combined technical features are not contradictory. All feasible combinations of features are the technical content explicitly described herein. Any one of the multiple sub-features contained in the same statement can be applied independently, without necessarily being applied together with other sub-features. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the illustrative accompanying drawings. Wherein:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a seatbelt retractor according to an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another view of the seatbelt retractor.

[0034] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A view of the clutch of the active pretensioning device of the seat belt retractor, viewed along the axial direction of the reel, wherein the clutch is in the first state.

[0035] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The view shown corresponds to the clutch being in the second state.

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 The view shown corresponds to the clutch being in the third state.

[0037] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a tape reel according to an embodiment of the present application, showing a first component of the connecting assembly.

[0039] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The image shows a portion of the tape reel viewed along the axial direction.

[0040] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the driven element of the clutch, which is the second component of the connecting assembly according to an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 The end view of the driven element shown is taken along the axial direction.

[0042] Figure 11 They are to be assembled together. Figure 7 The tape reel shown is Figure 9 A three-dimensional view of the driven element shown.

[0043] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A three-dimensional view of the tape reel and driven element assembled together.

[0044] Figure 13 This is a portion of an end view of a connecting assembly viewed in the axial direction according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the connecting assembly is in a first state.

[0045] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The view shown corresponds to the connection component in its second state.

[0046] Figure 15 yes Figure 13 The view shown corresponds to the connection component in the third state.

[0047] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of a tape reel and a driven element to be assembled together according to another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Exemplary embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that this application can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or functionally identical elements.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a seatbelt retractor 1 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the seat belt retractor 1 may include an active pretensioning device 2 and a retractor body 3. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another view of the seatbelt retractor 1, with Figure 1 The difference lies in the removal of one housing portion of the active pretensioning device 2 and one housing portion of the retractor body portion 3 to reveal the internal structure. The active pretensioning device 2 may include components such as a drive unit 4, a transmission unit 5, and a clutch 6. The retractor body portion 3 may include a tape reel 7 on which a seatbelt can be wound. A gear, particularly a ratchet, coaxially connected to the tape reel 7 and, at least under certain conditions, torsionally resisting gears, serves as the driven element 20 of the clutch 6 of the active pretensioning device 2, and may pass through an opening in the center of the clutch 6. The driven element 20 and the tape reel 7 may share a common axis of rotation.

[0050] Typically, the seatbelt retractor 1 may include a frame 9, in which the belt reel 7 may be rotatably supported, and the housing of the transmission device 5 may be fixedly connected to the frame 9. Figure 2 As further shown, the drive motion output by the drive unit 4 can be transmitted to the output gear through the transmission device 5. This output gear can also serve as the drive element 10 of the clutch 6. When the clutch 6 is engaged, the active pretensioning device 2 can rotate the tape drum 7 in the seat belt winding direction to tighten the seat belt. When the clutch 6 is disengaged, the active pretensioning device 2 does not interfere with the movement of the tape drum 7.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the transmission device 5 can be configured as a gear transmission device. The clutch 6 can be housed as a module within the housing of the transmission device 5. In principle, the drive device 4 and the transmission device 5 can employ other known devices, such as hydraulic drive devices, belt drives, wire rope drives, friction wheel drives, etc.

[0052] Figures 3 to 5 A view of the clutch 6 taken along the axial direction of the tape reel 7 is shown, primarily illustrating several operating states of the clutch 6. For example... Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the clutch 6 may include a drive element 10. The drive element 10 is rotatable along a first direction D and a second direction R opposite to the first direction D. The first direction D may correspond to the rotation of the tape drum 7 along the seat belt winding direction, and the second direction R may correspond to the rotation of the tape drum 7 along the seat belt unwinding direction. As described above, the drive element 10 may be the output gear of the transmission device 5.

[0053] like Figure 3As shown, the clutch 6 may include a stop ring 12, a friction ring 13, and two pawls 14. The pawls 14 are pivotally mounted on a pin 15 disposed on the drive element 10, wherein the pin 15 provides the pivot axis of the pawls 14. The clutch 6 may include a driven element 20, which may have a common axis of rotation with the drive element 10. The pawls 14 may be configured as clutch members that engage and disengage with the driven element 20, thereby enabling the clutch 6 to switch between an engaged state and a disengaged state.

