Abstract: A sub panel concealing an airbag is mounted in the instrument panel of a vehicle. The sub panel covering a portion of the instrument panel appears to be part of the instrument panel. The inner surface of the sub panel has cleavage grooves that split open during a vehicle collision allowing the airbag to expand, protecting the passenger. The sub panel and airbag unit are replaceable after the airbag is deployed, restoring the instrument panel functionality. In the preferred embodiment, the sub panel covers a portion of the instrument panel on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Abstract: A position of a head of an occupant from an instrument panel, for example, of a vehicle is measured with a predetermined period of time and the position of the head after a predetermined time is estimated from the measured position, whereby an ignition signal is supplied to a detonator at a suitable timing determined by the estimated position thereby to inflate an air bag. The distance of the head of the occupant from the instrument panel is divided into an inflation suppression area, an inflation area without timing delay and an inflation area with timing delay. When it is determined that the head of the occupant locates in the inflation area with timing delay, the time point at which the head shifts to the inflation area without timing delay is estimated and the air bag is inflated on the basis of the estimated time point.

Abstract: A dial modeling device includes a three-dimensional model producing section for individually producing the three-dimensional model of plural indicators forming a dial, a rendering section for respectively projecting the data of the three-dimensional model of each indicator acquired in the three-dimensional model producing section on a two-dimensional plane, executing rendering by specifying a different light source every indicator and individually generating two-dimensional data for making each indicator look solid, an image storing section for storing the two-dimensional data generated in the rendering section of each indicator and an image synthesizing section for synthesizing the two-dimensional data of each indicator stored in the image storing section and the faced part of the dial.

Abstract: An automotive air bag device offers ready installation in an automobile instrument panel while reducing material and assembly costs and maintaining its structural integrity when activated. An air bag inflation opening, formed in the instrument panel, is surrounded by an internal reinforcement wall. An air bag lid, which covers the opening, includes an inwardly directed leg which engages the reinforcement wall. A case, which supports an inflator and a diffuser, is fastened to the leg on the lid.

Abstract: An integrating device includes: a non-volatile memory for storing a value of an integrated running distance of a vehicle; an arithmetic processor for calculating a new integrated running distance by a signal generated at each predetermined running distance and also by the integrated running distance stored in the non-volatile memory; and a display unit for displaying the integrated running distance. The non-volatile memory stores a positive value lower than a predetermined reference value as an initial value of the integrated running distance, and the arithmetic processing means outputs a value obtained when the predetermined reference value is subtracted from the integrated running distance, to the display means as the integrated running distance in the case where a value of the integrated running distance stored in the non-volatile memory is not less than the predetermined reference value.

Abstract: A vehicle meter self-diagnosis apparatus includes cross coil movements 11, 13, 15, and 17, drivers 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18, a driver control circuit 20, a ROM 22 into which indication adjustment information of the cross coil movements 11, 13, 15, and 17 is written, a CPU 8, and a self-diagnosis control circuit section 30 being started by a reset switch 32 for driving the drivers 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 and diagnosing the cross coil movements 11, 13, 15, and 17.

Abstract: In an illumination lamp mounting structure for use in a measuring instrument, a lower case 21 includes a front surface opening portion 22 and a rear surface opening portion 23, a movement supporting intermediate wall 24 interposed between the front surface opening portion 22 and rear surface opening portion 23 of the lower case 21 is formed integrally with a light source supporting intermediate wall 25 which is situated nearer to the front surface opening portion 22 than is the movement supporting surface of the movement supporting intermediate wall 24. and on the light source supporting intermediate wall 25, there is supported an illumination lamp 32 which is used to illuminate the display plate 33 transmissively.

Abstract: A front and a back cloth body are bonded at the edges to form a bag. The bag is inflated from an air bag device disposed on a seat back so that it expands between a seat and a side door, thus protecting a passenger over a range from a torso to a head. The bag contains a supply section which holds an inflator that injects a pressurized fluid into the bag. A torso protection section, contiguous with the supply section, extends forward from the supply section. A head protection section, contiguous with the torso protection section, extends upward from the torso protection section. When the inflator is activated pressurized fluid is injected to expand head protection section. The resulting inflation pressure tends to make front side air bag pivot around the supply portion. To prevent this, in one embodiment an auxiliary section is inflated with a pressure in a direction opposite to the rotation at roughly the same time as the expansion of the head protection section.

Abstract: In an electric connector of a type that connecting terminals (29) inserted into a connector housing (21) are respectively secured double not only by securing lances (23) but also by retainers (24) which can be inserted through their associated retainer insertion holes 28 formed in the connector housing (21), at the preset positions of the retainers (24) that are respectively situated between the front end portions (30) of the retainers (24) formed in the insertion direction of the retainers (24) and the rear end portions (31) thereof, there are formed hook portions (34) which can be respectively secured by the rear edge portions (28B) of the retainer insertion holes (28) that are situated in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the connecting terminals.

Abstract: In an instrument panel 21 of the invention, a foamed layer 23 and a skin 24 are laminated in this sequence on the surface of a resin-made core member 22 which is disposed in front of a main unit of an air bag apparatus, and a tearable portion 26 for inflating an air bag is formed by irradiation of a laser beam from the back face of the resin-made core member 22. The tearable portion 26 elongates from the core member 22 to a part of a back face side of the skin 24.

