Abstract: An air-bag includes a rear panel and a front panel secured to one another to define an inflatable volume. A tether interconnects the panels and has an area of mechanical weakness provided by at least one line of slits or perforations. The tether has a first configuration in which the area of mechanical weakness is substantially intact, and is configured to adopt a second configuration via rupture of the area of mechanical weakness. The first configuration of the tether is effective, during inflation of the air-bag, to limit the maximum depth of the air-bag to a predetermined distance measured between the front and rear panels, and the second configuration is effective to allow an increase in the maximum depth of the air-bag beyond the predetermined distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a webbing guide of a seat belt for a vehicle may include a drive unit for moving a cable connected at one end thereof by controlling driving of a motor in response to an actuating signal or a stop signal, the webbing guide connected to the other end of the cable, and hingedly rotated to a first direction of a vehicular body as the cable moves in a second direction, and a return unit provided on the webbing guide, and providing an elastic force to the webbing guide so that the webbing guide hingedly rotated to the first direction of the vehicular body returns to the second direction of the vehicular body when the motor stops driving.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to ensure smooth deployment of an airbag having a turned-back end portion. The present invention is an airbag device that expands and deploys in a curtain shape on a side portion of a vehicle interior in order to protect an occupant of the vehicle interior, where the airbag includes a gas generator for generating an expansion gas and an airbag that deploys when it is expanded by the gas supplied from the gas generator. The airbag is compressed into an elongated shape when stowed and an end portion of the elongated airbag is turned back in a lengthwise direction, thereby forming an airbag main portion that is not turned back and the turned-back end portion. A restricting member is also provided to restrict deployment of the turned-back end portion of the airbag toward a vehicle outer side when the device is activated.

Abstract: A seat belt tensioner for motor vehicle, having a belt shaft (12) rotatably supported in housing as a carrier of a seat belt wound thereon and with a tensioner drive coupled thereto by a metal strip (18), the drive rotatable driving the belt shaft (12) when triggered by action on the metal strip (18) and the movement thereof, the metal band (18) before triggering the tensioning drive (10) surrounds an extension (13) of the belt shaft. The metal strip (18) is wound around the extension (13) of the belt shaft (12) in at least one winding turn serving as winding supply (20) for the movement thereof. The winding reserve (20) is held at a radial gap (21) to the extension (13) of the belt shaft (12) by a holding element (22) releasing the metal band (18) in case of tensile force acting on the metal strip caused by activation of the belt tensioner causing the metal stripto engage and rotate the belt shaft extension.

Abstract: A curtain airbag device for a vehicle having a lightweight, simplified, and inexpensive structure can prevent a curtain airbag from being caught by a pillar garnish when the airbag is deployed and inflated, and can restrict the deployment direction of the airbag. The curtain airbag may have sub-chambers formed therein that are folded together with the curtain airbag, and disposed adjacently thereto. The sub-chambers have a communication path formed therein that communicates with the curtain airbag. The curtain airbag is provided with tab cloth strips for supporting and fixing the curtain airbag. The tab cloth strips have an attachment section formed thereon and an annular binding section that binds together the curtain airbag and the sub-chambers. The binding section is provided with a tearing section to be torn when the curtain airbag is deployed and inflated and an anchoring section anchoring the airbag to the vehicle body side.

Abstract: An airbag device that may ensure an increased restraining force and a reduction of damage with respect to an occupant that is out of position or of small stature is provided. The airbag device for a passenger seat of the present invention may be disposed inside an instrument panel of a vehicle and protects an occupant inside the vehicle by inflation and deployment of an airbag when an emergency situation occurs. The airbag device includes: an airbag that is compressed into a plurality of layers in a vertical direction when not used, and inflated and deployed when an emergency situation occurs; and a restriction member that restricts the deployment of the airbag so that a deployment direction of an upper layer portion is directed toward an occupant side, wherein the upper layer portion is deployed first from among the plurality of layers of the airbag.

