Thin Profile Retractor Module for Vehicle Floor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems (WTORS) face challenges with bulky retractors that protrude from vehicle floors, creating tripping hazards and requiring difficult and damaging installations, which compromise structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A thin profile retractor module with a 'pancake' configuration that reduces thickness by placing mechanical components inside the spool core, allowing easy integration into vehicle structures and reducing friction through isolation of the spool from the housing and locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a thin profile retractor is designed with condensed configuration, then the thickness is reduced to fit within vehicle floors, but friction is introduced between the spool, locking mechanism, and housing
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor is divided into separate functional modules: the spool assembly, the locking mechanism, and the housing are isolated from each other. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function independently, reducing unnecessary contact and friction between parts while maintaining the compact thin profile design.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is extracted and positioned separately from the spool, connected only through the webbing strap. This extraction eliminates direct mechanical contact between the locking mechanism and spool, significantly reducing friction and energy loss while preserving the retracted state functionality.
2Ease of operation
If traditional retractors are positioned above floor level, then they are easily accessible, but they protrude and create tripping hazards or obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor is repositioned from a vertical orientation above the floor to a horizontal orientation within the floor plane. By changing the dimensional arrangement and integrating it flush with the floor surface, the system maintains accessibility while eliminating the protruding obstacle that causes tripping hazards.
3Ease of manufacture
If in-floor systems are designed to be thin, then they integrate easily into vehicle floors, but they require cutting large holes that compromise structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor components are nested within each other in a concentric arrangement, with the spool inside the housing and the locking mechanism integrated into the same space. This nesting allows the entire assembly to fit within a small footprint, requiring only a small hole in the floor for installation while maintaining structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A thin profile retractor can be installed in a vehicle without the needing to cut large holes in the OEM floor. A plurality of retractors combined in a single housing may define a drop-in, in-floor system. The thickness of the system is approximately equal to or slightly thicker than the thickness of aftermarket flooring that is typically placed on top of the OEM flooring or vehicle frame, e.g., plywood. Only small holes need to be drilled into the OEM floor to secure the system to the frame. The retractor includes components and configurations that permit the thin profile and/or allow the retractor to perform better during accidents. The retractor includes a locking member biased by a spring to a locked position and the drum is isolated from the force of the spring. The retractor includes a friction spacer to separate the drum from the housing and to reduce friction.