Abstract: A vehicle seat and a seat headrest are adjustable to accommodate seat occupants of varying heights. The headrest, height and seat position are adjusted together by connecting the headrest drive motor and the seat drive motor to a single control switch. The headrest has a smaller total distance of travel in relation to the travel distance of the vehicle seat. The headrest motor may drive a thread with a smaller pitch. Alternatively, there may be employed pulse width modulation of the electrical power supplied by a common switch or a similar device to create a proportional relationship between the motion of the headrest and the vehicle seat.

Abstract: An airbag has a front part facing a vehicle occupant and from two back parts facing away from the vehicle occupant. The two back parts have a larger surface than the front part. The back parts each have a first portion which is dimensioned in such a way that the two first portions of the back parts jointly correspond to the front part in terms of shape and size. The two back parts are connected along the free edges of their first portions to the front part along the outer circumference of the latter. The back parts have second portions that extend essentially transversely to the front part and are connected to one another along their outer edges. The connection of the second portions of the back parts is interrupted at least in one portion to form a gas inlet orifice.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly including an inflator subassembly, a steering wheel armature, and a cushion subassembly. The inflator subassembly and the cushion subassembly are located on opposite sides of the steering wheel armature. The inflator subassembly comprises an inflator. The inflator subassembly has a lip, which fits into a circular channel on the bottom portion of the steering wheel armature. The cushion subassembly includes an airbag, a retainer, and an airbag cover. Upon detection of a crash from a crash sensor, the inflator begins to generate gas. The gas flows through the inflator subassembly and then is forced to flow through the hub portion of the steering wheel and into the cushion.

Abstract: A seat belt guide has a metallic body for mounting on a vehicle structure. A flexing bar has a low-friction belt webbing guide face around which webbing of a seat belt is guided. The flexing bar and two flexing bar carriers define a webbing guide aperture. A belt webbing guide face is formed by a sliding shell that is clipped on with an interlocking fit in the region of the flexing bar and the flexing bar carriers.

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 device for inflating an airbag has a gas generator. A gas generator housing can be anchored to a vehicle body. An end of an inflation tube is connected to a gas discharge socket fastened to the gas generator housing in an axially aligned and gas-tight manner. The tube end and the gas discharge socket are connected via a covering sleeve that bridges a gas-tight connection between the inflation tube and the gas generator.

Abstract: A side curtain airbag module is installed in a vehicle roof liner extending in a direction going between the front and rear of the vehicle. The side curtain airbag module has a gas supply device comprising a hose that is connected to a gas generator. The gas supply device extends in a longitudinal direction with respect to the module. A side curtain airbag is located laterally with respect to the gas supply device. The side curtain airbag is folded in a zigzag manner forming layers that extend essentially parallel to a direction in which the side curtain airbag is deployed when the side curtain airbag is inflated with gas. During deployment of the side curtain airbag the entire folded side curtain airbag packet is prevented from being ejected out of the side curtain airbag module at the beginning of the deployment process. An inflated side curtain airbag is provided as soon as the side curtain airbag is deployed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle door handle has a fixed part, a movable part and a sensor. The sensor is a magnet and a magnet-actuated switch. Movement of the movable part relative to the fixed part causes the magnet to activate the switch. A flux blocker is arranged between the magnet and the switch to prevent magnetic flux from the magnet actuating the switch. The flux blocker is arranged to expose the switch to magnetic flux when the movable part moves relative to the fixed part.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a frame with sidewalls and a rotatable spool extending between said sidewalls. The rotatable spool has seat belt webbing wound thereon. A locking pawl engages ratchet teeth on the outer periphery of the spool for arresting rotation of the spool. A secondary locking mechanism locks the spool against rotation.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a rotatable spool mounted in a frame, a primary locking mechanism for arresting rotation of the spool and a load absorbing mechanism arranged to come into effect at a predetermined load for absorbing a portion of the spool locking load. The load absorbing mechanism may be a section of an inwardly facing peripheral edge of the frame having a serrated or roughened texture and which is positioned and adapted so that above a predetermined load it co-operates with a smooth surfaced spool bearing face to absorb some of the load. Spool rotation is prevented on engagement of the primary locking mechanism and the load on the primary mechanism rises causing the frame side walls to deform and the serrated or roughened section is pushed closer to, and eventually against the spool bearing face, roughening the smooth surface and increasing its coefficient of friction to absorb some of the load and resist rotation of the spool.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel mounted rotatably around a reel axis on a retractor frame and biased by a motive spring. A load limiter is non-rotatably connected to a rotatable spool of the belt reel. A rotor can be coupled to the belt reel and/or its load limiter by a coupling. The coupling is supported against axial displacement on an adapter flange connected rigidly to the retractor frame. The rotor transmits a torque generated by an electric motor.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel mounted rotatably on a frame for retracting and letting out the seat belt. A belt webbing and/or vehicle sensitive sensor activates a control element which in. turn actuates a blocking device that blocks rotation of the belt reel. A load limiter allows a load-limiting rotation of the belt reel relative to at least one part of the load limiter when the blocking device is actuated. The blocking device can be guided by the load-limiting rotation of the belt reel into a permanent blocking position or readiness for the blocking position.