Abstract: A vehicle safety system comprising: at least one occupant safety device (6) for protecting an occupant of the vehicle (1) in the event of a side impact; and a control unit (7) operable to receive information from one or more vehicle sensors (2, 3, 4, 5) and to provide a trigger signal to activate the occupant safety device (6). Under normal driving conditions, a default deployment algorithm is used by the control unit (7) to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated; and if it is determined that loss of control of the vehicle (1) is occurring, or is expected to occur, and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle (1) exceeds a first threshold, the control unit (7) employs a first further deployment algorithm to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated. The first further deployment algorithm being adapted to cause the trigger signal to be generated a shorter time after the initiation of a side impact than is the case for the default deployment algorithm.

Abstract: A gas generator includes an initiator having a case, two electrodes and a cap having a wall delimiting an aperture for insertion of the case, a part delimiting an aperture for access to the electrodes and a retaining part made of plastic material overmoulded into the aperture between the initiator, the cap and the part. The wall includes, near the aperture and the protrusion retaining the cap, a second protrusion for supporting the mould in a support direction having a component extending from the bottom toward the aperture, the second protrusion having an outer edge at least partially not covered by the part for use as a support surface in said support direction for a mould to be used for overmoulding.

Abstract: A seat belt apparatus for a vehicle including an anchor metal plate coupled with a vehicle body by a fastening bolt to extensively support a seat belt and upper and lower covers to receive the anchor metal plate. A contact rib is formed on at least one side portion of the inner surface of the upper cover, and a sidewall is formed on a side portion of the lower cover to make contact with the contact rib. An arc-type rib is formed on the bottom plate of the lower cover corresponding to an outer peripheral portion of at least one side portion of the base portion of the anchor metal plate, and a connection rib is formed between the arc-type rib and the sidewall. An arc-type slot is formed on the bottom plate of the lower cover.

Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel with a steering wheel body, a movable element held movably on the steering wheel body, which element can be pressed down against the force of a restoring element against the steering wheel body, and with a horn contact which is closed by pressing down of the element. An economical design for constructing the horn contact is created in that the horn contact has two cable cores (44a, 44b) which are held in a holding element (32), and that a contact element (36a, 36b) which is likewise held by the holding element (32) extends into each of the cable cores (44a, 44b). The two contact elements (32a, 32b) come into electrical contact with each other here by the pressing down of the movable element.

Abstract: A reversible seat belt tensioner includes an electric motor (2), a belt shaft (1) drivable in the belt winding direction by the electric motor (2) via a drive wheel (10), and a drive shaft (9) transmitting the rotational movement of the electric motor (2) to the drive wheel (10). The drive shaft (9) is connected to at least one of the drive wheel (10) and the electric motor (2) via a helical gear unit. The use of a helical gear unit provides the advantage that the rotational axes of the meshing components can be arranged at angles other than 90 degrees with respect to each other because the components in the helical gear units only come into punctiform contact.

Abstract: A knee air bag for a vehicle has an inflator, a diffuser and a cushion to protect a passenger's knee when the cushion is deployed. The knee air bag also includes an inflator connector which is provided on a back of the cushion, and an external tether which is provided on an upper portion of the inflator connector and secured at lower and upper ends thereof to the back of the cushion, thus guiding the cushion so that the cushion is deployed upwards. The knee air bag makes the cushion come into close contact with a seatback of the vehicle when the knee air bag is deployed, thus reducing interference with a roof air bag located at an upper position, therefore preventing a passenger's head or neck from suffering secondary injuries.

Abstract: An airbag cushion for vehicles includes a cushion body, vent holes, tubes and a tether. The vent holes are formed in the cushion body at opposite positions. The tubes are connected to the respective vent holes. The tubes are deployed out of the vent holes by deployment of the cushion body so that gas is discharged out of the cushion body through the tubes. The tether connects the tubes to each other and is severed when pressure in the cushion body reaches a predetermined degree. At the point of time at which the weight of the occupant is applied to the airbag cushion, the pressure in the airbag cushion is released, thus reducing the risk of the deployment of the airbag cushion injuring the occupant.

