Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a guide channel formed in a buckle frame into which a tongue connected to a seat belt can be inserted. An ejector, located in the guide channel acts, as an ejector spring in the ejection direction opposite to the insertion direction of the tongue. A locking element is mounted on the buckle frame and can be moved out of an unlocking position into a locking position in order to lock the tongue in the guide channel. A securing element is movable between a securing position for holding the locking element in the locking position and a release position for releasing the locking element. A blocking device is mounted on the securing element and is moved into a blocking position when the locking element is in the locking position. The securing element is held in the securing position against a movement into the release position, whereby the blocking device is held in the blocking position by the ejector.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a webbing spool fixed to a ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth spaced about its circumference. A locking pawl has a plurality of teeth with a pitch less than the pitch of the teeth on the ratchet wheel. The pawl is arranged to pivot into engagement with the ratchet wheel, on activation of a crash sensor. Preferably there are two locking pawls and two toothed ratchet wheels. The two locking pawls may each have the same number of teeth or alternatively one may have an extra tooth which serves as a sensor tooth, engaging first with the spool ratchet wheel and phasing engagement of the other teeth as the load increases.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a spool on which seat belt webbing is wound, arranged for rotation about its longitudinal axis, for payout and winding in of seat belt webbing. A torsion bar is coaxial with the spool and has one end fixed to the spool. A ratchet is fixed to the other end of the torsion bar and a toothed wheel is fixed to the spool to rotate with the spool. A pivoting lock bar extends across the length of the spool, having at least one pawl fixed at each end, to engage with the toothed wheel and with the ratchet respectively. The pawl on the spool side is arranged to be weaker than the other pawl so as to shear under a predetermined force to allow the spool to rotate and the torsion bar to twist.

Abstract: Force limitation in retractors is needed to avoid injury to an occupant from the seat belt itself particularly at high crash impact loads. The invention provides a seat belt retractor comprising a spool including force limiting means for allowing further payout of the seat belt webbing after the spool has locked, under the influence of an occupant's forward momentum in the crash condition.

Abstract: A horn or other vehicle device can be activated or controlled by attenuating light. A horn switch, or an optical switch, has a light source, light detector, and a pathway for light extending through a void. The switches are activated by attenuating the light emitted by the light source. The light can be attenuated by at least partially obstructing the light or by modifying the orientation of either the light detector or the light source.

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: An apparatus for assembling seatbelt webbing with 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 engages one end of the webbing. A bracket sensor senses the presence of a bracket at a correct position in the bracket support. Means responsive to a signal from a sensor may be provided for indicating the correct positioning of the sill-end bracket for feeding the pull-through member through the sill-end bracket. Means for driving the webbing into the tapered channel are provided so that said one end is located at a predetermined position relative to the form-feeding member. A method of manual or automatic assembling seatbelt webbing with a sill-end bracket is also disclosed.

Abstract: A multi-chambered driver side air bag (22) including: a toroidal first chamber (22) facing an occupant to be protected; a second chamber (24) located at least partially within the first chamber; an inflator (28) for first inflating one of the first and second chambers or for inflating both first and second chambers relatively simultaneously.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) to simulate the behavior of vehicle occupant and safety systems in a rollover accident, comprising: a frame (30) adapted to receive a portion of a vehicle to be tested or test buck (40), the frame being articulated, about a pivot (36), to enable it to rotate a predetermined amount; forcing device (24;72) for causing the frame, and test buck, to rotate.

Abstract: An airbag housing can be attached to an installation supporting means on a motor vehicle. The airbag housing has on a side facing the installation supporting means at least one resilient member which is formed in one piece with the airbag housing and permits a resilient movement of the airbag housing relative to the installation supporting means.

Abstract: Steering wheel comprising a drive rim consisting of an internal polyurethane core, covered at least partially with a coating of a material with an aesthetically finer quality. The steering wheel is manufactured starting from a driving rim with a polyurethane core by means of a procedure comprising the following steps: grinding of the surface of the polyurethane core, providing a coating element of wood having plane shape and size congruent to at least one portion of the polyurethane core, applying of the coating element to the polyurethane core and respective bending of the same by means of a hot press provided with a suitable template, removing the excess part of the coating element, honing of the portion of the rim coated by the coating element, and protective varnishing of the coated rim.

