Abstract: An inflatable curtain module is disclosed, where the inflatable curtain module has an inflator, and an inflatable curtain. The inflator may have a biaxial flow providing a gas input into two separate inflatable cushions. The cushions may be different sizes or volumes. Alternatively, other inflatable curtain modules may incorporate multiple inflators and multiple cushions to create an inflatable curtain module. The multiple inflators can be employed to provide two gas inputs into a single inflatable cushion. An inflatable curtain module may also be created from a number of generically sized cushions and inflators that are assembled into an inflatable curtain module for a wide range of vehicles.

Abstract: A small vehicle features a drive system that directs power from an engine unit to at least one driven wheel. The driven wheel is connected to a half shaft. The half shaft is driven by a ring gear. The ring gear is driven by a pinion gear. The pinion gear is connected to a longitudinally extending drive shaft. The pinion gear is axially adjustable along the rotational axis of the drive shaft relative to the ring gear. The pinion gear is not substantially axially adjustable relative to a cover member the partially defines a gear housing. The cover member is adjustably secured to the balance of the gear housing through a shim. The shim can be exchanged for varied shim sizes to effect proper meshing between the pinion gear and the ring gear.

Abstract: A lift-type axle/suspension system of a heavy-duty vehicle includes ride air springs for providing vehicle load support when the system is lowered, and one or more lift air springs for selectively raising the system when such additional load support is unnecessary or when greater vehicle maneuverability is desired. An apparatus integrates and simultaneously controls the operating systems for the lift and ride air springs. The control apparatus includes a plurality of conduits and valves which enable pressurized air from the lift air springs to be rapidly provided to the ride air springs when the system is being lowered. The additional air supplements the normal source of air from the vehicle compressed air source to ensure sufficient and timely air for smooth and efficient operation of the ride air springs without excessive buckling or folding, thus maintaining adequate overall vehicle air pressure needed for operating other vehicle components.

Abstract: A vehicular suspension includes a trailing arm and a substantially plate-like lower arm. The trailing arm is pivotably supported at its front end on a vehicle body via an elastic joint and extends from the front end toward the rear of the vehicle body. The lower arm extends in the vehicle width direction with its inner end pivotably supported on the vehicle body and its outer end fixed to a rear part of the trailing arm. A flat first seating surface of an end plate welded to the rear end of the trailing arm is superimposed on a flat second seating surface provided at the outer end of the lower arm, and an inner periphery of a closed rectangular opening formed on the second seating surface is welded to the first seating surface by a weld. The second seating surface of the lower arm protrudes from a main body portion via a slant surface.

Abstract: A belt-tensioning device for an occupant restraint is provided, designed to tension a belt (101) about an occupant at the onset of a vehicle collision, and to provide a measure of controlled force dissipation as the occupant loads the belt during the collision. In a preferred form, a tensioning member (122) moves in one direction (124) to tighten a belt about a vehicle occupant at the onset of a collision, and a braking device (130a, 130b) is configured to apply a controlled braking force to movement of the tensioning member in the opposite direction after the tensioning member has tightened the belt about the vehicle occupant. An array of braking members (130a, 130b) applies different levels of braking force to movement of the tensioning member in the opposite direction, thereby providing controlled braking force to movement of the tensioning member in the opposite direction.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method of actuating a deployment of a vehicle airbag during an impact event of a vehicle. The method includes providing a vehicle impact sensor having a plurality of elements, wherein each element is adapted to generate an impact sensor signal having a sensor signal value representing a level of impact. The method further comprising receiving an impact sensor signal from each element during the impact event of the vehicle and summing the sensor signal values of the impact sensor signals to define an aggregate sensor signal value. The method further includes determining a number of impact sensor signals having respective sensor signal values greater than an active element threshold value to define a number of active elements and determining a threshold aggregate sensor signal value based on the number of active elements.

Abstract: An airbag cushion for use in a vehicle restraint system is provided. The airbag cushion is formed from two body panel sections of substantially similar straight line geometry which are joined to one another by two substantially straight seams along corresponding lateral boundary edges. The upper boundary edges of the body panels which are not joined to one another are joined around the perimeter of a rectilinear center panel by a series of substantially straight seams. A method of forming the cushion according to the present invention is also provided.

Abstract: A small vehicle has a frame assembly that is supported by rear wheels. The rear wheels are connected to the frame assembly by a pivotable linkage. An engine drives the rear wheels through a shaft drive assembly, which comprises a drive shaft and a gear box. A brake assembly is mounted to the shaft drive assembly. The brake assembly comprises a brake disc and a brake caliper. The brake caliper is offset to one side to increase the available space for a storage compartment and the brake assembly is protected by the linkage and/or a stabilizer member.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a passenger airbag housing using a continuous flow or constant cross-section process, the process will enable maximum design flexibility when multiple materials are capable of being used. The method will have a short design and tooling lead-time providing lean processing and a common footprint over a family of designs. A method of structurally reinforcing a passenger air bag housing by inserting a structural member into the continuous flow or constant cross-section process.

Abstract: An inflatable airbag cushion (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is provided. The bag includes a face portion and a rear portion formed from first and second fabric layers (30, 32). The bag further includes a number of straight line woven in joints (16) defining flow barrier elements (14). The flow barrier elements (14) serve to contain the inflation gases and to restrict inflation of the cushion.

