Abstract: The invention relates to an active restraint system (1), comprising a seat belt retractor (3), having a frame (2) and a belt reel (4) with a belt webbing (10) wound thereon and rotatable supported by the frame (2) for allowing winding and unwinding the belt webbing (10). An electric disc motor (28) comprising a rotor (30) and a stator (32) is attached to the belt reel (4). The rotor (30) is directly attached by an attachment (31) to the belt reel (4). The restraint system further comprises a control unit (40) connected to the disc motor (28) and adapted to control the disc motor (28) to drive the belt reel (4) in accordance with a determined belt motion profile.

Abstract: Gas generator including means to provide a pressurized gas, a gas exit portion and a throttle member located in said gas exit portion, having one or more openings for the passage of said gas and being deformable by a gas flowing through said throttle when the pressure of said gas is above a predetermined pressure, to prevent or reduce gas flow.

Abstract: The present invention describes a restraining system (20) for a seat belt buckle (22) comprising: a housing (44), a motor (24), a set of gears (25, 26, 28, 30), locking mechanism (46, 48, 50), and a controlling unit (41); the restraining unit is mounted on the housing (44) for providing restraining force to the seat belt buckle (22); the restraining unit comprises at least one motor; the set of gears (25, 26, 28, 30) are mounted on the housing (44) and connected with the at least one motor (24) for providing either first direction motion or second direction motion to the seat belt buckle (22), on receiving the restraining force; the locking mechanism is mounted on the housing (44) for controlling rotation of one or more gears from the set of gears (25, 26, 28, 30); the controlling unit is operatively connected with the restraining unit and the locking mechanism, the controlling unit (41) is configured for controlling operation of the motor (24) and the locking mechanism, based on a predefined instruction.

Abstract: An airbag for a front passenger seat, comprising: an inlet port for inflation gas; a main body, formed of at least one panel of fabric, and comprising a retainer (3) adapted for mounting the airbag to a vehicle, and a passenger contact region; and at least one tether (4) located inside the main body and connecting the retainer (3) to the passenger contact region so as to restrain inflation of at least a portion of the passenger contact region, wherein the tether (4) is attached to the fabric panel along a generally vertical line by stitches (7) which pass through stitch holes which are located inside the main body.

Abstract: A system for increasing passenger safety within an airplane (10) includes a forward seat (16) having a back surface (17) that faces an occupant seat (14). A tray table holder (22) is secured to or formed integrally with the back of the forward seat (16). A tray table (20) is rotatably connected to the tray table holder via a hinge (40) and is rotatable relative to the tray table holder. The tray table defines a cavity (32) inside the tray table. An airbag (54) is within the cavity. An inlet device (42) is coupled to the airbag and is rotatable about the hinge (40) such that the inflator inlet can rotate as the tray table rotates relative to the tray table holder. An inflator (52) is connected to the inlet device and is configured to deliver gas to the airbag through the inflator inlet.

Abstract: A child seat (56) detecting means employing a magnet and sensor (141) for detecting whether a child seat (56) is mounted on the passenger seat (14, 15). A controller (40) in response to a signal from the sensor (141) will prevent activation of a pretensioner or belt tightener (65) from tensioning the seat belt or webbing (55) which is often positioned about or through the child seat (56) and/or for preventing an inflator (34) from expanding an airbag (26) when a child seat (56) is detected on either the front or rear passenger seat (14, 15).

Abstract: A cylindrical inflator has an elongated tubular housing, a hollow tubular filter and a plurality of gas generant pellets. The elongated tubular housing has a first end sealed by an igniter assembly and an opposite second end sealed by a diffuser assembly. The diffuser assembly has a first set of discharge openings sealed by frangible foil, and a combustion chamber interposed and extending between the igniter assembly and the foil sealed diffuser assembly. The hollow tubular filter is positioned inside the combustion chamber and has an enlarged first end compressed against an inner wall of the elongated tubular housing and an elongated narrow portion extending from the enlarged first end of the hollow tubular filter toward the second end of the tubular housing.

Abstract: An electric line cutter device for high voltage busbars has a two-part housing, a piston, an igniter and a busbar. The upper housing includes a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber. The lower housing also includes a cylinder, cuboid or prism chamber. The piston is contained inside one of either the upper housing chamber or the lower housing chamber. Upon igniting the igniter, the piston breaks a portion of the busbar moving the piston and the portion of the busbar into the opposite chamber thereby stopping the electric current flow. The piston is at least partially formed as an insulator to prevent electric discharge. The piston design together with chamber design includes integrated “squeeze areas” and “blow channels” for the appearing arc. A channel system outside or from inside the piston allow the pyro gases to push the arc plasma into a filter system to cool down the gases.

