Abstract: A pretensioner for a safety-belt includes an elongate housing (1) defining a chamber (2) and a unit (3) for movement along the housing. The unit has an end element in the form of a piston (4) which is provided with balls (5) received in a groove (6) which enables the piston to move only in one direction. The piston is connected by a resilient spring (7) to a connector element (8) of a form corresponding to that of a piston (4). The connector element is connected (12) to one end of a wire (11) which is connected to part of a safety-belt. A peg (17) maintains the spring (7) compressed. When the pretensioner is actuating gas from a gas generator it is applied to the piston (4) moving the whole unit (3) within the housing whilst braking the peg (17). At the end of the movement the piston (4) cannot move back towards its initial position. Any subsequent slack appearing within the safety-belt is taken up by expansion of the spring (7).

Abstract: An air-bag (8) is mounted in the roof of a motor vehicle to be deployed in front of an occupant (7) of the vehicle. The air-bag is constrained by tear straps (15) within the air-bag to inflate initially as a “curtain” in front of the occupant of the vehicle, that curtain only having a relatively narrow thickness (t). When the tear-straps break, the bag has a more rounded configuration. The bas is releasably retained within a recess (9) which initially houses the bag. When the bag is fully inflated, the bag becomes totally separated from the recess, to prevent the bag forcing the head of the occupant rearwardly as the torso of the occupant moves forwardly during an accident.

Abstract: An air-bag is adapted to be positioned on the floor pan of a vehicle in the foot-well, to be located beneath the feet of an occupant of the vehicle. The air-bag unit is an upper cover located above an air-bag. On inflation of the air-bag, the cover is lifted from its initial position to an elevated position. The cover includes two sections inter-connected by a hinge-line. On inflation of the air-bag, part of the cover adjacent the hinge-line is elevated to a greater extent than the portions of the cover which are remote from the hinge-line.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a seat (1) and a dashboard (8) mounted airbag (9) which has a first mode of operation and a less aggressive second mode of operation. There is a seat-belt (6) having a retractor (7) which can enter the automatic locking mode (ALR) in which the reactor will wind in but not pay out. A weight sensing arrangement (4, 5) determines the weight on the seat. If the weight is less that a threshold (MI) and the ALR mode is activated an airbag control (17) makes the airbag inflate, in an accident, with the second less aggressive mode. If the weight exceeds the threshold, then the airbag inflates in the ordinary way. If a child seat is mounted on the seat the seat-belt will be in the ALR mode and the weight will be less than the selected threshold, so that the airbag will not injure an occupant of a child seat.

Abstract: A head-rest arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a rear part and a front part mounted on the rear part by a parallel arm linkage. A spring biases the front part forwardly. A releasable catch holds the two parts together until a sensor senses a rear impact. The front part is movable forwardly relatively freely once the catch is released. Any subsequent rearward movement of the front part is resisted by an energy-absorbing element which converts energy to a form no longer available to bias the front part of the head-rest forwardly.

Abstract: An airbag system for a motor vehicle, characterized in that a separate cable-type gas generator (5) is associated with the individual chambers (3) of said air bag system extending in the form of a harness from a central initiator (23) to the respective inflatable chamber (3) of said airbag system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cord-type gas generator, comprising a solid propellant strand (10) consisting of a gas-generating material, located in a sleeve (12) and a detonation element (18). The solid propellant strand (10) is positioned in the sleeve (12) in such a way, that continuous channels (19) are configured between the sleeve (12) and the solid propellant strand (10) for the formation of a detonation shock wave. The gas generator is characterised in that the solid propellant strand (10) has a reduced woven thickness (W), achieved by the introduction of gaps into the material (slits 13, pores 14), in order to reduce its burn time.