Abstract: A vehicle sensor for a retractor for a vehicle safety restraint has a sensor mass in the form of an upturned hollow cup, formed in a single piece by injection molding or die casting, resting on an upstanding post. It may be of metal or high-density plastic material. Preferably a profiled pad is fixed or mounded on the underside of the lever or on the upper surface of the cup. In this way the arrangement causes the lever to lift through substantially the same angle whichever the direction of acceleration activating the sensor. This sensor is an improvement over known sensors because it is simpler and cheaper to manufacture, easier to calibrate relatively accurately, and does not exhibit right/left dependency.

Abstract: A device for firing a pyrotechnic propellent composition having a sensor mass (3) which for firing purposes releases a locking lever (4) which in the rest position bears lockingly against a ring (9) of the firing pin (1).

Abstract: An airbag, in particular a passenger airbag, is folded in the resting state and is fastened on a fixing device. The airbag is folded double with crossover folds so that a passage for one or more substantially rectilinearly extending measuring elements is formed in the interior of the folded airbag.

Abstract: A side impact or rollover protection restraint system (20) comprising: an air bag of sufficient length to extend between two pillars of a vehicle, the air bag (22), upon inflation, is of sufficient height to extend from proximate a roof rail (38) of the vehicle to a location generally adjacent the upper torso of a seated occupant such that the inflated air bag will lie between the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle; the system (20) further including a flexible tube (70) having a plurality of distributed openings (72) thereacross to distribute inflation gas to the air bag means (60) for inflating the air bag.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for a pretensioner in a vehicle safety restraint has a cylinder and a piston mounted for movement within and along the cylinder. One end of a cable is connected to the piston and the other end of the cable is connected to a safety restraint. The locking mechanism is a locking block and structure that resiliently biases the locking block away from the piston toward the inside wall of the cylinder. The locking block may be tapered as a wedge, and/or sloping surfaces may be provided on the piston or on the housing. More than one locking block may be spaced circumferentially about the piston.

Abstract: A multi-point seat belt system (20′) for protecting an occupant seated upon a vehicle seat, the system comprising: a shoulder belt (42) and a lap belt (44) securable, with some amount of slack, about the occupant, a seat belt buckle (48) attached to one end of the lap belt (44) at an inboard location and a belt tightener secured to an opposite end (44b) of the lap belt for eliminating any slack in the lap belt, the belt tightener located at an outboard location.

Abstract: A pretensioner for a vehicle occupant safety restraint has an outer casing that contains a gas generant. An igniter has igniter material disposed within an igniter housing. A pair of electrodes are connected to the igniter material. A grounding path connector link electrically connects the igniter housing to a grounding path. The connector link may be formed by springs connecting the outer case to the grounding electrode and an interference fit connecting the igniter housing to the outer case. The link forms a low resistance path to short circuit undesirable static charges in the unit that would otherwise tend to cause unintentional activation of the pretensioner.

Abstract: A seat belt buckle (100) operable with a pretensioner (330) comprising: a frame (102) having a first latch opening (126a) therein, and opposing frame sides (108a,b), each side including a latch plate slot (110) arranged generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of a tongue into the buckle and pivoted weight mechanism (112, 200, 220). The buckle additionally includes a latch plate (180), having portions (186) movable within the latch plate slots between a locked position in engagement with an opening within the tongue and with the first latch opening (126a), the latch plate moveable between a latched position within the latch opening (126a) in the frame and within the latch opening (173) of the tongue to an unlatched position out of the latch openings.

Abstract: A steering wheel is provided with an airbag. The steering wheel has a central part for connection to a steering wheel attachment, having a cavity for housing a module comprising the airbag safety device and a horn, an outer ring and a plurality of substantially radial spokes connecting the outer ring to the central part of the steering wheel. Around module there is provided a metal peripheral part fixed to the plurality of spokes by means of connecting means so as to give the steering wheel a sporting appearance.