Abstract: According to the invention, a vehicle chassis includes first and second longitudinal extending side rails which are laterally spaced apart. A cross member extends transversely between the first and second side rails and has bolt holes therein. A longitudinally extending slotted aperture is provided in each side rail and registers with the bolt holes of the cross member. Each of the side rails has a cage member attached thereto and overlying aligned the slotted aperture. Each cage member has a longitudinally extending slotted aperture registering with the slotted aperture of the side rail and each has a nut captured therein for longitudinal movement of the nut within the cage member along the slotted aperture. A bolt is installed through the cross member bolt hole, through the slotted aperture of the side rail, and into the nut to attach the cross member and the side rail.

Abstract: A rotating machine has a splined primary shaft rotatably mounted in an opening of an oil-filled housing and a primary seal carried by the housing for sealingly engaging with a mating splined secondary shaft upon insertion of the secondary shaft into the housing opening for engagement with the splined primary shaft. An annular seal is also carried by the housing and has a flexible sealing lip for sealing engagement with the primary shaft to maintain oil within the housing. The annular seal has an abutment lever which extends toward the opening to be engaged by the splined secondary shaft upon insertion of the secondary shaft through the housing opening to forcibly pivot the flexible sealing lip of the annular seal away from sealing engagement with the primary shaft and thereby permit oil to flow to lubricate the splines between the primary and secondary shafts.

Abstract: A supplemental restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during a sudden deceleration or collision. The air bag is folded in a fashion to facilitate reducing lateral deployment until the air bag deploys a predetermined distance when inflated by the inflator.

Abstract: According to the invention, the vehicle panel has an opening through which an air bag inflates, and a over panel for closing the opening. The cover panel is mounted for movement away from the vehicle panel to permit inflation of the air bag through the opening. A fastener clip is mounted on one of the panels and has an integrally formed extruded boss therethrough which defines a tubular boss extending on an axis normal to the direction of opening movement of the cover panel. The other panel, preferably of molded plastic, has a pair of opposing flex fingers which reach part way around the and grip the outer surface of the tubular boss to thereby retain the fastener clip to the one panel. A screw is installed through the other panel and through the tubular boss to thereby secure the cover panel on the vehicle panel. The flex fingers flex away from one another to release from the outer surface upon opening movement of the cover panel.

Abstract: A supplemental restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during a sudden deceleration or collision. The air bag is folded in a hexagon configuration and mounted on a generally circular base unit such that the shape of the air bag, as folded, generally complements the shape of the base unit, thereby facilitating reducing unused space.

Abstract: A supplemental restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during a sudden deceleration or collision. The air bag is folded in a triangular configuration and mounted on a generally quadrangular base unit such that the shape of the air bag, as folded, generally complements the quadrangular shape of the base unit.

Abstract: An air bag assembly for an inflatable passenger vehicle restraint system comprises an inflatable air bag, a thrust neutral inflator for generating pressure gas and a reaction canister. The inflator has a cylindrical casing with a plurality of holes on opposite sides for discharging the gas to inflate the air bag. The reaction canister houses the inflator and has a part-cylindrical bottom wall terminating in upstanding side walls which operatively connect the inflator to the air bag. A plurality of aspiration holes are formed in the reaction canister side walls. A part-cylindrical baffle is mounted in the canister between the inflator and the bottom wall and has an outlet to direct gas discharged from the inflator away from the walls and to the air bag. Ambient air is aspirated through the aspirator holes upon gas delivery from the inflator discharge ports to augment the volume of gas delivered to the air bag. The aspirator holes also serve as pressure relief vents for the air bag.

Abstract: A cup holder for a vehicle includes a vehicle panel having a horizontal support surface and a pair of opposing spaced apart walls rising above the support surface and defining the dimensional extent of the support surface. A block of compressible foam material is adapted for placement on the support surface and has at least one cavity therein adapted to hold a cup. The block of foam has opposed end walls spaced apart to fit closely between the spaced apart walls of the vehicle panel so that the block of foam material is held in place by the interaction of the respective end walls of the block and the vehicle panel. The block is removable from the vehicle panel by compressing the foam block to effect this engagement of the end walls of the foam block from the vehicle panel end walls.

Abstract: A particulate impingement device is carried by the air bag and has an impingement surface overlying the vent hole at a spaced relationship away from the vent hole so that the inflation gas exiting the air bag through the vent hole impinges on the impingement surface to deposit particulate by-products within the inflation gas upon the impingement surface.

Abstract: A door lock has a forked latch 3 mounted capable of pivoting about a lock housing 1. It has a truncated conical oval recess 12 into which a component 11 with an also truncated conical oval region engages. A spring 14 presses the forked latch 3 against this component 11. As a result the friction between the forked latch 3 and the component 11 increases when the oval shape of the recess 12 and the component are offset 90.degree. from one another but not when the oval shapes are aligned in the same direction.

