Abstract: A vehicle seat belt system, in particular a three-point seat belt system, has belt webbing and an end fitting by which an end of the belt webbing is secured to a vehicle. A belt tensioner acts with a pulling eyebolt through which the belt webbing is guided by a webbing guide in the vicinity of the end fitting to transmit a tensioning movement to the belt webbing. The pulling eyebolt has a substantially straight pulling rod by which a pulling movement generated by the tensioning drive is transmitted to the belt webbing during tensioning and during tensioning the pulling rod acts as a webbing deflection rod for the belt webbing guided through the webbing guide. The webbing guide has two deflection points about which the belt webbing is guided during tensioning and the pulling rod acts on a section of the belt webbing guided between these two deflection points.

Abstract: A device for the lateral outward guiding of an electric cable installed in a tube has a deflector is arranged inside the tube obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the tube. The electric cable is deflected by the deflector through a lateral opening in the casing of the tube.

Abstract: Energy is conserved utilizing information collected by a vehicle safety system. Information concerning whether seats other than the driver's seat are occupied and information concerning the size and weight of any occupants present, is transferred to a power load logic via a vehicle information data bus, or by a hard wired communication link. Power is conserved by turning off energy consuming functions which are specific to an unoccupied seat, or by modulating power consuming functions in proportion to the size and weight of the seat occupant.

Abstract: The load acting on the body of a belted-in vehicle occupant restrained by a seat belt is determined by providing electrical signals from occupant restraint device sensors. The electrical signals are then evaluated with an evaluating device, wherein the movement of a seat belt webbing influenced by the body of the belted-in vehicle occupant is scanned and a corresponding signal is fed to the evaluating device.

Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner has a piston; a tube housing the piston; a force reservoir, activatable when a crash is sensed, to drive the piston along the tube; a resilient steel band connected to the piston; and means for selectively connecting the steel band to a retractor spool. Preferably the force reservoir is a gas generator which may be pyrotechnically activated and has an output in the tube on one side of the piston to drive the piston along the tube pulling the steel band and engaging the connecting means to turn the retractor spool and shorten the belt webbing. The steel band has indexing features, such as indexing holes or slots to engage teeth on the outer periphery of a drive wheel attached to the retractor spool. As the steel band is pulled by the piston it tightens around the drive wheel and the indexing holes engage the teeth, turning the drive wheel and thus the spool and pulling in the webbing to secure the vehicle occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a housing and a spool in the housing. A toothed ratchet wheel is coupled to the spool. A locking assembly has a lock bar pivotally mounted to the housing and moveable by means of a camming arrangement from an initial position clear of the ratchet wheel to a position whereby the lock bar locks the ratchet wheel to the housing. An adjustment mechanism enables adjustment of the initial position of the lock bar.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a spool mounted for rotation on the retractor frame, for retraction or pay-out of seat belt webbing depending upon the rotation direction of the spool. The spool is locked against rotation when a crash is sensed. A force limiting mechanism allows further pay-out of the seat belt webbing after the spool shaft has locked, under the influence of a vehicle occupant's forward momentum. The force limiting means includes a torsion bar attached in the force path between the spool and its axis of rotation; and a resilient mechanism. A mechanism selectively connects the resilient mechanism into the force path between the spool and its axis of rotation. A selecting mechanism selectively activates the connecting means in response to a control signal.

Abstract: An airbag module has at least one airbag housing, which can be locked with a receiving device in a motor vehicle and in which at least one inflator and a folded airbag are arranged. Springs are provided on the airbag housing, which bias the airbag housing in the installed state in relation to the receiving device. The springs are arranged in the region of the outer periphery of the airbag housing.

Abstract: A linear pretensioning drive for tightening a vehicle seat belt has a guide tube. A piston is located inside of the guide tube and can be driven along a longitudinal axis of the guide tube. A reverse movement lock is formed by balls that are arranged on a ring around the longitudinal axis of the guide tube. In the drive direction in front of the reverse movement lock at least one support part is provided which lies against the inner wall of the guide tube in the locking position with in each case a greater supporting surface than each ball of the reverse movement lock.

Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag has a compressed gas container in which an inflation gas is held in readiness under high pressure. An inflation tube projects into the airbag that is to be inflated. A gas release nozzle is connected at one end with the compressed gas container and at another end with the inflation tube. A gas tight sealing device is released for the introduction of the inflation gas into the inflation tube. A throttle device throttles the inflation gas flow into the inflation tube and is arranged in the flow direction of the inflation gas behind the sealing device in the gas release nozzle.

Abstract: A fastener for securing a tether of a curtain airbag to a vehicle. The fastener includes a border projecting essentiallly from the side of the fastener for locking the fastener to the vehicle. The fastener also has a vertically extending recess in one of the side walls for receiving the tether of the curtain airbag.

Abstract: A side-curtain airbag has at least two inflation chambers spaced apart from each other. The inflation chambers each have two fabric layers. The region between the two inflation chambers has at the most one layer of fabric. A method of manufacturing such a side-curtain airbag is disclosed.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor of a vehicle with a belt reel for the seat belt has a frame with two frame legs in which a belt reel is rotatably mounted. A torque rod is arranged in the belt reel with one end if the torque rod connected to a first belt reel part arranged inside an aperture in a frame leg. Another end of the torque rod is connected to a second belt reel part which receives the wound seat belt. A blocking device capable of engagement with the first belt reel part with support in one of the two planes of the two frame legs. In the event of an excessive force issuing from the seat belt the second belt reel part can be rotated with respect to the first belt reel part blocked on the frame by torsion of the torque rod.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for folding an airbag of a vehicle occupant restraining system, having a conveyor means, in which a first portion of the spread-out airbag is moved in order thus to push a second portion of the airbag against an abutment which has at least one abutment surface extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement, so that the second portion of the airbag is laid in folds. In order to obtain a regularly folded airbag in a particularly simple manner, the conveyor means is formed with at least one rotating conveyor element which can move the first portion of the airbag in the direction of the abutment.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a two-piece belt reel rotatably mounted on a seat belt retractor frame. The two pieces of the belt reel are a spool and a spool insert. A tightening drive creates a torque. A force transmission device transmits torque to the belt reel for winding the belt webbing onto the spool. A load limiter connects the spool and spool insert for to limit force on a seat belt-wearing vehicle occupant during the accelerated forward displacement of the seat belt-wearing vehicle occupant. During effective force limitation, when exceeding a preselected force threshold resulting from the belt force limitation effect and the torque of the tightening drive, in the force transmission device the torque transmission from the tightening drive to the belt reel is interrupted.

Abstract: A seat belt guide has a bearing axis for the pivotal mounting of a guide body on a vehicle structure. The guide body has a flexing bar around which the seat belt webbing is guided. A fixing plate can be fixed on the vehicle structure pivotally around the bearing axis with a fixing bolt. Two flexing bar carriers rigidly connect the flexing bar is to the fixing plate at its two ends. The guide body is deformable when a specific load originates from the seat belt webbing, the flexing bar bending substantially symmetrically with respect to the fixing bolt.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a rotatably mounted spool for supporting seat belt webbing. An emergency locking mechanism selectively locks the spool against rotation. An automatic locking mechanism selectively locks the spool against paying out webbing. A switch has a first position for activating the automotive locking mechanism in dependence upon a predetermined amount of webbing being wound off the spool, and a second position for deactivating the automatic locking mechanism in dependence upon a predetermined amount of webbing being wound back onto the spool. A gear connects the spool with the switch mechanism having a first and a second actuator tab on the gear. A pivotally mounted actuator member has an actuator pawl for locking the spool and parts engaging with the first and second tabs to move the switch between the first and second positions. The tabs and the engaging parts are radially oriented in line, one with the other.

Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag comprising a container for a compressed gas of a sealing device, which closes the container during normal operation and is provided in a gas release nozzle connected to the container in a gas tight manner, and a throttle opening, via which the released gas flows in a throttled manner out of the container via an emission opening and the gas release nozzle, whereby the throttle opening is formed through reshaping of a container wall part.