Abstract: A stabilizing apparatus and method that replaces the existing shock absorber of a road vehicle that works to resist the initiation of body roll during cornering. It seeks to counter act the forces being generated by the vehicle suspension springs that exacerbate the rollover propensity of vehicles during certain steering maneuvers.

Abstract: A passenger-protecting device such as an air-bag system is activated upon detection of a vehicle lateral inclination angle exceeding a predetermined critical level. Such detection is performed by a lateral inclination detector having a pair of gravitational acceleration sensors for detecting a static road inclination and an angular velocity sensor for detecting a dynamic roll angle of the vehicle. Sensing directions of the pair of gravitational acceleration sensors are positioned to cross each other with a right angle and to make an angle of 45° with respect to a vehicle floor. The dynamic roll angle is calculated by integrating outputs of the angular velocity sensor. The vehicle inclination angle is obtained to summing up the static inclination angle and the roll angle. The passenger-protecting device is timely activated to protect passengers from overturn impact of the vehicle.

Abstract: A trailing arm suspension is formed as a one-piece stamped body having a central web and two laterally spaced side walls. A wrap is to be secured to an axle and received in a recess between the walls. The integrated wrap has radially outwardly extending ledges which are welded to the walls, and which provide support surfaces along the axle axis. In further features, closing plates are mounted to the spaced side walls.

Abstract: The invention relates to a level adjusting system for motor vehicles, with a compressed air reservoir (26) and a tire inflation connector (28), in which a spare wheel can be connected. The spare wheel can be inflated from the compressed air reservoir (26) with the aid of the controllable distribution valve (36), the pneumatically controllable distribution valve (18), which bridges the non-return valve (10), the air dryer (6) and the pneumatically controllable valve (20) which also connects the compressed air line (22). The spare wheel may also be inflated with the aid of the compressor (2) and the pneumatically controllable distribution valve (20). During the inflation process the compressed air line (22) is closed with the aid of the controllable distribution valve (24) so that no compressed air escapes into the atmosphere.

Abstract: An air suspension system for a vehicle wherein a valve means for varying the resilience of an air spring in response to changes of vehicle height is integrally formed with an air spring to be mounted on the vehicle frame such that the installation space of the air suspension system can be minimized. As a result, cumbersome processes involved with the manufacture of the vehicle can be eliminated to provide an improved convenience for workers. A conventional lever used for connecting a leveling valve and an air spring is dispensed with to reduce the number of parts constituting the air suspension system and lower the manufacturing cost.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant classification system categorizes vehicle occupants into various classes such as adult, child, infant, etc. to provide variable control for a vehicle restraint system such as an airbag. The classification system utilizes sensors that are installed in various locations in the vehicle. The sensors are used to generate a three-dimensional profile for the vehicle occupant. Various factors can affect the accuracy of this three-dimensional profile. Fuzzy logic is used to reduce some of the inaccuracies by providing multiple decision levels for various stages of the classification. Inaccuracies are also caused by sensors shifting within the system from their original position. This condition creates offset and the system evaluates this offset and generates a correction factor to provide a more accurate three-dimensional profile.

Abstract: A vehicle air-bag apparatus for use with a first air-bag and a first seat mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the apparatus including a first seat position adjusting mechanism to movably connect the first seat with respect to the vehicle, and to allow the first seat to move relative to the first air-bag along a first axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position, in which the forward-most position is a position of the first seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the first seat and the first air-bag is equal to a minimum clearance distance, displacement of the first seat away from the forward-most position increasing the distance between the first seat and the first air-bag, and the first air-bag is fixedly positioned with respect to one of a steering wheel assembly for a driver and a dashboard arrangement for a passenger other than the driver, in which the minimum clearance distance is the distance between a reference line of a seat-back of the first seat l

Abstract: A dual flow inflator for airbags is disclosed, together with related manufacturing, installation, and deployment methods. The inflator includes a primary gas chamber with a first exit orifice and a secondary gas chamber in gaseous communication with the primary gas chamber. The inflator also includes a flow restrictor positioned between the gas chambers. In use, the inflator provides primary and secondary flows of gas from the exit orifice. The primary gas chamber may include multiple exit orifices in order to provide axial gas flows in opposite directions upon activation so that each gas flow neutralizes the thrust of the other. The exit orifices may comprise frangible structures such as burst discs, scored surfaces, and compression closures.

Abstract: A seat assembly is for a construction vehicle, preferably a compacting vehicle, and includes a base attached to the vehicle and having an axis and a rail movably connected with the base so as to be angularly displaceable about the base axis. The rail has a longitudinal centerline extending generally perpendicularly with respect to the base axis. A seat carriage is movably connected with the rail so as to be linearly displaceable along the rail centerline. A linkage is connected with the base and with the seat carriage and is configured to linearly displace the carriage along the rail centerline when the rail angularly displaces about the base axis, preferably between a most proximal position with respect to the base axis and a most distal position with respect to the axis. Preferably, the linkage includes a cam connected with the base and a follower connected with the carriage.

Abstract: In a suspension of a vehicle wheel on a vehicle body, including a spring element for accommodating the compressive forces acting between the vehicle wheel and vehicle body and with a linear actuator for adjusting the kinematics and the distance between the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body, the spring element and the linear actuator include at least one tubular contraction element with at least one hydraulic or pneumatic or hydropneumatic pressure chamber enclosed in a casing, which is designed in such a way that a pressure rise in the pressure chamber widens the casing radially and shortens it axially.