[0054] The stop ring 12 can be a substantially stationary component, or one that can only rotate to a limited extent. For example, the stop ring 12 can rotate to a limited extent of less than 30°, for example, between 20° and 30°, or within a range of less than 10°. For this purpose, the housing of the transmission device 5 can have at least one, for example, three pins that are inserted into the recess 16 of the stop ring 12 during assembly. These pins can prevent further rotation of the stop ring 12 by abutting against the circumferential edge of the recess 16.

[0055] Friction ring 13 can be frictionally engaged with stop ring 12. For this purpose, friction ring 13 can be installed radially inside stop ring 12, wherein the outer circumferential surface of friction ring 13 is frictionally engaged with the inner circumferential surface of stop ring 12. Friction ring 13 can have two opposing ends 17 and can include a compression spring 18 mounted between these two ends 17, such that friction ring 13 can maintain a persistent and stable frictional engagement with stop ring 12. During the operation of clutch 6, friction ring 13 and stop ring 12 remain relatively stationary until the frictional force between them is overcome; after this frictional force is overcome, friction ring 13 can rotate relative to stop ring 12.

[0056] In such Figure 3 In the first state of the clutch 6 shown, the drive element 10 and the friction ring 13 are in a first relative position, and the pawl 14 is in a first pivotal position relative to the drive element 10. In the first pivotal position, the pawl 14 disengages from the driven element 20. Figure 4 In the second state of the clutch 6 shown, the drive element 10 and the friction ring 12 are in a second relative position, and the pawl 14 is in a second pivotal position relative to the drive element 10. In the second pivotal position, the pawl 14 engages with the driven element 20. Next, the transition process of the clutch 6 between the first and second states will be described.

[0057] like Figure 3 As further shown, the friction ring 13 may include a guide structure 25 that interacts with the pawl 14, the guide structure 25 being configured as follows: Figure 3As shown, when the drive element 10 and the friction ring 13 are in the first relative position, the pawl 14 is in the first pivot position; and as... Figure 4 As shown, when the drive element 10 and the friction ring 13 are in the second relative position, the pawl 14 is in the second pivot position. For example, as Figure 4 As shown, the pawl 14 may have a claw portion 23 extending from the body of the pawl 14 away from the pivot axis, the claw portion 23 being configured to engage with the driven element 20. The friction ring 13 may also have an elastic member 24, which, when the pawl 14 is in a first pivot position relative to the drive element 10, can compress the pawl 14 and resist rotation of the pawl 14 toward a second pivot position, thereby suppressing wobbling of the pawl 14 and the resulting noise. When the pawl 14 has pivoted a predetermined distance toward the second pivot position, the elastic member 24 disengages from the pawl 14, thus not interfering with the active preload function.

[0058] The active pre-tensioning process of the active pre-tensioning device 2, including the clutch 6, can be performed as follows: from such Figure 3 Starting from the first state of the clutch 6 shown, when the drive device 4 causes the drive element 10 to rotate in the first direction D, after the stop ring 12 is limited by the aforementioned pin, the friction ring 13 initially remains relatively stationary with respect to the stop ring 12 due to the frictional force between them. Thus, the drive element 10 moves along with the pawl 14, causing the pawl 14 to move to the second pivot position under the action of the guide structure 25. Figure 4 The position shown is such that, at this position, the pawl 23 engages with the driven member 20, allowing the drive element 10 to rotate the driven member 20 along the first direction D via the pawl 14, thus tightening the seatbelt. The drive member 10 may include, for example, a pushing and pressing portion (not shown). When the pawl 14 and the driven member 20 are engaged, the pushing and pressing portion of the drive element 10 can abut against a corresponding mating pressing portion (not shown) on the friction ring 13 to apply a thrust along the first direction D to the friction ring 13, overcoming the friction between the friction ring 13 and the stop ring 12, thereby allowing the friction ring 13 to rotate with the drive element 10. The release process of the active pretensioning function of the active pretensioning device 2 can be performed substantially in reverse.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the clutch 6 may include a connecting spring 19, the drive element 10 may have a pin 21, and the friction ring 13 may have a pin 22. The connecting spring 19 may have its two ends hooked onto the pins 21 and 22. Under no-load conditions, the connecting spring 19 allows the drive element 10 to remain in a position relative to the friction ring 13 as follows: Figure 3 The first relative position is shown.

