Abstract: In an automotive vehicle body structure comprising a seat carrying member that is moveable with respect to the main part of the vehicle body at the time of a vehicle crash so as to reduce the peak deceleration of the vehicle occupant in the seat, the seat carrying member comprises an elongated member extending in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body and having a portion adapted to be deformable at the time of a vehicle crash. The seat is preferably connected to the elongated member of the seat carrying member at a widthwise center of the seat so that at the time of a vehicle crash, the inertial force of the seat and the vehicle occupant will act in the direction that the elongated member extends and substantially no horizontal moment will be applied on the seat carrying member. A seat position adjustment mechanism is preferably provided between the seat and the elongated member of the seat carrying member.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass, a belt comprised of at least two belt layers, a belt reinforcement arranged between the carcass and the belt and comprised of at least one belt reinforcing layer, and a tread rubber, in which a widthwise outer end of a widest-width belt reinforcing layer is arranged outward from a widthwise outer end of a widest-width belt layer among the belt layers, and a restraining rubber having a width of not less than 4 mm and a JIS hardness not less than a JIS hardness of a coating rubber for the widest-width belt reinforcing layer is arranged outward from the widthwise outer end of the widest-width belt reinforcing layer.

Abstract: In an automotive vehicle body structure including a crash load transmitting member extending from a front end of the vehicle body to a part adjacent to the floor member, and integrally carrying a seat thereon, a stopper is fixedly attached to the main frame, and adapted to abut a part of the crash load transmitting member upon a rearward movement of the crash load transmitting member by a prescribed distance. A guide member normally retains the crash load transmitting member firmly to the vehicle body main frame as a part of the vehicle body, but allows the crash load transmitting member to move rearward, and hit the stopper so that the desired deceleration time history may be achieved in the crash load transmitting member which is integral with the seat, and the deceleration of the vehicle occupant may be favorably controlled.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a radial carcass, a cross belt comprised of at least two belt layers, a belt reinforcing member arranged adjacent to the belt and comprised of at least one belt reinforcing layer containing a reinforcing element embedded therein and extending in a circumferential direction while bending in form of wave or zigzag, and a tread rubber, in which the widthwise outer end of the belt reinforcing member is located outward from the widthwise outer end of the widest-width belt layer, or a belt protection member is disposed in the neighborhood of the belt so that the widthwise outer end of the belt protection member is located outward from the widthwise outer end of the belt reinforcing member in a widthwise direction of the tire.

Abstract: The vehicle occupant protection system can significantly reduce the peak deceleration of the vehicle occupant even with a small vehicle body. The system comprises a seat supported on a vehicle body so as to be slidable in a direction of an input crash load resulting from a vehicle crash; a first member connected to the seat and adapted to deform under the crash load upon occurrence of a vehicle crash; a second member connected to a main part of the vehicle body and adapted to deform under the crash load; and a stopper or an actuator for applying a forward force to the seat relative to the vehicle body with a certain time delay after the occurrence of the vehicle crash; the first member being adapted to substantially deform only after the forward force is applied to the seat upon occurrence of a vehicle crash.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions, a carcass of at least one rubberized ply containing cords arranged in a radial direction and consisting of a main carcass body and a turnup portion. A belt is superimposed about a crown portion of the carcass, and a rubber filler is arranged between the main carcass body and the turnup portion above the bead core. The rubber filler is composed of three different rubber stocks, and a hardest rubber stock among these rubber stocks is arranged in at least an outer zone in the radial direction of the tire sandwiching a normal line drawn from the turnup end to the outer surface of the main carcass body at a cross section of the tire and perpendicular to the main carcass body. A rubber stock having a middle hardness is arranged between the outer surface of the main carcass body and the hardest rubber stock as a stress-mitigating rubber layer.

Abstract: A heavy duty pneumatic radial tire comprises a tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions containing a pair of bead cores therein, at least one radial carcass ply, and a bead filler comprised of at least two rubber stocks, in which at least a part of an outer surface of a turnup portion of the carcass ply in axial direction of the tire is covered with a deformation-absorbing rubber layer arranged along an upper rubber stock of the bead filler and having a Shore A hardness of not more than 55.degree..

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire, particularly a large-size and low-section profile pneumatic radial tire for truck and bus includes a stiffener disposed between a main body portion and each turnup portion of a carcass and constructed with a one-piece molded body of two or more rubber compositions having different hardnesses. A rubber composition having a highest hardness is arranged near to the main body portion of the carcass as a deformation-isolating rubber member having a greatest thickness at a position separated from a perpendicular line (Lv) drawn from an end of the turnup portion toward an outer surface of the carcass main body portion in tire cross-section, at least in a side of the tread portion among both sides sandwiching the perpendicular line (Lv), and a rubber composition having a lower hardness is arranged along an inner surface of the turnup portion.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a pair of bead cores, at least one radial carcass ply comprised of a main body and a turnup portion, and a stiffener arranged between the main body and each turnup portion wound around each bead core, in which each stiffener is composed of first, second and third stiffener members, and a boundary surface X between the first and second stiffener members is inclined outward in the radial direction so as to approach to the main body and a boundary surface Y between the second and third stiffener members is inclined outward in the radial direction so as to separate away from the main body, and a ply end rubber member made from rubber having a hardness between the hardnesses of the first and third stiffener members is arranged on an outer end region of the turnup portion in the radial direction.

Abstract: Perfluorotripentylamine, perfluoropolyether or another such high-boiling liquid is added as a foaming agent to a thermoplastic fluororesin such as a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer resin or a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer resin. Because the vapor pressure of said foaming agent in the molten fluororesin is lower than that of Freon or another such low-boiling foaming agent, the cells in the foam can be made fine and uniform in diameter.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a pair of beads, and a carcass ply consisting of a main body located axially inside the beads and outer ply portions extending along the main body of the carcass ply axially outside each of the beads. A number of circumferentially spaced recesses are provided in the outer surface of the tire between a radially outer end of each of the outer ply portions and a location corresponding to a maximum width of the tire, and the recesses has a depth equal to 1/10 time to 1/2 time as large as a thickness of those portions of the tire which are provided with the recesses. The inclined angle of a base portion of each of the beads is about 15.degree. relative to the rotary axis of the tire. In the tire, 0.4P.ltoreq.W.ltoreq.0.8P and B.ltoreq.0.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire involves a toroidal carcass ply extending between a pair of beads. The carcass ply consists of a main body located axially inside the beads and a pair of outer ply portions each extending along the main body of the carcass ply and on an axially outer side of the bead. A recess is provided on an outer surface of the tire between a radially outer end of each of the outer ply portions of the tire and the tire maximum width location such that a part of the recess is located in a zone surrounded by a curve C--C, a curve D--D, and an E-axis. The curve C--C satisfies d/s=1-0.825.times..sqroot.2.