Abstract: A device for anchoring a strap to a structural member has a strap and a strap anchoring member fixed to the strap at a first end of the strap. The strap anchoring member has a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than the width. The strap anchoring member is folded to provide only two layers of the strap anchoring member enclosing an end region of the strap adjacent a first end of the strap. A secured portion of the strap anchoring member is proximal the first end of the strap with both layers of the strap anchoring member fixed to the strap providing a three layer structure. An unsecured portion of the strap anchoring member is distal from the first end of the strap. A second end of the strap may be fixed to an airbag used for protecting an occupant of a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A three-point safety belt system (20) including: a tongue (100) configured to receive portions of a safety belt assembly (200); the safety belt assembly (200) comprising a shoulder belt section (202) and a lap belt section (250), the shoulder belt section including a hollow, generally flat first tube or tubular section (202), the first tube or tubular part configured to tear apart along a preferred region (203), a web guide (300); a first and second retractor (240, 260); the lap belt section (250) extending from the tongue to the corresponding retractor (260) and the shoulder belt section (202) extending from the tongue to the other retractor (240), each retractor configured to respectively retract the lap belt section and the shoulder belt section and to permit the extension or protraction of same; an inflatable air bag (400) received within the shoulder belt section and movable with the first tubular part (202) of the shoulder belt section, and inflatable by an inflator causing the air bag to extend and bre

Abstract: An air bag module (20) including: an inflator (200) for providing inflation gas; a bracket assembly (100) having an integral spring portion for resiliently biasing the inflator toward a retained position.

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt system has seat belt webbing that is attached to a tongue adapted to be located in a buckle mechanism fixed to a load-bearing part of the vehicle. A generally vertically extending strap is adapted to be located in a position against a seat back. An adjustable webbing guide connects the generally vertically extending strap to the seat belt webbing; and there is a device for positively locking the webbing guide to the generally vertically extending strap at any one of a plurality of selectable locations on the generally vertically extending strap. A load limiter is operative for a child seat occupant but not operative for an adult seat occupant.

Abstract: An air bag module (50) comprising: a curtain air bag (20) having an inflatable portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion or tab (30) including opposing first and second mounting sides or surfaces; a mounting bracket or clip (100) for the inflatable curtain air bag, comprising first and second plates (110, 120), each plate engagable with a respective first or second mounting side or surface (104, 106), the first plate having a first opening (160) and the second plate having a second opening (170); the first plate about the first opening, including a plurality of bendable first tabs (164a-d), each first tab deformable through the second opening to provide a crimp contact between the first plate (110) and the second plate (120) thereby trapping the mounting portion or tab (30) of the air bag between the first and second plates.

Abstract: A pretensioning apparatus for seat belt webbing is located in the vicinity of a belt anchor end of a three-point vehicle safety restraint seat belt. The pretensioning apparatus has a fixed member in the form of a tubular member that may be anchored to a vehicle seat at the belt anchor side of the vehicle. A movable member in the form of a piston is connected to the webbing in the region of the belt anchor end. A means is provided for moving the movable member relative to the fixed member in a generally horizontal direction, to move the seat belt webbing in a pretensioning direction in response to a signal from a crash sensor. A webbing guide is fixed to the seat to provide an effective anchorage point spaced from the belt anchor end of the webbing under pretensioning conditions.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor has a spool. An energy absorption mechanism absorbs energy from the spool during seatbelt protraction. The energy absorption mechanism has at least a first portion for a relatively high rate of energy absorption and preferably a second portion for a relatively low rate of energy absorption. The seatbelt retractor has an outer sheath cast, molded, coated or otherwise bonded to and encircling a portion of the external surface of the first portion or the second portion which upon a sufficient exposure to rotational energy breaks the bond between the first portion or the second portion and the outer sheath.

Abstract: A device for supporting a rupturable closure member of a pressure vessel, such as an airbag inflator has a hollow support with a tapered portion and an adjoining cylindrical portion. An exterior surface of the tapered portion has longitudinally extending grooves therein. An igniter is located adjacent the cylindrical portion of the support and a pyrotechnic substance is located in the cylindrical portion of the support between the igniter and the tapered portion of the support. A rupturable closure member being forced against an open first end of the tapered portion of the support by the gas in the pressure vessel such that a chamber is formed within the support.

Abstract: An air bag usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising: a face panel; a rear panel of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery; the rear panel including a centrally located opening configured to receive an air bag inflator that introduces gas into the space formed by the face and rear panels; a tether of elongated shape having first and second ends and a center region, the center region is positioned into a Z-shaped configuration and secured to the face panel proximate a geometric center of the face panel.

Abstract: A safety system comprising an air bag configured to have at least one inflatable volume or chamber, an inlet through which inflation gas enters the inflatable volume, the air bag including at least one exit port or vent which when in an open state permits inflation gas to exit the volume or chamber, the exit port or vent located in a selected region of the air bag, a vent closure mechanism secured to the air bag and movable to close the exit port or vent by tension created in a tether which is part of the vent closure mechanism; as the air bag inflates, the tether has one end operatively secured to the air bag, a second end operatively secured to the vent closure mechanism, the tether including a medial portion slidably guided across a portion of the air bag.

