Abstract: A tensioner for a safety belt has a piston/cylinder unit, which comprises a cylinder and a piston arranged in its interior, a compressed gas source, on the activation of which the piston is displaced, a belt engagement device which engages the safety belt, a traction cable which connects the piston to the belt engagement device, and at least one dampener for the absorption of energy on deceleration of the movement of the belt engagement device. The cylinder has a first end nearer to the belt engagement device and a second end further away therefrom. The piston consists of at least two piston parts, namely of a first, radially outer piston part and a second, radially inner piston part, the second piston part being uncoupled from the first piston part on deceleration of the piston at the end of the tensioning process.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprises a canister (30) and an inflatable device (80) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect a vehicle occupant. The inflatable device (80) has a first portion (82) fixed in the apparatus (10) and also has a second portion (86). The apparatus (10) includes an inflation fluid source (96) for providing inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device (80). A cover (50) for covering at least a portion of the canister (30) has a first portion (54) and a second portion (52). The first portion (54) of the cover (50) moves upon inflation of the inflatable device (80) to provide an opening (60) through which the second portion (86) of the inflatable device is deployed. The first portion (82) of the inflatable device (80) engages and is fixed to the second portion (52) of the cover (50) by structure (100) free of a retaining ring inside the canister (30) when the inflatable device is deflated and when the inflatable device is inflated.

Abstract: A restraint device for vehicle occupants, in particular for the lateral restraining of the occupant, comprising an inflatable gas bag (10) and a tensioning device which is connected with the vehicle, engages the gas bag, pulls the gas bag into an intended position on inflation, and holds the gas bag in this position, is characterized in that the tensioning device has at least one inflatable tightening means (20) which shortens in the pulling direction by the inflation and thereby exerts a tensile force on the gas bag.

Abstract: A tire condition sensing apparatus (14) includes a tire condition sensor (78, 84, 88) for sensing a tire condition and providing a sensor signal indicative thereof. A transmitter (44) transmits a data message having a plurality of data locations for accommodating data. A controller (72) is electrically connected with the tire condition sensor (78, 84, 88) and the transmitter (44). The controller (72) controls the transmitter (44) to transmit tire condition data in selected data locations of the data message based on a parameter associated with the apparatus (14), such as an identification code of the apparatus (14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for rapid inflation of a folded gas bag for an occupant impact protection device in motor vehicles. The device comprises a housing, a pyrotechnic propellant within the housing for generating filling gases, and an ignition device. The housing is equipped with a passage serving as an outflow duct for the filling gases from the gas bag, a cross-section of the passage being adapted to be exposed at least in part after an activation of the device.

Abstract: An electrical power assisted steering system is disclosed having a boost curve which has inverse symmetry about a zero input torque value, each half of the boost curve comprising a first portion defined by a first polynomial equation between a zero value and a first value, and a second portion defined by a second polynomial between a second value and a third value, in which the gradient of the first portion of the curve at the first value is equal to the gradient of the second portion of the curve at the second value. By storing values for the first, second and third values and the gradient of each polynomial at those values a smooth boost curve can be defined by storing only a small amount of parameters.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a trimming station for sheet like articles comprising a first conveyor assembly (2) conveying sheet material (3) in a first orientation (4) having a first trimming section (16) with vibrating trimming elements (19, 20). Further, a sheet material reorienting section (23) is provided for the sheet material (3). Reoriented sheet material articles (3) are conveyed in a second orientation (25) to a second conveyor assembly (24) having a second trimming section (33) with trimming elements (34, 35).