[0060] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, the pawl 14 may have a hook 26. For example, the hook 26 may extend from the body of the pawl 14 in a direction opposite to the pawl 23 of the pawl 14. When the drive element 20 and the friction ring 13 are in a first relative position, the pawl 14 may abut against the drive element 10 with the hook 26. More specifically, the drive element 10 may have a cooperating hook 27 that works in conjunction with the hook 26, wherein the hook 26 may abut against the cooperating hook 27 in a first pivot position of the pawl 14, and when the pawl 14 pivots relative to the drive element 10 from the first pivot position to a second pivot position, the hook 26 may be lifted from the cooperating hook 27, thus the cooperating hook 27 does not interfere with the active preload function.

[0061] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 An irreversible pretensioning device 11 is also visible, which may include, for example, a gas generator, a snake tube, and a steel ball, flexible rack, or similar object. For example, when a vehicle is about to collide, the propellant in the gas generator is detonated, and the gas generated by the gas generator drives the steel ball, flexible rack, or similar object contained in the snake tube. The steel ball, flexible rack, or similar object ejected from the snake tube may, for example, impact a driven gear that is coaxially and fixedly arranged with the tape reel 7, so that the tape reel 7 is pretensioned in the seat belt winding direction, so that the occupant can be better restrained in the vehicle seat during a vehicle collision, thereby reducing or even completely avoiding injuries to the occupant caused by a vehicle collision.

[0062] If the irreversible pretensioner 11 is activated immediately after the active pretensioner 2 is activated, the propellant in the pyrotechnic gas generator of the irreversible pretensioner 11 is ignited. Then, the belt reel 7 is driven by the irreversible pretensioner 11 at a significantly increased rotational speed in the seatbelt winding direction. Therefore, along the seatbelt winding direction (in... Figure 3 The driven element 20, which rotates at high speed (counterclockwise), impacts the pawl 14 with high energy, causing the pawl 14 to bounce from the second pivot position to the first pivot position and cross the first pivot position to reach the overpass position. The hook 26 of the pawl 14 can lock with the cooperating hook 27 of the drive element 10 in the overpass position. Figure 5 and Figure 6 This illustrates the third state of the clutch 6 when the pawl 14 is in the overrun position. In this state, the pawl 14 can no longer pivot about the pivot axis and remains disengaged from the driven element 20. Therefore, the belt reel 7 can rotate freely in the unwinding direction of the seat belt, so that the active pretensioning device 2 does not interfere with the force-limiting function of the seat belt retractor 1, which can improve the working safety of the seat belt.

[0063] However, if the rotation of the driven element 20 in the seatbelt retraction direction fails to successfully engage the hook 26 with the mating hook 27, there is a risk that the pawl 14 and the driven element 20 cannot be separated. In this case, when the occupant pulls the seatbelt outward due to inertia, the engagement of the driven element 20 with the pawl 23 of the pawl 14 hinders the pull of the seatbelt from the active pretensioning device 2 until the driven element 20 crushes the pawl 23 of the pawl 14. During this period, the occupant may suffer a huge impact from the driven element 20 crushing the pawl 23 of the pawl 14, and the force-limiting module cannot function until the driven element 20 crushes the pawl 23, which is detrimental to the protection of the occupant.