Abstract: A side air bag module including: an inflator (140), and air bag (102) and a retainer (150), the inflator having inflation ports (145) and a first and a second end (142, 144), the inflator configured to be inserted through a first opening of a first set of openings in an upper portion (104a) of a main panel (105) and configured to exit the upper portion of the main panel through a second opening of the first set of openings, wherein when the inflator is in place in the air bag, the first and second ends of the inflator respectively extend through one of the first and second openings, the main panel (105) also including a lower portion (104b) connectable to the upper portion thereby forming the main panel, a reinforcement panel (130) and the lower portion including similarly shaped, spaced and aligned sets of openings through which the inflator extends; the retainer is situated about the extending ends of the inflator on the exterior of the air bag.

Abstract: A kit for a device for restraining a vehicle occupant includes a prefabricated seat belt retractor (1) that has a winding shaft (2) mounted in a rotatable manner in a retractor frame (4) to wind up and unwind the seat belt. The kit further includes a similarly prefabricated drive module (30) having an electric motor (32), the drive module being connectable to the retractor frame (4) in a rotationally fixed manner. Force-transmission elements are provided on the drive module (30) and on the seat belt retractor (1) that are to be connected to each other to transmit the torque from the electric motor (32) to the winding shaft (2) when the seat belt retractor (1) and drive module (30) are assembled. An assembled device for restraining a vehicle occupant and having the components of the kit is also disclosed.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor (100) having a rotationally mounted spool (120) with a seat belt windable thereon and a pretensioner (300) for winding the spool in a belt winding direction to rewind the seat belt upon the spool; the pretensioner comprising a rack and pinion mechanism (350) activated by a pyrotechnic element (400) for causing a clutch assembly (200) to change state from a disengaged mode to an engaged mode in which the clutch assembly drivingly engages the spool.

Abstract: An air bag (100) has an inflatable chamber (101, 301) defined by a main front panel (102, 212) and a pair of side panels (104a, b; 224, 226). The air bag (100) has a vertically oriented recessed portion (110, 220) spanning along most of the length of the main panel or a limited section thereof. The recessed portion (110, 220) divides the air bag (100, 210) into two lower lobe portions (112a, b, 240, 242) on each side of the recessed portion. Upon inflation an internal tether (180, 250) is attached to the recessed portion and is anchored at or adjacent to the gas inlet passageway thereby limiting forward movement of the recessed portion upon inflation. The air bag is useful as a frontal air bag, particularly a passenger frontal air bag.

Abstract: An assembly is provided for steering a vehicle including a steering wheel (18) with an armature (300); an air bag module (14) is coupled to the steering wheel and is operable to expand to absorb the kinetic energy of the driver. A horn switch (16) is coupled to the steering wheel and the air bag module. The horn switch is operable to generate an electrical signal based on an input from the driver. The horn switch includes a pair of electrically conductive elements (40, 42) operable to generate the signal.

Abstract: A seat belt system for adults and children has a strap (55) that extends vertically along the front surface of a seat back or a structural pillar at the side of a vehicle. Seat belt webbing (19) is configured to provide a three-point seat belt system. The seat belt webbing passes through a stationary seat belt webbing guide (50) located higher than the shoulder of an adult seat occupant and attached to the same component of the vehicle as the vertically extending strap (55). A movable seat belt webbing guide (65) is movable along the strap (55). The stationary seat belt webbing guide (50) has a stationary seat belt webbing passageway (53) through which the seat belt webbing (19) passes and the movable seat belt webbing guide (65) has a seat belt webbing passageway (67) through which the seat belt webbing (19) passes.

Abstract: A magnetic rotational position sensor that employs a single magnet mounted on a rotating turret that rotates on a housing that is fixedly mounted about a fixed ball stud. The turret is arranged to rotate around the ball stud in a first plane. A magnetic field orientation sensor is mounted to the housing, such that the magnet rotates along an arc tangent to the Hall effect sensor. The ball of the ball stud forms one half of a universal joint, the other half being formed by a shaft termination that is mounted to rotate with the turret, and also mounted for rotation in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane of the turret.

Abstract: A reed switch has a contact surface composed of three layers of metal applied to the contacts of the reed switch. The three layers comprise first a layer of titanium of approximately 15 to 150 micro inches, second a layer of molybdenum of 15 to 150 micro inches, and finally a contact layer of 5 to 20 micro inches of ruthenium, or other platinum group metal or alloy. The layers may be applied by any suitable methods, for example by sputtering.

Abstract: A three-point safety belt system (20) including: a tongue (100) configured to receive portions of a safety belt assembly (200); the safety belt assembly (200) comprising a shoulder belt section (202) and a lap belt section (250), the shoulder belt section including a hollow, generally flat first tube or tubular section (202), the first tube or tubular part configured to tear apart along a preferred region (203), a web guide (300); a first and second retractor (240, 260); the lap belt section (250) extending from the tongue to the corresponding retractor (260) and the shoulder belt section (202) extending from the tongue to the other retractor (240), each retractor configured to respectively retract the lap belt section and the shoulder belt section and to permit the extension or protraction of same; an inflatable air bag (400) received within the shoulder belt section and movable with the first tubular part (202) of the shoulder belt section, and inflatable by an inflator causing the air bag to extend and bre

Abstract: A pretensioning apparatus for seat belt webbing is located in the vicinity of a belt anchor end of a three-point vehicle safety restraint seat belt. The pretensioning apparatus has a fixed member in the form of a tubular member that may be anchored to a vehicle seat at the belt anchor side of the vehicle. A movable member in the form of a piston is connected to the webbing in the region of the belt anchor end. A means is provided for moving the movable member relative to the fixed member in a generally horizontal direction, to move the seat belt webbing in a pretensioning direction in response to a signal from a crash sensor. A webbing guide is fixed to the seat to provide an effective anchorage point spaced from the belt anchor end of the webbing under pretensioning conditions.