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 seat belt retractor has a belt reel that is rotatably mounted on a frame and on which a seat belt can be wound and unwound. A motive spring biases the belt reel in the winding direction. An electric motor adjusts the spring force of the motive spring can be adjusted and/or a torque produced for tightening the seat belt. The torque can be transmitted to the belt reel by a clutch. The deformation of a deformable spring element brings the clutch into an engaged state. The spring element is held on one end of the spring by a holding device actuated by inertial force, at least for initiating its deformation.

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: An apparatus for tensioning a seatbelt has a piston that is driven in a guide tube and is connected to the belt webbing of the seatbelt via a traction cable and with a cable guide for the traction cable. The traction cable acts on one end of the belt webbing of the seatbelt and is looped around the cable guide 180°. The portion of traction cable extending between the cable guide and the belt webbing is guided substantially parallel to the axial direction of the guide tube.

Abstract: A reed switch in a solid plastic body is positioned by a clip adjacent to a fluid container. A change in fluid level opposite the reed switch moves a magnet connected to a float, turning the reed switch on or off. Glass filled polyester is injected into a die which surrounds the reed switch supported on electrical plug blades. The reed switch has high stiffness leads positioned on the blades, and is oriented within the mold so the injected plastic flows along the glass tube of the reed switch, minimizing stresses on the reed switch, which could result in the reed switch becoming crack and/or broken. The molded plastic body incorporates an integrally formed clip arm that functions to position and hold the plastic body onto a larger structure. The magnet and float may move in a tube, may pivot, or slide along rails in response to a change in fluid level.

Abstract: A modular steering wheel and airbag combination includes an airbag assembly, a steering wheel assembly and a separate hub plate. The combination is preassembled as a unitary component which can easily be attached to a steering column shaft. A taper or wedge lock is formed between the steering wheel armature and hub plate. The steering wheel assembly includes a plurality of ribs or spokes extending from an upper rim portion of the steering wheel assembly and a ring portion connecting the spokes to provide structural integrity and support to the steering wheel assembly. The airbag assembly includes a retaining ring as part of an airbag component which provides easy and secure attachment of the airbag component to the hub plate. The inventive steering wheel and airbag combination comprises a structure for securing the combination to a steering column shaft. The structure includes a worm gear and complementary gear. The complementary gear may be a helical gear.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a winding shaft for winding a seat belt. A motive spring biases the winding shaft in the winding direction of the seat belt. A drive unit provides at least partial relaxation of the motive spring when the seat belt is at least partially unwound. A bridging device can also be provided, by means of which the winding shaft can be driven more directly by the drive unit during a process of winding the seat belt.

Abstract: A method for assembling seatbelt webbing with a sill-end bracket using an apparatus for feeding seatbelt webbing through a sill-end bracket has a form-feeding member with a tapered channel for receiving one end of a length of seatbelt webbing on an assembly line. A webbing pull-through member is fed through the sill-end bracket and engages one end of the webbing. The pull-through device is then drawn back through the sill-end bracket thus drawing the webbing through the tapered channel of the form feeding member.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a frame, a spool rotatably mounted to the frame, a spool locking device for preventing rotation of the spool. An actuator actuates the spool locking device and has a support carrying an inertia mass and a pawl. The inertia mass is designed to move from an initial position to an actuating position to bring the pawl into engagement with a ratchet on the spool. Engagement of the pawl with the ratchet actuates the spool locking device. The support is arranged to pivot so as to adjust the distance between the pawl and the ratchet. In that way the position of the pawl can be adjusted to provide an optimum gap between the pawl tip and the ratchet on the spool.

Abstract: A cover for a parking brake has a tubular handle body that is arranged coaxial to a lever of the parking brake and is fixable to it by fastening dowels that are positioned at a back end. A finishing back ring nut is inserted onto the back end of the handle body. An adapter with an external shape and size equal to the internal ones of the handle body and an internal hole with a shape and size varying with the external shape and size of the brake lever. A fore finishing ring nut is inserted onto the adapter.

Abstract: A headrest on a backrest of a vehicle seat is supported on a rocker that is pivotal round a pivot axis fixed on the backrest frame. The headrest is adjusted by an adjusting device that transmits an adjusting movement to the rocker via a movement-transmitting device.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a seat belt has a belt reel mounted rotatably about an axis on a frame. An electric motor can be coupled to the belt reel and has an internal planet gear with a planet carrier that forms an output that can be connected to the belt reel. The planet carrier is mounted externally in a cylindrical external bearing that is connected non-rotatably to the frame and internally to a bearing journal that projects axially from the belt reel.

Abstract: A seat belt buckle carrier unit free from rattling noises having a connecting element held in a specific place by a fixing device. The fixing device can be formed by a spring steel wire which is fixed at one end and with its free end, exerts pressure on the connecting element. To ensure reliable contact between the spring steel wire and the connecting element, the spring steel wire can have, at its end exerting a pressure on the connecting element, a loop that surrounds the connecting element.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel that is mounted rotatably on a frame. A motive spring biases the belt reel in a winding direction. An electrical driving device adjusts the spring force of the motive spring. A clutch located between the electrical driving device and the belt reel transmits torque produced by the electrical driving device to the belt reel. The clutch has a spring that can be deformed by torque and, when deformed, brings the clutch into an engaged state.

Abstract: A spool for a seat belt retractor has a cylindrical member with a cylindrical central portion and two end plates at opposite axial ends of the cylindrical portion. There is a channel formed in the cylindrical central portion with an outer and an inner wall and defining a path for guiding seat belt webbing. The path circumscribes the spool axis substantially over the length of the central portion of the spool in a generally smooth curve. The path has a spool entry and a spool exit portion and an acute angle subtended at the spool axis by the entry portion of the path and the exit portion of the path is approximately 90°. The spool may be hollow with a torsion bar forming the inner wall of the channel.

Abstract: A reed switch based shock sensor provides for passing electrical current through the coil spring used to bias the shock sensing magnetic mass. The spring is wrapped around the reed switch, allowing the coil spring to act as an electrical coil. The coil generates a magnetic field of sufficient strength to cause the reed switch reeds to attract and so close the reed switch, thus allowing the reed switch to be tested without the addition of a test coil.

Abstract: A metering device has a magnet with ten poles which is driven to rotate by a gear connected to a source of rotation that is proportional to fluid flow, the passage of time, or other phenomenon. A reed switch is mounted so that rotation of the poles of the magnet, into and out of a position adjacent to the reed switch causes the reed switch to open and close as the magnet rotates. The opening and closing of the reed switch causes a step change in voltage applied to an electronic device which increments a counter. A second reed switch spaced from the rotating magnet sufficiently so that it remains normally open can act as a sensitive device for detecting the presence of extraneous magnetic fields that might interfere with the operation of the first reed switch.

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: A vehicle impact detection apparatus has a sensor for sensing impact of an object against a vehicle. A safety device, such as an external airbag or a deployable hood is actuatable on receipt of a firing signal from the sensor. The vehicle impact detection apparatus has a magnetostrictive sensor and a stress-conducting member in the form of an elongate metal bar in the lower air dam area of the bumper of the vehicle. The signal from the sensor is analyzed to determine information about the impact.