[0064] like Figures 7 to 15 As shown, a connecting assembly 30 according to one embodiment of this application may include a first member 31 and a driven element 20 as described above, serving as a second member of the connecting assembly 30. The first member 31 may be torsionally connected to the tape reel 7 and is rotatable coaxially with the tape reel 7 in the seatbelt winding direction and the seatbelt unwinding direction. The torsionally connected first member 31 to the tape reel 7 can be understood, for example, that the first member 31 may be fixedly connected to the tape reel 7 or integrally formed with (or constituted as part of) the tape reel 7. For example, the first member 31 may be disposed at an end portion 32 in the axial direction of the tape reel 7. The driven element 20, serving as the second member of the connecting assembly 30, may have a common axis of rotation with the first member 31 and may be configured to be disposed radially around the first member 31. It should be understood that in other embodiments not shown, the first member 31 and the driven element 20 may also be arranged such that the first member 31 is disposed around the driven element 20.

[0065] like Figures 7 to 11 As clearly shown, the first component 31 may include a first pressing portion 33, and the driven element 20 may include a second pressing portion 34. The first component 31 and the driven element 20 are connected to each other through the cooperation between the first pressing portion 33 and the second pressing portion 34, such that the driven element 20 can drive the first component 31 to rotate in the seat belt retraction direction. As described above, the pawl 14 can engage and disengage with the driven element 20. When the pawl 14 engages with the driven element 20, the active pretensioning device 2 can drive the driven element 20 through the pawl 14, thereby causing the driven element 20 to drive the first component 21 to rotate in the seat belt retraction direction to achieve the seat belt pretensioning function.

[0066] As described above, when the irreversible pretensioning device 11 is activated and the hook 26 of the pawl 14 fails to successfully engage with the mating hook 27, the pawl 14 may remain engaged with the driven element 20. Therefore, the first member 31 and the driven element 20 are further configured such that during engagement between the driven element 20 and the pawl 14, rotation of the first member 31 relative to the driven element 20 in the seatbelt unwinding direction can at least partially crush one or both of the first compression portion 33 and the second compression portion 34 to release the connection between the first member 31 and the driven element 20 without releasing the engagement between the driven element 20 and the pawl 14, thereby allowing the first member 31 to rotate relative to the driven element 20.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first member 31 and the driven element 20 may be configured such that they can be frictionally engaged with each other through the engagement between the first pressing portion 33 and the second pressing portion 34, and rotation of the driven element 20 relative to the first member 31 in the seatbelt retraction direction can increase the force between the first pressing portion 33 and the second pressing portion 34. For example, as Figures 7 to 11 As shown, in some embodiments, the second extrusion portion 34 may be configured as a protrusion disposed on the radially inner side of the driven element 20, and the first extrusion portion 33 may be configured as a spiral portion that cooperates with the protrusion.

[0068] For example, such as Figure 8 and 10 As shown, the driven element 20 is configured to surround the first member 31 in the radial direction, and the driven element 20 may have a cylindrical surface facing the first member 31, on which a plurality of protrusions extending radially toward the first member 31 are formed. Advantageously, the plurality of protrusions may have equal heights and may be evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical surface. Correspondingly, a plurality of helical portions cooperating with the plurality of protrusions may be formed on the first member 31. Advantageously, the plurality of helical portions may have the same shape and may be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis of the tape reel, corresponding to the plurality of protrusions. Such a configuration can help simplify the assembly process and reduce assembly difficulty.

[0069] The more advantageous one is, such as Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, when viewed along the rotation axis of the tape reel, for concentric circles centered on this rotation axis, the circle tangent to the point where the height of the protrusion is maximum can have a diameter d1, and the minimum and maximum diameters of the corresponding helical part surface that mates with the protrusion can be d2 and d3, respectively. Figure 8As shown, the circle passing through point A (the point farthest from the center) on the surface of the spiral portion has the largest diameter d3, and the circle passing through point B (the point closest to the center) on the surface of the spiral portion has the smallest diameter d2. Advantageously, d1, d2, and d3 are arranged such that d1 falls between d2 and d3, allowing the protrusion and the spiral portion to achieve an interference fit, and ensuring that during engagement between the driven element 20 and the pawl 14, the rotation of the first member 31 relative to the driven element 20 in the seatbelt unwinding direction at least partially crushes the spiral portion. In some embodiments, the spiral portion may, for example, be configured as a cantilever extending from the first member 31 toward the driven element 20, making the spiral portion easily crushable. Figure 8 As shown, the spiral part can have a thickness t in the radial direction, which can be adjusted according to the required crushing force.