Abstract: A recliner mechanism for a seat has a support structure (1, 2) to be connected to the squab of the seat. This structure pivotally (17) supports an arm (13) to be connected to the back of the seat so that the back of the seat may move about a pivot axis. The mounting arm has a projection (15) spaced from the pivot axis (17) engaging a link (24). The link engages a pin (30) which passes through a slot (10) formed in the support structure. The pin also passes through a diametric slot (31) formed in a drive wheel (32) which is mounted for rotation relative to the support structure. The slot (10) in the support structure is located and configured to intersect the slot (31) on the drive wheel (32) at a plurality of rotational positions thereof. The drive wheel (32) is provided with a catch means (40) adapted to retain the drive wheel (32) in predetermined selected positions.

Abstract: A method for producing for deployment in an air bag module an air bag which in its inflated condition has a three-dimensional form via the fabrication of a two layered material web from which individual air bag cut-outs are continuously cut includes connecting the material web layers to one another along closed contours such that the edges so formed from the connection of the material web layers to one another exhibit a trapezoidal-like shape. The method also includes cutting along a cutting line such that the path of the cutting line of the individual air bag cut-out to be cut out does not correspond, in the area of the corners of the longer trapezoid side, to the contour edge but, instead, to contribute to the formation of the height of the three-dimensional air bag,extends inwardly.

Abstract: A safety device for use in a motor vehicle includes a restraining element in the form of a net (4) initially stored within a housing (3) extending across the entire upper edge of a windscreen (2). Pull cords (5, 6) attached to the edges of the net extend downwardly past guides (7, 8) located adjacent the lower edges of the windscreen to a centrally located drive mechanism (9). Further pull cords (10, 11) extend from positions more towards the central part of the lower edge of the net, and initially extend around the outer periphery of the windscreen being retained by a yieldable mechanism. The pull cords (10, 11) pass guides (14, 15) located adjacent the lower edge of the windscreen (2) and thus to the drive mechanism (9). The drive mechanism applies such a tension to the pull cords (5, 6, 10, 11) that the net is drawn to a position in which it extends tautly across the windscreen (2) in response to an accident situation.

Abstract: A belt placer is provided for positioning the belt portion of a vehicle safety belt system and includes a drive apparatus and an engagement component that is drivably movable by the drive apparatus into engagement with a respective one of the belt and the closure tongue arranged on the belt. The engagement component positions the belt in a ready position relative to the vehicle occupant in which the belt is positioned for buckling and the engagement component being returned into its resting position in connection with buckling or unbuckling of the belt. The drive apparatus includes a feed roller and a flexible push- and pull-device in the form of a bending-resistant band which is brought from the flat disposition in which it is wound around the feed roller into an arched or cambered position around its longitudinal axis as it is unwound from the feed roller.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor is provided as a safety system in motor vehicles. The belt shaft is mounted in a U-shaped housing and serves as a carrier for a belt strap wound thereon. A rotation dampener is provided as a force limiting element and acts upon the belt shaft. The rotation dampener comprises: a cylindrical housing filled with a highly viscous medium, at least one apertured disk fixedly disposed in the cylindrical housing, and at least one disk piston disposed in the cylindrical housing parallel to the apertured disk, wherein the disk piston is fixedly connected to the belt shaft, the rotation of which is to be dampened, and wherein the disk piston is provided with a radially extending piston wing that rotates upon rotation of the disk piston.

Abstract: A safety system for a motor vehicle includes a plurality of safety devices each adapted to be activated in the event that an accident should occur. Each safety device includes at least one element selected from the group comprising an electric activator for activating the safety device and a sensor to sense a parameter related to the safety device. The system includes a first conductive arrangement comprising at least one first conductor and a first group of a plurality of switches, with each switch of the first group being connected to one of the first conductors. The system includes a second conductive arrangement comprising at least one second conductor, and a second group of a plurality of switches, with each switch of the second group being connected to one of the second conductors. The elements are connected in a circuit so that each element is connected between one switch of the first group of switches and one switch of the second group of switches.

Abstract: In a night vision arrangement for a motor vehicle a camera is provided which captures an image which is subsequently displayed on a display arrangement which may be a head-up display arrangement. The camera directs light on to a beam deflector which may be constituted by a mirror which deflects the beam so that it passes along a neck on to a sensor. The camera may relatively easily be mounted in position in a motor vehicle.

