Abstract: The present invention relates to a passive type seat belt mounting structure wherein the seat belt is forcibly loaded around the body of the occupant upon he/she sitting down in a vehicle seat and closing a door, wherein a shoulder retractor and a lap retractor around which a seat belt is wound is attached to a common bracket which is in turn attached to the interior of the door panel.

Abstract: A collapsible steering column is mounted to a vehicle by upper and lower bend straps. The bend straps are located such that their energy-absorbing function is not susceptible to interference by intrusion of the dash during front end impact. The steering shaft length is minimized through the use of a break-away coupling located substantially inward of the dash and within the passenger compartment.

Abstract: An active, frequency damping suspension system for vehicles having a chassis and at least one axle comprises a pneumatic spring connected mechanically between the vehicle axle and the vehicle chassis to absorb vertical movements of the vehicle axle and prevent them from being transmitted to the chassis, a hydraulic shock absorber connected between the vehicle axle and the vehicle chassis to dampen the vertical movements of the vehicle axle, and a pressure accumulator in fluid communication with the air spring or in fluid communication with both the air spring and the hydraulic shock absorber for enhancing the cushioning effect of the air spring on vertical movements of the vehicle axle and enhancing the dampening effect of the shock absorber on vertical movements of the axle.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing steering column apparatus has energy-absorbing members fixedly connected one end to the mounting plates of a column bracket and releasably connected at the other end to corresponding bolts. Each energy-absorbing member is provided with a first U-shaped folded portion in the middle, and an end of the energy-absorbing member is folded by 180.degree. in a direction opposite to the first folded portion to form a second folded portion with a radius of curvature substantially smaller than that of the first folded portion each energy-absorbing member is further provided, at an end closer to the first folded portion than to the second one, with an integral flat plate portion having opposite lateral parts folded toward the first folded portion to form a pair of folded edges which are joined to the surface of the corrresponding mounting plate, so that the first folded portion of the energy-absorbing member is supported between the mounting plate and the flat plate portion.

Abstract: An anti-collision cushion is disclosed for the occupants of a motor vehicle. Known anti-collision cushions are constructed with a central part which is connected to two side parts of equal size. A tearing fold which reduces the volume capacity, and which is formed by a rip seam, is provided on the surface of the central part. In the deployment phase an expansion occurs with high velocities in the region of the side parts, which may result in injuries to the occupant in some circumstances. In the novel anti-collision cushion the rip seams connect the connecting seams which are contiguous in the region of the tearing fold between the central part and the side parts. A reduction of the expansion and of the expansion velocity, particularly in the region of the side parts, is thereby achieved.

Abstract: An independent rear wheel suspension system having top and bottom parallel struts which are linked to a control arm and which make each rear wheel produce predetermined cornering toe alignment with no effective change to the camber angle of the wheels. The angle of the struts at rest as viewed in reference to a leveled ground plane is used to predetermine the wheels' toe change during cornering. The limits of wheels' toe change are conditional to the spring rate acting on each rear wheel. The camber angle and the cornering toe alignment of the wheels can be adjusted independently from each other.

Abstract: A cover assembly for an air cushion restraint has a smooth cover with a layer of foam connected between the cover and a load bearing insert for covering a housing for an airbag and a gas generator which generates an inflatant for the airbag for deploying the airbag; three cutters are pivotally connected to the insert member to cut an insert cover member from the insert and to pierce the smooth outer cover member during inflation of the airbag so as to form a self-piercing cover assembly which will be cut to form a three sided opening through the cover assembly through which the airbag is deployed; the cutters are actuated by an insert cover member support system which will operate the cutters as the airbag is inflated to cause cutting edges on the cutters to pierce the smooth outer cover member. The cutters are recessed within the cover assembly to avoid incidental contact with the cutting edges prior to deployment.

Abstract: A vehicle height control device is adapted to operate even after turning off of the engine ignition switch within a first period only for lowering vehicle height when it exceeds a limit value which is higher than a limit value normally employed for vehicle height lowering control when the ignition switch is turned on, toward a limit value which is higher than the above second-mentioned limit value and further, such a vehicle height lowering control after ignition turn off is carried out, if a door or the trunk of the vehicle is open during the first period, after the door or the trunk has been closed within a second period longer than the first period.

Abstract: A device for the incremental positioning or height adjustment of an attachment or deflection point for a safety belt includes a guide bar, an adjustment element and a spring element. In accordance with the invention, it is intended to employ a leaf spring as the spring element, which extends over the length and width of the adjustment element and which is, together with the adjustment element, combined into a module clamped to the guide bar. The leaf spring assists in locking, supporting and guiding of the adjustment element.

Abstract: Two side pieces, each assigned to one longitudinal side of the vehicle, of rear axle supports for passenger vehicles are customarily connected to one another by two transverse tie bars arranged at a distance from one another, In a known type of vehicle, the rearward transverse tie bar, which is designed to be flexible, as seen in the direction of travel, is provided in front of a body cross-member which is directly adjacent to a spare wheel pan, near the rear crumple zone of the body at the floor. In the case of a crash, the spare wheel strikes the rearward transverse tie bar via the spare wheel pan. To increase this crumple zone in the body floor region, the rearward transverse tie bar is provided with lateral clearance between the body cross-member and the spare wheel pan. The body cross-member can thus be arranged at a correspondingly large distance from the spare wheel pan, and a corresponding free path for the spare wheel can be achieved.