[0070] It should be understood that in other embodiments not shown, the positions of the first member 31 and the driven element 20 in the radial direction can be interchanged; that is, the first member 31 can also be configured to surround the driven element 20 in the radial direction. Furthermore, unlike the embodiments described above, the protrusion and the helical portion can also be respectively provided on the other of the first member 31 and the driven element 20; that is, the protrusion can be provided on the first member 31, and the helical portion can be provided on the driven element 20. Figure 9 As shown, the second extrusion section 34 can be configured as a columnar section, which is advantageously elongated along the rotation axis of the tape reel 7 and has a first length in the axial direction. Accordingly, as Figure 7 As shown, the first extrusion section 33 can also be configured to have a second length along the rotation axis of the winding drum 7, which corresponds, for example, to the first length. The structural dimensions of the first extrusion section 33 and the second extrusion section 34 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The number of the first extrusion section 33 and the second extrusion section 34 is not particularly limited; for example, there can be one, two, three, or more. It is advantageous that the number of the first extrusion section 33 and the number of the second extrusion section 34 are the same. It is also advantageous that the first extrusion section 33 and the second extrusion section 34 can be arranged uniformly in the circumferential direction.

[0071] Figure 13 The diagram shows a first component 33 and a driven element 20 assembled together, wherein the first pressing portion 33 of the first component 31 and the second pressing portion 34 of the driven element 20 are in a state of not contacting or just contacting, that is, the first component 31 and the driven element 20 have not yet joined together. Figure 14 This shows that when the first component 31 is relative to the driven element 20 from Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of the engagement state when the first member 31 and the driven element 20 are pressed together by the first pressing part 33 and the second pressing part 34 after being rotated clockwise by a first angle (e.g., about 40°) in the middle state, thereby establishing a frictional connection. When the irreversible preload device 11 is activated and the pawl 14 of the clutch 6 (in...) Figure 14 While engaged with the driven element 20 (not shown), as the occupant pulls the seatbelt outward due to inertia, the reel 7 rotates along the seatbelt unwinding direction, and the first member 31 will move relative to the driven element 20 along... Figure 14 The cylinder rotates clockwise, causing at least one of the first pressing portion 33 and the second pressing portion 34 to be at least partially crushed. For example, Figure 15 This shows that when the first component 31 is relative to the driven element 20 from Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the seatbelt when, after continuing to rotate clockwise by a second angle (e.g., approximately 50°), the crushing process is completed, thereby disengaging the first member 31 from the driven element 20 and enabling it to rotate in the seatbelt unwinding direction. Figure 15 In the state shown, the force limiting module can function to protect the occupants.

[0072] like Figure 16 As shown, according to another embodiment of this application, the spiral portion of the first compression portion 33 may include a recessed portion 35, which can form-fit with the protrusion of the second compression portion 34 during normal operation of the active pre-tightening device 2 (i.e., before the crushing process begins), so that the first compression portion 33 and the second compression portion 34 can be more reliably engaged during normal operation of the active pre-tightening device 2. It should be understood that in other embodiments not shown, the first compression portion 33 and the second compression portion 34 may each have other forms of form-fitting portions, and the form-fitting portions of the first compression portion 33 and the second compression portion 34 can form-fit before the crushing process begins.

[0073] The connecting component 30 according to this application can effectively avoid the risk that the active pretensioning device 2 and the tape reel 7 cannot be disengaged after the irreversible pretensioning device 11 is activated, thereby avoiding the risk that the force limiting function module of the seat belt will not work properly. This helps to reduce the pressure of the seat belt on the occupant and protect the occupant. In addition, the connecting component 30 according to this application also has the advantages of simple structure, easy manufacturing, low cost and convenient assembly.