Abstract: The invention provides a method by which the mold for a molded vehicle component can be engraved with a grain pattern to match the stretched grain pattern of an adjacent vehicle panel covered by a stretched vinyl sheet. According to the method, a grained vinyl sheet is stretched over a model of the vehicle panel so that the grained pattern of the vinyl is distorted. A portion of the vinyl sheet is then severed at the region to be occupied by the molded component and this severed portion of the vinyl sheet is used as a master for engraving the mold for the molded component.

Abstract: A vehicle air bag installation comprises an air bag mounted in a unitary container comprising a molded plastic substrate having an I-shaped slot defining a pair of doors with integral hinges, and a continuous self-skinned polyurethane foam covering adhered thereto during the formation of the covering. The covering has predetermined weakened sections formed along a tear line defined by the slot which rupture during air bag deployment to facilitate door opening. The covering material is an aliphatic or aromatic isocyanate cured low density polyurethane foam having a durometer of 35-60 Shore A. The unitary container is formed by providing a molded plastic container substrate having slots defining the doors, placing the substrate in a mold having a cover, placing a core within the mold to support the substrate. The core has a plurality of upstanding spaced blades projecting into the slots into spaced relation to the mold cover. Urethane foam is injected into the mold and the cover is closed.

Abstract: A method and steering wheel assembly having a steering wheel comprising a preselected material continuously molded onto at least a driver's side thereof to conceal the air bag when the air bag is mounted to the steering wheel. The preselected material covers at least a driver's side of a rim section, a center section and a spoke section which joins the rim and center sections. The invention provides an integral construction which permits a steering wheel manufacturer to provide a steering wheel having a continuous molded construction on at least a driver's side thereof. This also enables steering wheels to be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Abstract: An air bag module comprises an inflatable air bag, an inflator and a container for housing the inflator and the air bag. The container comprises an elongated reaction canister having a closed housing formed of a U-shaped body with end walls defining a rectangular top gas discharge opening. An air bag deployment chute comprises a rectangular body having a bottom gas transfer opening mating with the canister opening and a top air bag deployment opening. Cooperating flanges on the top side of the canister and on the bottom side of the chute are interengageable upon endwise sliding to assemble the chute to the canister. Surfaces on the chute and canister engage to locate the chute bottom opening in registry with the canister opening. Cooperating tabs on the canister are received in slots formed in the chute upon assembly and are deformed to lock the chute to the canister.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch has a fork bolt lever that is latched by a detent lever. The detent lever is operated by an intermittent lever that is operated by a transfer lever that is actuated by inside and outside door handles via operating levers. The door latch includes a locking lever that disconnects the door handle from the intermittent lever when it is in the locked position. The door latch also includes an anti-theft feature in the form of an electrically actuated "dead bolt" lock that is engaged and disengaged solely by a key lock cylinder. The door latch further includes an override feature that unlocks the door latch mechanically in the event of electrical power failure.

Abstract: According to the invention, a vehicle body has a latch assembly for latching and unlatching a pivotally movable closure panel carrying a striker. The latch assembly has first and second throats for alternately receiving the striker and a latching means adapted for alternate assembly to capture the striker in the first throat and alternately in the second throat. In accordance with the invention, a forkbolt lever is pivotally supported on a housing and is adapted for alternate assembly being mountable for rotation to capture the striker either in the first throat or alternately in the second throat. The detent lever is pivotally supported on a housing and is adapted for alternate assembly being mountable for rotation to selectively engage the forkbolt lever for capturing the striker either in the first throat or alternately in the second throat.

Abstract: An air bag module comprises an air bag, an air bag retainer ring, a housing, an elongated inflator, and an inflator container. The retainer ring is secured to the air bag about its opening and has a mounting flange. The housing has spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing a folded air bag and which has an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening. A mounting flange extends from each of the side walls, and four spaced straps span the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle. The inflator is located on the straps and comprises a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end. The container comprises a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, two spaced raised ribs formed in the bottom wall, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls. Three pairs of aligned mounting apertures are formed in all of the mounting flanges.

Abstract: A container for an air bag inflator comprises an open-ended cylindrical aluminum or magnesium extrusion having circumferentially-spaced internal ribs, an axial gas discharge opening and a pair of grooved mounting flanges flanking the opening. A cylindrical inflator is inserted through one end of the container on the ribs. An air bag deployment chute includes depending mounting flanges. An air bag, which includes mounting hems having loops, is placed in the chute. A U-shaped retainer is inserted into the hem loops and into the chute channels. This assembly is slid endwise into the container grooves. An end plate is attached to the retainer ends and has a notch to engage an orientation lug on the inflator. In another embodiment, the chute is omitted and the air bag hem loops each receive a mounting rod which are inserted radially into the container grooves. A mounting plate has flanges that are bolted to the container flanges, clamping flanges of an air bag cover in between.

Abstract: A supplemental inflatable restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during an accident. The air bag is folded and placed in the module such that inflation of the air bag causes the air bag to be expelled from the module in a substantially folded condition whereby a contact face of the air bag defines a substantially flat or unfolded contact surface for initial contact with a vehicle occupant. The air bag is folded such that top and bottom edges thereof are rolled toward a central location on the air bag. During inflation, the rolled portions unroll upwardly and downwardly across the occupant.