Abstract: An air-bag assembly for a vehicle including an air-bag unit mounted on a seat. The air-bag unit is connected to a mounting member. The mounting member is secured to or forms part of the structure of the seat. The air-bag unit has a first set of locking formations and the mounting member has a second set of locking formations. The locking formations of one of the sets are apertures and the locking formations of the other of the sets are projections. Each aperture at least partially receives a respective projection. A spring is mounted to either the mounting member or the air-bag unit so as to extend across each of the apertures to form a snap-connection between the air-bag unit and the mounting member near each aperture.

Abstract: A steering-wheel has an air-bag in it mounted in position by means of connecting pins which are received within housings provided on the frame of the steering-wheel adjacent of the hub of the steering-wheel. The periphery of a cover of the air-bag unit is provided with a moulded bead with co-operates with locating pins provided on the steering-wheel frame adjacent to the end of the cover so that the cover is maintained in a desired position.

Abstract: An airbag device according to the invention is applicable to an airbag device having an airbag that is housed in a state of being able to inflate and deploy in front of an occupant. The airbag has a center chamber positioned in the vicinity of the center on the occupant side in a deployed state, and side chambers positioned on both the left and right sides of the center chamber. Moreover the airbag is provided with a gas supply section that supplies inflation gas to inside of the side chambers, and a means for introducing inflation gas to inside of the center chamber after the side chamber. Furthermore, the side chamber has; a gas introduction space into which inflation gas from the gas supply section is introduced, an upper space that extends upward from the gas introduction space, and a lower space that extends downward from the gas introduction space.

Abstract: A steering wheel arrangement is disclosed which incorporates a fixed element (20). The fixed element carries a first annular bearing (33) which supports a steering wheel for rotation relative to the fixed element (20). The fixed element also carries a second bearing (38) which rotatably supports a component to be connected to part of the steering column of a motor vehicle. Each of the bearings are retained, to the fixed element (20), by means of a first resilient retaining element (40), and the first bearing (33) is also retained to the steering wheel by a second resilient retaining element (41).

Abstract: A steering-wheel arrangement is disclosed which comprises a steering-wheel having a first gear element. A second gear element is provided which is mounted on a steering column. The first and second gear elements inter-engage one another and the arrangement is further provided with an anti-backlash gear which is mounted on one of the gear elements. The anti-backlash gear has teeth configures to as to align substantially with the teeth of the gear element upon which it is mounted, and the anti-backlash gear is biased relative to the gear element upon which it is mounted towards a position in which the teeth of the anti-backlash gear become displaced from the corresponding teeth of the gear element. This gear arrangement has been found to provide improved “feel” for a person driving a motor vehicle.

Abstract: The safety arrangement for a motor vehicle incorporates primary restraint arrangement having a three-point seat-belt (3) and optionally one or more air-bags (19,22). A secondary restraint system is provided in the form of a two-point seat-belt (13). A sensor senses when the two-point seat-belt (13) is in use and provides a signal to a control unit (17) which adjusts the restraining effect provided by the primary restraint arrangement so that the overall restraining effect is the same regardless of whether the two-point seat-belt is, or is not, used. The use of the two-point seat-belt (13) provides enhanced occupant protection especially in a side-impact or rollover situation.

Abstract: A safety arrangement (1) is located beneath the hood or bonnet (3) of a motor vehicle and includes an inflatable element (8) which is formed of a plastically deformable material. A gas generator (14) supplies gas to inflate the element (8) in response to a signal from a sensor (18) which is responsive to impact with a pedestrian. The gas generator (14) passes gas to a chamber (15), and thus through a relatively small aperture (16) to inflate the element (8) with a gradual inflation. If a pedestrian strikes the bonnet, the pedestrian will not deform the bonnet and then be arrested by impact with an engine block or the like, and also the plastically deformable element (8) will deform to absorb energy.

Abstract: An air-bag has a primary gas flow duct leading from a gas generator to one or more zones within the air-bag which are to be inflated. The air-bag has a separate inner gas flow duct mounted within the outer gas flow duct. The inner gas flow duct and the outer gas flow duct have areas thereof secured together in the region that is to be connected to the gas generator.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system which is activated instantaneously at an vehicle accident to protect an occupant's body against a disaster. An occupant restraint system (A) is provided on the back (1a) of a seat (1) with a shoulder top restraint device (4) for restraining the right shoulder portion of the occupant (2). The occupant restraint system (A) is provided on the side portion of the back (1a) of the seat (1) with a shoulder side restraint device (5A), which includes: a motor (12) adapted to be actuated by a sense signal of a motor vehicle accident; an instantaneous turning mechanism unit (13) driven by the motor (12); bifurcated arms (14A) mounted on the instantaneous turning mechanism unit (13); and a shoulder receiving portion (15A) mounted on the other ends of the bifurcated arms (14A) for protecting the shoulder side (3b) of the body of the occupant (2).