[0074] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this application. All terms used in this specification, unless otherwise defined, have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art. For the sake of brevity or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0075] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0076] In the specification, when an element is described as being "on," "attached," "connected," "coupled," or "in contact" with another element, the element can be directly located on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with the other element, or there may be intermediate elements present. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly" located on, directly attached to, directly connected to, directly coupled to, or directly in contact with another element, no intermediate elements are present. In the specification, the description of a feature being arranged "adjacent" to another feature can mean that a feature has a portion overlapping with the adjacent feature or a portion located above or below the adjacent feature.

[0077] It is understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe different elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, a first element may be referred to as a second element without departing from the teachings of this application.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely for understanding this application and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art can make modifications based on the above embodiments, and these modifications will not depart from the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A connection component, characterized in that, The connection component includes: A first component is torsionally connected to the reel of the seatbelt retractor and is rotatable coaxially with the reel in the seatbelt winding direction and the seatbelt unwinding direction. The first component includes a first compression section. The second component, having a common axis of rotation with the tape reel and including a second compression portion, is connected to the first and second components via the engagement of the first and second compression portions, such that the second component can drive the first component to rotate in the seatbelt retraction direction. The clutch component is capable of engaging and disengaging with the second component. When the clutch component is engaged with the second component, the second component can be driven by the clutch component to cause the first component to rotate in the seat belt retraction direction. During engagement between the second member and the clutch member, rotation of the first member relative to the second member in the seatbelt unwinding direction can cause one or both of the first and second compression portions to be at least partially crushed, thereby disengaging the connection between the first member and the second member without disengaging the second member from the clutch member, thus allowing the first member to rotate relative to the second member.

2. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first component and the second component can be frictionally connected to each other through the cooperation between the first extrusion part and the second extrusion part, and the rotation of the second component relative to the first component in the seat belt retraction direction increases the force between the first extrusion part and the second extrusion part.

3. The connection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the first extrusion portion and the second extrusion portion is configured as a protrusion, and the other is configured as a corresponding spiral portion that mates with the protrusion. During engagement of the second member with the clutch member, the rotation of the first member relative to the second member in the seat belt unwinding direction can at least partially crush the spiral portion.

4. The connection component according to claim 3, characterized in that, When viewed along the axis of rotation, the diameter of the circle tangent to the point where the height of the protrusion is maximum, for concentric circles centered on the axis of rotation, falls between the maximum and minimum diameters of the surface of the corresponding spiral portion that mates with the protrusion.

5. The connecting component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spiral portion is configured as a cantilever extending from one of the first and second components toward the other.

6. The connecting component according to claim 3, characterized in that, One of the first component and the second component has a cylindrical surface facing the other of the first component and the second component. A plurality of protrusions extending radially toward the other component are formed on the cylindrical surface. The plurality of protrusions have equal heights and are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical surface. The other of the first component and the second component has a plurality of corresponding helical portions that mate with the plurality of protrusions. The plurality of helical portions have the same shape and are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction around the axis of rotation, corresponding to the plurality of protrusions.

7. The connecting component according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The second member is configured to be disposed around the first member in the radial direction, the second member including a second extrusion portion disposed on the radially inner side, and the first member including a corresponding first extrusion portion disposed on the radially outer side.

8. The connection component according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second extrusion portion is configured as the protrusion.

9. The connecting component according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The spiral portion includes a recess that mates with the protrusion in shape before the crushing process begins.

10. The connecting component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first extrusion part and the second extrusion part each have a shape-fitting part, and the shape-fitting part of the first extrusion part and the shape-fitting part of the second extrusion part are shape-fitted before the crushing process begins.

11. The connecting component according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The protrusion is configured as a columnar portion, which extends along the rotation axis of the tape roll.

12. The connecting component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first component is disposed on the end portion of the tape reel in the axial direction.

13. The connecting component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The second component is configured as a ratchet, and the clutch component is configured as a pawl.

14. The connecting component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The clutch component and the second component constitute part of a clutch for an active pretensioning device for seat belts.

15. A seatbelt retractor, characterized in that, The seatbelt retractor includes a connecting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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