Abstract: A passive seat belt system for an automotive vehicle has a webbing which takes a passenger restraining position or a passenger releasing position. Impact detecting means is provided to detect impact applied to the vehicle. Door state change detecting means is provided to detect change in closing and opening states of a vehicle door. When the change is detected, signal output regulating means selectively outputs closing and opening signals for a predetermined time. Additionally, the signal output regulating means is adapted to prohibit the closing and opening signals from being output when the impact signal is output from the impact detecting means. Webbing driving means is provided to move the webbing to the passenger restraining and releasing positions respectively in response to the closing and opening signals output from the signal output regulating means. The system allows vehicle escape in an emergency, if the door is opened.

Abstract: A steering wheel arrangement for automotive vehicle, including a steering wheel (13), a steering column (12, 14) carrying the steering wheel, and servomotor (20, 21) for making positional adjustments to the steering wheel in the direction of the column axis and at angles thereto. A spring device is coordinated with switches in the electric circuits serving the servomotors. When the spring device is deformed to a given extent, as a result of an adjustment force applied to the steering wheel, the spring device will activate the switches and therewith energize the setting motors, so as to change the position of the steering wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an active suspension system for an automotive vehicle comprises hydraulic suspensions, control valves for independently controlling each of the suspensions and a controller for issuing a signal for controlling of opening/closing of the respective control valves. The apparatus includes a longitudinal g sensor for detecting a longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle body and a lateral g sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration of the vehicle. To calculate a control quantity relative to feeding of hydraulic fluid in and discharging of the hydraulic fluid from the respective suspensions required for suppressing pitching and rolling of the vehicle body, the apparatus further includes a control logic which in the controller. A control quantity derived from the circuits is added to another control quantity derived from a vertical g acceleration sensor and a vertical relative displacement sensor, and the resultant control quantity is delivered to the control valve for each suspension.

Abstract: A hybrid inflator (10) for a cushion or air bag comprising: a pressure vessel means (16) for storing a volume of stored gas at an elevated pressure, including at least one opening (22) adapted to communicate gas within the pressure vessel to a cushion (84), a mixing chamber (60) defining a volume significantly smaller than the remaining volume of the pressure vessel; a disk (70) for providing a rupturable seal in the pressure vessel; a heat and gas generator (30,32,40,42,52,54) responsive to a control signal, for generating heated media for increasing the temperature of the stored gas at least in the mixing chamber (60), and for directing the heated media into the mixing chamber (60) and onto the disk for opening same.

Abstract: An accelerometer for a passenger restrain system in a motor vehicle includes a housing with a path for an inertial element, and spring members for urging the inertial element toward a preselected position. When the vehicle decelerates at a rate higher than a preset rate, the ball moves away from the preselected position and closes an electrical contact. A closed chamber may be used as a dampening element for the inertial element.

Abstract: A seat belt apparatus is provided for restraining the occupant of a seat assembly within a vehicle body structure having a plurality of closure members each hingedly supported for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close a respective utility opening. The closure members may be front and rear side doors, a hood or a trunk lid.

Abstract: A shock detecting device having a housing, a weight disposed within the housing and rotatably slidable in response to an external shock. A cam is formed on the weight for engaging or disengaging the firing lever by the rotational sliding of the weight. A spring is interposed between the housing and firing lever for urging constantly the firing lever in the rotatable direction.

Abstract: A method of folding an air bag and an air bag having a main panel 20 defining a top (26), front (24), and bottom (28) portions and side panels (44a,b) the top and bottom portions defining a neck 30 narrower than the front portion; comprising the steps of: laying bag with bottom portion (28) of main panel (22) flat and as fully extended as possible; flattening the front portion (24) of the main panel (20) to over the flattened bottom portion to form a first lateral extending fold (80) between the bottom (28) and front portions (24) of the bag; maintaining a portion of the front panel (24), proximate the bottom panel (28), relatively flat and folding over the front portion with the top portion to define a second lateral fold (82) between a top portion and the front portion with the top portion flattened and extended as fully as possible, aligning edges (86) of opposing top and bottom portions; placing bag material towards a centerline (70) of bag to form on each side of the bag (20) first (90) and second (92) e

Abstract: When a sporadic shock due to a protrusion or dip of a road surface is detected at front wheels of a vehicle during its cruising on the road surface, the characteristic of the rear wheel suspension of the vehicle is altered immediately or just before the rear wheels pass it to improve the controllability and the stability of the vehicle or the smooth feeling of the ride. For that purpose, a rear suspension controller is invented which includes a height sensor for detecting the distance between the body of the vehicle and each of the right and left front wheels thereof, height data calculator which generates a plurality of height data from the front vehicle height, a judgement section which compares each of the height data with a respective reference value that is predetermined corresponding to each height datum and generates comparisons and a rear suspension characteristic alteration devices which alter the spring constant, damping force, etc. of the rear suspensions.

Abstract: An improved vehicle front suspension assembly is disclosed utilizing pneumatic springs for use with a .[.conventional.]. vehicle body and frame configuration and with a .[.conventional.]. vehicle front axle .[.housing.]. and wheel assembly. A left air spring and a right air spring are included each mounted in abutment with the bottom portion of the frame of the vehicle and mounted upon the top of the axle .[.housing.]. of the vehicle. A stabilizer bar assembly is used having a left stabilizer bar, a right stabilizer bar and two lateral stabilizer bars, one in the rear and one in the front, which are fixedly secured with respect to the left and right stabilizer bars to form a secure overall stabilizer bar assembly. A spring support plate is fixedly secured with respect to this stabilizer assembly and is adapted to receive a front air spring mounted to the foremost top portion thereof. This front air spring .[.if.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.