Abstract: In a multiplex communication method for implementing multiplex communication between a plurality of circuit units, a format of a transmitted data signal not only is formed of serial data consisting of first data, second data that has the same content as the first data, and a parity that indicates the number of logical 1s or logical 0s forming the first data and the second data is even or odd, but also selects as regular data in such a manner that when the transmitted data signal is received, if the first data and the second data are compared with each other and judged to be coincident with each other from the comparison, then the coincident data is selected as the regular data and that if the first data and the second data are judged to be different from each other from the comparison, then a logic of the parity is checked and either the first data or the second data corresponding to the logic of the parity is selected as the regular data.

Abstract: A mold for shaping a skin sheet has a three-dimensional body including a top surface and side surfaces that work as a shaping surface, respectively. The top surface and the side surfaces have a plurality of small holes communicating with a suction unit for drawing the skin sheet thereon by suction force generated by the suction unit. Each of the side surfaces has a product portion and a non-product portion parted at a trimming line, the portions corresponding to those of the skin sheet that are used as a product and not used as the product, respectively. The body has a plurality of guidance plates, each projecting outside at an edge line of the body. An upper edge of each of the guidance plates forms a ridge line in a shape of a wave. The ridge line descends from a position in the vicinity of an intersection point of the edge line and the trimming line to a direction of the bottom of the body so as to form a valley and thereafter ascends to an opposite direction so as to form a mountain.

Abstract: A person-on-board protecting apparatus having ignition timing estimating means for outputting an ignition signal by determining a collision on the basis of an output from an acceleration sensor and estimating timing at which the head of a person on board reaches a predetermined position, expansion rate control means for outputting a control signal for controlling the expansion force of an air bag according to the head position of the person on board from a forward predetermined reference position, and an inflator having a plurality of detonators. The ignition modes of the plurality of detonators provided for the inflator are controlled according to an ignition signal from the ignition timing estimating means and a control signal from expansion force control means, so that the expansion rate and timing of the air bag are controlled.

Abstract: In order to simplify the complex setting of the expansion pressure of an inflator and easily control the expanded direction of an air bag, the air bag is contained in an instrument panel such that the air bag faces an expansion opening formed in an upper surface of the instrument panel and, when a pressure fluid discharged from the inflator is fed into the air bag through an inlet of the air bag and thereby the air bag is inflated and expanded, a front bag part for a front side of a vehicle and a rear bag part for a rear side of the vehicle are inflated and expanded forward and rearward in a vehicle longitudinal direction with the inlet therebetween, respectively. The air bag has a seam, formed in the front bag part, for temporarily delaying delivery of the pressure fluid into the front bag part during initial inflation of the air bag. Thereby, the front bag part is inflated and expanded later than the rear bag part.

Abstract: An automotive air bag device avoids disengagement or play between the air bag activation unit and the lid, which covers the air bag inflation opening, during transportation to an automobile assembly plant and after the air bag device has been installed in a vehicle. Extending from the back surface of the lid, is an integrally formed attachment piece. The air bag activation unit has a number of hook members that engage support openings in the attachment piece. A thin, elastic tongue piece, integrally formed on the upper edge of each support opening, prevents disengagement of the hook member.

Abstract: In a crew member detecting device, an acoustic wave generator element mounted on a vehicle body generates a standing wave between the acoustic wave generator element and a bucket seat, and an acoustic wave receiver element is provided in the region of the standing wave, to detect the presence of a person on the bucket seat from variations in the output of the acoustic wave receiver element which are due to the movement of the person on the bucket seat.

Abstract: A base member 13 is laid in a space portion, which is defined by an instrument panel, in a vehicle width direction over a generally entire width of the vehicle, and a plurality of ducts 15 to 20 are integrally formed with the base member 13. Furthermore, a meter placing portion 23 on which a meter is placed and an air bag placing portion 24 on which an air bag is placed are formed on the base member 13, and a harness placing portion 26 on which a flat harness is placed is also formed on the base member 13 in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the base member with which the plurality of ducts are integrally formed is a separate body from the instrument panel. Even in the case where the size of the instrument panel is changed, the base member is not required to correspond to the instrument panel and therefore, the ducts can be commonly used. Moreover, since the base member is formed with ducts each having a closed structure in section, it has a predetermined physical strength.

Abstract: According to a production method for a structure of a contact point of a terminal piece, it is possible to heighten the durability of the terminal piece by thickening the contact point without raising material cost and processing costs. Materials for a copper plate (20) of a circumferential wall portion (18) of a contact point (16) are gathered and pressed toward substantially the center of a top portion (17). The materials are moved toward substantially the center of the top portion (17), so that the thickness of the top portion (17) becomes larger by a thickness of .alpha. than the thickness (T) of the copper plate (20). The top portion (17) is formed to be thicker than the circumferential wall portion (18).

Abstract: A pair of female and male housings 22 and 23 are inserted respectively from a front 21a and a rear 21b of an attachment panel 21 and engage each other, a housing 22 on the front 21a is covered with a grommet 25, the housings 22 and 23 are connected by a bolt 26 inserted from the grommet 25, and a fastening piece 27e separated from a cover main body 27a and detachably engaging the cover main body 27a is attached thereto, whereby the grommet 25 is covered on a peripheral end face with a grommet cover 27 so as to fasten the grommet 27.

Abstract: A connector for connecting a wire harness with a terminal locking member improves reliability by preventing the adverse effects of outside forces and makes it possible to make a smooth connection. The connector 21 with terminal locking member has flexible members 24b in terminal accommodation chambers 24 whereby when terminal locking member 25 is in a temporary connecting condition with respect to connector housing 22, the flexible members come into contact with arms 26a and keep in check any further insertion of these arms 26a in housing 22, and by inserting terminal 27 into terminal accommodation chambers 24, they become displaced and further insertion of arms 26a is allowed, making possible the regular connecting condition of terminal locking member 25 to connector housing 22.