Abstract: An airbag arrangement in a motor vehicle, the air bag arrangement comprising an inflatable element including fabric and a gas generator component adapted to inflate the inflatable element in response to the sensing of predetermined conditions. The inflatable element is initially stored in a non-linear recess, channel or housing provided in the motor vehicle extending above a door opening of the motor vehicle. The inflatable element includes an upper edge provided with anchoring means connected to points within the recess, channel or housing, the inflatable element having a first chamber adjacent to the upper edge thereof adapted to be inflated, and also having a second discrete chamber adjacent to a lower edge thereof. The second chamber is of elongate form and associated with anchoring means to anchor opposite ends of the second chamber to fixed points in the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle which has a door frame and a door contained within the door frame. The safety device includes: a gas generator; a sensor for sensing at least one of a side impact and a roll-over for activating the gas generator; and an inflatable element connected to the gas generator for being inflated with gas from the gas generator upon activation of the gas generator. The inflatable element can thus assume a non-inflated mode and an inflated mode and can further be positioned adjacent the door in an inflated-mode thereof. The inflatable element is further made of fabric and includes: a first fabric layer defining a front part thereof; a second fabric layer defining a back part thereof, selected parts of the first fabric layer and second fabric layer being interconnected for defining one of linear and point shaped links where the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer are directly secured together.

Abstract: The invention relates to a belt retractor (10) with a switchable force limiter. Said belt retractor (10) comprises as the force limiter at least one energy absorbing element (13; 14, 15; 61) that is linked with the reel shaft (12) and with the locking device of the belt retractor (10) via a profiled bead (50). The belt retractor is further provided with a switch device with which the energy absorption is adjusted. The aim of the invention is to provide a switch device that functions independent of the transmission of power between the reel shaft and the torsion bar. Said switch device (latch 21) is designed in such a manner that it can be switched at any time during the already existing energy absorption via the drive (26) that is independent of the reel shaft (12) and/or the switch device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotation tensioner for a safety belt, especially for motor vehicles. Said ration tensioner comprises a belt retractor whose belt retraction pin is rotated in the belt retracting direction by means of an allocated drive when the rotation tensioner coupled to said pin is actuated. Said drive consists of a drive wheel with an external toothing for the belt retraction pin and of a channel that extends across at least part of the periphery of the drive wheel. Inertia elements are passed through said channel that are accelerated inside said channel and that engage with the external toothing of the drive wheel when the system is triggered. The invention provides a shaped element (16) that consists of an inertia body (18) and a leading finder element (17, 28) that allows a synchronous, shape-congruent insertion of the inertia elements (18) into the outer toothing (13) of the drive wheel (11).

Abstract: A self-locking belt roller is provided and includes a belt winding shaft rotatably mountable in a housing, a profiled head, and a torsion rod which becomes operational to resist further extraction of a belt from the belt roller so as to effect thereby a first force limiting operation of the belt roller. The belt roller also includes a resistance facilitating element on the belt winding shaft or the profiled head and a deformation element for increasing the resistance force of the belt roller to further extraction of the belt either at the time before the actuation of the torsion rod to resist further belt unwinding or at the time during which the torsion rod resists further belt extraction. The deformation element is engaged by the resistance facilitating element during further rotation of the belt roller in a manner to increase the resistance of the belt roller to further extraction of the belt.

Abstract: A seat for a motor vehicle comprises a squab carried by a frame (31) and a back (54). The squab (31) is mounted for movement along a rail (21, 22, 23) from an operative position to a stored position remote from the operative position. The seat back (54) is pivotally mounted for movement from an operative position to a stored position. Part of the seat-back, when in the stored position, occupies space that was occupied by the squab of the seat when the squab of the seat was in the operative position. The seat may be mounted in a motor vehicle in such a way that part (55) of the back of the seat, when in the stored position, is substantially flush with part of the floor (53) of the motor vehicle to provide a load carrying platform.