Abstract: A steering wheel is produced from injection molding of a foamed thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic foam material can produce desirable characteristics for both the rim and the airbag cover. The rim of the steering wheel has good wear characteristics and a targeted compressibility or “feel” while the airbag cover has the sought-after strength across a large temperature range and exhibits very little compliance. The thermoplastic foam material is also beneficial because it has a non-olefinic foam carrier, such as polyvinyl acetate, which does not degrade the adhesive used to attach a cushion and/or a outside wrap to the steering wheel rim.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a vehicle with a rotatably mounted belt reel on which a seat belt can be wound and unwound has a biased motive spring that acts on the belt reel to produce a pulling force which acts on the seat belt, and during winding and unwinding follows a characteristic curve which is dependent on the extracted length of belt webbing. An electric motor drive adjusts the bias of the motive spring in such a way that the pulling force follows a characteristic curve corresponding to room temperature, which is approximately 20° C., at any temperature.

Abstract: Steering wheel comprising a drive rim consisting of an internal polyurethane core, covered at least partially with a coating of a material with an aesthetically finer quality. The steering wheel is manufactured starting from a driving rim with a polyurethane core by means of a procedure comprising the following steps: grinding of the surface of the polyurethane core, providing a coating element of wood having plane shape and size congruent to at least one portion of the polyurethane core, applying of the coating element to the polyurethane core and respective bending of the same by means of a hot press provided with a suitable template, removing the excess part of the coating element, honing of the portion of the rim coated by the coating element, and protective varnishing of the coated rim.

Abstract: An ignition enhancer and gas heater composition for vehicle occupant restraint systems (commonly known as “airbags”) contains a non-azide fuel, an oxidizer and a metal. The ignition enhancer composition provides reliable and consistent ignition of a main propellant composition to produce a sufficient amount of gas to inflate an attached airbag within ten to eighty milliseconds or successfully heat the stored gas in a hybrid system. In a preferred embodiment, the enhancer composition contains 5-aminotetrazole, strontium nitrate, boron nitride, mica or clay and aluminum.

Abstract: A dual stage gas generator for inflating an airbag used in vehicle occupant restraint systems. Wherein the gas generator contains primary and secondary combustion chambers and a common gas exiting port for controlling the combustion pressure in both combustion chambers. Said gas generator when activated can cause an airbag to inflate at different rates dependent on the firing sequence used. The low output performance level occurs when only the primary stage is deployed. Simultaneous firing of both the primary and secondary stage constitutes the upper performance limits, while staging results from deployment of the primary stage and some time later deployment of the secondary stage. The staging provides a means to supply inflation gas in a variable rate fashion.

Abstract: An airbag cover includes a tear seam formed by a groove in the front side of the airbag cover as well as the groove in the back side of the airbag cover. These grooves are separated by a transverse layer. The transverse layer has a length, thickness and angle or orientation with respect to the airbag cover. This length, thickness, and angle vary at different locations along the tear seam. These variations permit control over the speed at which the deployment door opens as well as the order in which different portions of the tear seam tear.

Abstract: A motor vehicle steering wheel is provided with an airbag. The steering wheel has a central part for connection to a steering wheel attachment, having a cavity for housing a module comprising an airbag, an outer ring and a plurality of substantially radial spokes connecting the outer ring to the central part of the steering wheel. The module is provided with a peripheral metal part overlapping spokes so as to give the steering wheel a sporting appearance.

Abstract: This invention relates to a multi-stage gas bag inflator, operable initially, when activated, to cause the gas bag to deploy slowly and then, after a delay, to deploy rapidly, includes a housing having at least first and second chambers of preferably different size, separated by a bulkhead. One chamber is preferably smaller since it can be used to produce a smaller amount of gas to cause the initial slow deployment of the gas bag. A gas generant charge is ignited in the first chamber, and after some delay, a gas generant charge in the second chamber is ignited. The multi-stage inflator according to this invention can be used to provide the varying inflation rates needed to adjust the inflation of air bags to accommodate the severity of the collision and the position of the occupants. The inventive inflator is small in size and economical to produce.

Abstract: A device for tightening a vehicle seatbelt has a piston-like drive member arranged in a guide tube. A propellant gas drives the drive member by expanding in a pressure chamber adjoining the drive member. A movement transmitting system connects the drive member and the seatbelt to be tightened. The drive member is a step piston which is provided with a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber. A propellant gas discharge system supplies the propellant gas to the pressure chambers. The propellant gas flows into the first pressure chamber and the step piston is set into motion by the propellant gas. The propellant gas acting in the first pressure chamber clears a discharge orifice in the second pressure chamber after covering a first distance so the propellant gas flowing into the second pressure chamber and acting therein additionally drives the step piston.

Abstract: A buckle for a vehicle safety restraint for use with a pretensioner has an actuating button for operating a latch for the tongue of the safety restraint. The button is connected via pulleys to a counterbalancing mass. When the pretensioner is operated and the buckle is retracted, the inertia of the mass counteracts the inertia of the button. Thus the button is prevented from moving in relation to the buckle in a direction which would tend to unlatch the tongue of the safety restraint.

Abstract: A new filtration system for gas generators, especially side impact airbag inflators for use in automobiles, has a sheet of expanded metal formed into a tube, cylinder or other geometric form and a bed of expanded metal chips. The interior of the geometric form is filled with chips of expanded metal and this configuration has been found extremely effective in cooling and filtering the gases produced during the combustion of a gas generant. The filtration system disposed between the gas generant bed and the gas exit apertures of the inflator housing. The weight of the filtration system should be at least four times the weight of the gas generant placed in the inflator housing.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a seat belt system has first and second piston-cylinder arrangements arranged generally one on each side of a spool shaft so that in travelling along the respective cylinder, each piston engages the periphery of the spool shaft and causes it to rotate. A sensor is responsive to a crash situation to detonate a first piston drive means, and means for detonating a drive means for the second piston at the end of the stroke of the first piston. The spool shaft may be a component of a seat belt retractor. Alternatively, the spool shaft is wound with a cable that pulls on a seat belt or seat belt buckle.

Abstract: Seat belt tension is determined by measuring the resistance of a flexible potentiometer which is deformed to produce a controlled change in resistance with increased belt tension. A seat belt mounting has a spring which allows limited extension of the seat belt in response to belt tension. A flexible potentiometer is mounted to the spring so that spring deformation produces a change in resistance which can be directly correlated to belt tension. Belt tension is input to an airbag deployment logic which may incorporate a seat position sensor, a weight-on-seat sensor and various other sensors which detect the existence, size and direction of any crash. The logic draws conclusions from the tension sensor in the seat belt and other sensors to determine if deployment of the front passenger airbag is likely to be advantageous to an occupant of the front passenger seat.