Abstract: A crash sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The crash sensor arrangement includes a first set of sensors (3,4) comprising a respective sensor on each side of the vehicle. Each sensor (3,4) is an accelerometer and has a predetermined sensing axis (5,7). Each sensor (3,4) is mounted on the vehicle (1) close to the outer skin of the vehicle and at a first longitudinal position such that the sensing axis (5,7) of each sensor (3,4) makes a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1). The predetermined angle is between 30° and 60°, or between ?30° and ?60°. The sensing axes (5,6) are mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1), so that at said first longitudinal position, there are said two respective sensors (3,4), the sensing axes of the two sensor extending in different directions.

Abstract: A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle includes a blocking unit (6) and a drive (7, 8, 9, 10) to drive the blocking unit (6) from a position where it is flush with the dashboard (4) to a forward position where it will block movement of the knees of an occupant of a seat (1). A timing arrangement (17) is provided which controls the drive to return the blocking unit to an initial position after a predetermined period of time. An energy-absorbing element, which may be an air-bag (12) absorbs energy as the blocking unit (6) is moved from the operative position by a force applied to the blocking unit by the knees of a seat occupant.

Abstract: An air-bag is disclosed which takes the form of an inflatable curtain, having a gas inlet neck to receive gas from a gas generator. The air-bag has a tether which extends from the exterior of the air-bag at a point adjacent to the gas inlet neck. Part of the tether is at least initially secured to a mount by a mounting arrangement, and the tether is yieldable such that, on deployment of the air-bag, the point from which the tether extends from the air-bag may move away from the mount so that the tether yields with the absorption of energy.

Abstract: A safety belt retractor, especially in vehicles, is provided that includes a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon and a vehicle sensitive and/or belt sensitive controllable block device for the belt shaft. The block device includes a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device having a viscous medium-filled housing with at least one fixedly positioned contour and a counter-contour that is rotatably displaceable in response to a block event, so that the relative movement between the contour and the counter-contour forces the viscous medium between the surfaces arranged for this purpose. The level of the force limitation applied by the force limitation device is adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the buckled-in passengers via a variation of the inner pressure in the viscous medium-filled housing.

Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a body structure that has a lateral structure, a vehicle seat that is mounted on the body structure, and a side impact protection device for a passenger in the vehicle. The side impact protection device includes a head airbag with a first inflation device that can deploy upward in the region of the breastwork of the lateral structure, and a side airbag with a second inflation device that can deploy laterally out of the seat. In order for the side impact protection device to be used for different body structures, the side airbag is designed as a thorax airbag, which, in its ready state, is positioned, together with the second inflation device, inside the seat back of the vehicle seat, and can deploy essentially toward the front out of the side wall of the seat back. When the thorax airbag is in its deployed state, its upper edge comes to rest next to the breastwork of the lateral structure.

Abstract: A safety system intended for an occupant of a motor vehicle is in the form of a protective bag which can be filled with gas. In a moved-in condition, the bag is folded together in a packet and, in an inflated condition, the bag extends along an interior side of a side window in order to protect a head region of an adjacent sitting occupant against an impact. To improve functioning of the safety device and reduce a space requirement, the packet is fully immersed in a door body of the door, and the protective bag unfolds during inflation from the door body, in a direction of a roof, essentially along the door window.

Abstract: An air-bag is disclosed which incorporates regions of fabric which define a mouth, the mouth being mounted to an air-bag housing such that at least part of the mouth is mounted to the housing by a mount initially positioned to hold an edge part of the fabric defining the mouth adjacent the housing. The mount is capable of movement to move to a position in which the edge of the fabric defining the mouth is spaced from the housing to define a vent between the edge of the mouth and housing.

Abstract: An air bag formed from two layers of fabric using a one-piece weaving technique has a peripheral seam at the edge of a region adapted to be inflated. Beyond the seam there are a plurality of chambers and gas escaping from the inflated region through the seam must inflate these chambers thus creating a back pressure to reduce the flow of escaping gas.

Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a body structure that has a lateral structure, a vehicle seat that is mounted on the body structure, and a side impact protection device for a passenger in the vehicle. The side impact protection device includes a head airbag with a first inflation device that can deploy upward in the region of the breastwork of the lateral structure, and a side airbag with a second inflation device that can deploy laterally out of the seat. In order for the side impact protection device to be used for different body structures, the side airbag is designed as a thorax airbag, which, in its ready state, is positioned, together with the second inflation device, inside the seat back of the vehicle seat, and can deploy essentially toward the front out of the side wall of the seat back. When the thorax airbag is in its deployed state, its upper edge comes to rest next to the breastwork of the lateral structure.

Abstract: An air-bag is disclosed which preferably takes the form of an inflatable curtain The air-bag forms at least one inflatable region (3,6) and has an upper edge (14) provided with a plurality of mounting tabs (20,21,22,23). Each mounting tab (20,21,22,23) defines an axis which is inclined inwardly toward a region above the centre of the air-bag. Preferably, each tab is inclined at an angle between 30° and 70°.

Abstract: A belt lock is provided and has a lock holder that is rotatably mounted on a vehicle part. A restoring spring, as a flat spiral spring, has spiral spring windings that are disposed in a single plane and are disposed between a cover and the lock holder. The spiral spring biases the lock holder into a rest position of the belt lock, and has one end supported against the lock holder and another end supported against the cover. The cover has a first radially extending extension for the outer end of the spring, and a second extension as a stop for restoring of the lock holder.