Abstract: A piston for a pretensioner device (10) for a motor vehicle seat belt system of a type having a gas generator (17) with the piston (21) guided in a tube (16) that closes a pressure space (20) in the tube (16). The pressure space (20) can be pressurized by the gas generator (17), driving the piston (21) to undergo pretensioning operation transmitted to the seat belt system by a force transmission means. The piston has a dome shaped front side adapted to engage a force transmission element and a skirt forming a sealing lip oriented toward the pressure space. At least one slot is formed in the outer surface of the piston extending axially from the sealing lip. The slot can be enlarged by the material erosion caused by the pressure and/or pressure conditions in the pressure space produced by gas from the gas generator.

Abstract: A method of rolling or folding an airbag to a thin tight tube, includes stretching the airbag during the rolling or folding in length direction.

Abstract: A knee airbag for a motor vehicle is described. This knee airbag extends in its installed state along a longitudinal direction (X) from a rear end to a front end. The airbag skin (5) of the knee airbag exhibits a front section (20) and a rear section (22) and a connecting line for contouring of the airbag is located on the rear section (22). In order to simplify the assembly of the knee airbag, the connecting line mainly extends transverse to the longitudinal direction (X) and shortens the rear section (22) in longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An airbag apparatus for a vehicle may include an inflator, and an airbag cushion having a depressed head support portion formed in a rear portion of the airbag cushion so that when the airbag cushion may be deployed by gas supplied from the inflator, the head support portion receives a head of a passenger, and shoulder support portions protruding from lateral sides of the head support portion in a rearward direction and forming a space between the shoulder support portions to have the head support portion therebetween when the airbag cushion may be deployed, and a support tether provided in the airbag cushion and extending in a transverse direction across the shoulder support portions such that a gas path may be defined in a front portion of the airbag cushion below the support tether, the gas path guiding the gas downwards.

Abstract: A generator includes a tubular casing sealed by a bottom, with a wall crossed by discharge orifices. The generator further includes an adapter sleeve retained in the tubular casing by crimping, a pyrotechnic initiator, and a tubular filter covering the discharge orifices. A pyrotechnic charge is inserted between the adapter sleeve and the bottom. A charge securing arrangement includes, on the bottom side, a transverse partition, and on the open side, an open-worked washer urged towards the bottom. A sealing member is capable of breaking during combustion of the charge, to thereby allow the gases to escape out of the casing via the filter and the discharge orifices. After failure of the sealing member, the space occupied by the pyrotechnic charge is delimited axially by the open-worked washer and the bottom.

Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner having a housing, a belt shaft (10), a load limiting device (70) and a pretensioner drive wheel (20) coupled to the belt shaft (10). A coupling element (60) is fixed to the drive wheel (20) via a detachable connection, and can be locked by a blocking device (90). An engagement wheel (50) is provided for connecting the belt shaft (10) with the pretensioner drive wheel (20) having engagement portions (51) engaging into corresponding recesses (12) on the belt shaft (10) or on the pretensioner drive wheel (20) and is fixed by the coupling element (60). The detachable connection can be disconnected by locking of the coupling element (60) and rotation of the belt shaft (10) in the belt webbing extraction direction, thereby the engagement wheel (50) undergoes relative rotation in relation to the pretensioner drive wheel (20) or to the belt shaft (10).

Abstract: A seat belt device is provided with a pin for connecting a spindle and a tread head in an initial state. The breaking load of the pin is varied depending on the direction of relative rotation between the tread head and the spindle, such that the pin breaks at a smaller load during operation of a pretensioner. As a result, this allows firmly fixing together the spindle and the lock member during ordinary use without adversely affecting usability, and, upon vehicle collision or the like, the EA load is not affected through breaking of the pin at the smaller load.