Abstract: Two parts of a seat belt retractor spool sub-assembly are fixed together in an arrangement with plastically deformable formations on a first ratchet wheel and one end of a spool and corresponding deforming formations on a second ratchet wheel and said one end of the spool. A spool for a seat belt retractor is assembled with a ratchet wheel by: mounting a retractor frame on an assembly jig which has a spring loaded stop; mounting a spool in the frame by aligning the spool axis with the spring loaded stop; and pushing a ratchet wheel onto the end of the spool opposite to that contacting the stop until the ratchet wheel abuts the frame.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a vehicle occupant safety restraint has an outer casing that contains a gas generant. An igniter has igniter material disposed within an igniter housing. A pair of electrodes are connected to the igniter material. A grounding path connector link electrically connects the igniter housing to a grounding path. The connector link may be formed by springs connecting the outer case to the grounding electrode and an interference fit connecting the igniter housing to the outer case. The link forms a low resistance path to short circuit undesirable static charges in the unit that would otherwise tend to cause unintentional activation of the pretensioner.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor with a belt reel upon which the seat belt can be wound and unwound, and a force limiter composed of a deformable material which is arranged between at least one first reel part which can be blocked by a blocking device against rotation and at least one second reel part which is rotatable upon energy consumption of the force limiter, an inertial mass being capable of being coupled to the second reel part for entrainment by means of a coupling which is engaged upon blocking of the first reel part and rotation of the second reel part.

Abstract: A seatbelt buckle tongue has a buckling part and an aperture through which seatbelt webbing passes. The extent of sliding of the tongue on the webbing is limited by at least one protrusion provided on the inside of the aperture in the tongue. A protrusion may be round, square or formed of a line of a plurality of buttons dimensioned and arranged to apply pressure to the webbing passing through the tongue and resist sliding of the tongue on the webbing.

Abstract: A seat belt tightener has an electrical tightening drive that can be operated in dependence on sensor signals of sensors assessed in an evaluating device. The sensors detect specific vehicle dynamic conditions and transmit electrical indicating signals that are proportional to the detected condition to the evaluating device. The evaluation device compares the signals with allocated threshold values to determine whether or not a potential crash situation is present. Should a potential crash situation be present, the electrical tightening drive is controlled accordingly.

Abstract: A heated steering wheel having a heated element that provides a uniform distribution of heat throughout the rim of the steering wheel. The heating element is a thin fabric woven made from nylon coated with silver and has a constant temperature coefficient. The heated steering wheel provides a foam layer surrounding the heating element, and this layer prevents the leather wrapping from being uneven due to the presence of the bus bar. The heating element can also be used in a steering wheel having a wood veneer shell.

Abstract: A rewind spring in a cassette for a seat belt retractor is assembled by first placing a mechanism cover on a winding jig. An arbor is fitted to a winding shaft of the jig. One end of a coiled metal bank spring is then fixed to the spring arbor. The band is then wound onto the arbor in the mechanism cover and a spring cover is fitted to the mechanism cover. Finally, a locking clip is attached to the spring cover to lock the arbor against rotation. A spring arbor for use in the cassette has a generally cylindrical shape and an axially extending slot for receiving an end of the spring. A step is provided in the profile of the cylindrical outer surface of the arbor in the region of the slot to compensate for the thickness of the band wound thereon.

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.