Abstract: An all terrain vehicle includes an engine located under a hingably mounted seat, the seat providing ready access to the engine for maintenance and repair. The vehicle includes an engine having a clutch housing and a clutch cover sealably connected to the clutch housing. At least one of the clutch housing and the clutch cover include a bottom wall having at least one coolant-fillable cooling channel within the thickness of the bottom wall provided to cool oil above the clutch housing and the clutch cover. The vehicle also includes a frame having a plurality of engine mounting points. The engine is supportable by the frame and includes a crankcase and a plurality of mounting points adapted to engage the plurality of engine mounting points on the frame. The plurality of mounting points include at least one uppermost mounting point, wherein the at least one uppermost mounting point is positioned on the crankcase.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) comprises an inflatable device (14) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle during a crash condition. A support structure (18) secures a portion of the inflatable device (14). A plurality of tethers (34, 36, 38, and 40) extend between the support structure (18) and the inflatable device (14). At least one sensor (62, 64, 66, or 68) senses a vehicle occupant condition and generates an occupant condition signal indicative of the sensed condition. A control module (72) receives the occupant condition signal and determines a preferred inflation volume and shape for the inflatable device (14). The control module (72) determines which of the respective tethers (34, 36, 38, and 40) to release for inflating the inflatable device (14) to the preferred inflation volume and shape and initiates the release of the respective tethers (34, 36, 38, and 40) from the support structure (18).

Abstract: A webbing take-up device and a vehicle are provided in which different force limiter loads can be selected at arbitrary times with a simple structure. A wire is inserted into a spool. One end portion of the wire is fixed to a lock base. Thus, when rotation of the lock base is impeded, a twisting load of a torsion bar and a drawing-through load of the wire are applied to a webbing as force limiter load. Further, a cutting gear is disposed between the spool and the lock base. When the cutting gear is rotated at an arbitrary time, the wire is cut. In this way, the force limiter load is reduced to only the twisting load of the torsion bar. As a result, different force limiter loads can be selected at arbitrary times with a simple structure.

Abstract: A side impact air bag cushion which incorporates a flow barrier of inverted T-Shaped geometry at the interior. The flow barrier which may be in the form of a zero length tether includes a base portion and a leg portion extending away from the base portion. The base portion provides a partial barrier between the thorax protection portion of the air bag cushion and the head protection portion. The structure promotes desirable early inflation of the thorax protection portion of the air bag cushion as well as the substantially vertical inflated orientation of the head protection portion.

Abstract: An elongate metal body, for instance an aluminium rod, with a chosen cross-sectional form manufactured by extrusion. It is a first object of the invention to make an elongate metal body stiffer and stronger without this entailing an increase in weight. In respect of this objective the metal body according to the invention has the feature that the body has at least one cavity extending at least to a considerable degree in longitudinal direction, in which cavity is received a pre-manufactured elongate reinforcing rod, of which at least the ends are coupled to the body in force-transmitting manner.

Abstract: A seat restraint system whose torso belt includes an inflatable structure that inflates upon impact to protect the occupants of a vehicle such as an automobile. The torso belt is secured to an anchor arm that is pivotally mounted on a side surface of a seat of the vehicle or a side structure of the vehicle. The anchor arm is rotationally biased to remove slack in the torso belt and locks up in the event of a vehicle crash or sudden stop. The inflatable structure is linked to a gas generator and crash sensor. The gas generator may be mounted in the seat or within the anchor arm itself. When an impact above a predetermined level of severity is detected, the gas generator is ignited, inflating the inflatable structure which contracts in length as it inflates. In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable structure is a braided tube. As the braided tube inflates, the diameter of the tube increases significantly and its length decreases significantly, due to the orientation of the fibers comprising the braided tube.

Abstract: In a method for controlling the ride height of a wheeled vehicle, the distance between a vehicle body and a wheel suspension unit for at least one wheel provided with a gas-filled tire is adjusted to a distance setpoint value which can be predefined in a variable fashion at least as a function of the vehicle payload. The tire pressure is sensed and the distance setpoint value is additionally predefined in a variable fashion as a function of the sensed tire pressure. For this purpose, in the wheeled vehicle, the tire is assigned a tire-pressure sensor, and the distance setpoint value can additionally be predefined in a variable fashion as a function of the sensed tire pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an elongate metal body, for instance an aluminium rod with a chosen cross-sectional form manufactured by extrusion. It is a first object of the invention to make an elongate metal body stiffer and stronger without this entailing an increase in weight. In respect of this objective the metal body according to the invention has the feature that the body has at least one cavity extending at least to a considerable degree in longitudinal direction, in which cavity is received a pre-manufactured elongate reinforcing rod, of which at least the ends are coupled to the body in force-transmitting manner.