Abstract: An airbag module assembly for mounting to a steering wheel assembly has an airbag, a housing and a visual display unit. The housing has a chamber for stowing the airbag. The housing has an attachment for rigidly fixing to a steering wheel and a forward-facing opening of the chamber for receiving the airbag. The cover encloses the housing and stowed airbag. The housing is fixed to the steering wheel offset and positioned removed from a center region of the steering wheel spaced from a rim of the steering wheel. The airbag module is configured upon deployment to have the inflated airbag project outward over the rim toward an occupant.

Abstract: A pressure vessel formed by either by: a) mating a first end or closure to a second end or closure or b) mating a first end to an intermediate body member and mating the intermediate body member to a second end; the first end comprising a hollowed thin walled dome (14) having an exterior surface (15a) and an interior surface (15b) and the dome terminating in an edge surface (14a), the dome (14) having an axis Y extending through its geometric center of the exterior surface, the dome supporting at least one thin hollow walled projection (16, 18, 20) having an exterior (19a) and interior surface (19b), the at least one projection extending outwardly from the dome outer surface (15a), and terminating in a top surface (16a, 23).

Abstract: An airbag cover assembly of an airbag module has a molded housing cover and a thin leather or imitation outer cover. The molded housing cover is configured for attachment to the airbag module. The housing cover has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface has a plurality of tear seams arranged to break along a predetermined path. The thin leather or imitation leather outer cover is glued or otherwise affixed directly onto the outer surface of the housing cover. The leather or imitation leather outer cover has a generally uniform thickness devoid of tear seams. The thin leather or imitation outer cover has a thickness of less than 1.0 mm, preferably 0.6 mm. The outer cover is constructed from three separate pieces stitched together with threads longitudinally along a curved arc.

Abstract: An assembly includes a housing (12) and a cover (20) that define a cavity (15). An air bag (22) is positioned in the cavity (15), and the cover (20) has hooks (46) that engage with the housing (12) to secure the cover (20) to the housing (12). The air bag (22) expands to absorb kinetic energy of a driver. The hooks (46) are energized into engagement with the housing (12) directly or indirectly by the air bag (22) as it expands.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a folded airbag comprising the steps of: providing an airbag cushion; heating the airbag material, folding the heated airbag material; compressing the folded airbag material obtained in step c) and optionally cooling the compressed airbag.

Abstract: A cover for an airbag cushion has a fabric for enclosing a folded airbag cushion forming the cover and a frangible tear seam extending across the length of the cover. The tear seam has a plurality of slits. Each slit includes a linear main slit portion arranged in a straight line, an inclined leading end slit portion and an inclined trailing end slit portion. A space between each adjacent slit forms a single fabric tear portion defined by a trailing end slit portion of one slit overlapping an inclined oppositely leading end slit portion of an adjacent slit. Each fabric tear portion is formed as short cut woven yarns cut axially and perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, the plurality of fabric tear portions forms the frangible tear seam.

Abstract: An airbag (10) comprises a plurality of interconnected adjacent inflatable cells, wherein a cell is attached to an adjacent cell by at least two seam lines (31, 32), said lines being spaced from each other to define a cell area, which is comprising a gas passage portion (1c, 2c, 3c, 4c) between said adjacent cells.

Abstract: A climate-controlled hand grip assembly that uses one or more air jets or air channels directed at a tangent to an outer surface of the hand grip assembly. The outer surface may be curved and the air flow path may bend with the curve to provide a film of conditioned air along the outer surface that spreads beyond the point of origin of the air flow path. An exemplary embodiment of a steering wheel device with a rim and spokes is disclosed wherein the outer surface of the rim, spokes or both can be enveloped with conditioned air using a Coanda Effect.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly (10) contains a dampening system for mitigating vibrations transferred from a vehicle to the steering wheel assembly (10). A plurality of damper spring elements or grommets or damper spring elements (22) are each retained within a corresponding steering wheel support member (330). An air bag module (14) is fixed to a steering wheel (18) while resting upon the damper spring elements (22) for eliminating and/or reducing lateral displacement/vibrations normally attendant to vehicle operation. A horn switch (16) containing a plurality of annular support members (76, 176) may be positioned over the damper spring elements (22), wherein each annular support member (76, 176) is coaxially aligned and positioned over a corresponding grommet (22) to also manage vertical displacement; the air bag module (14) is then fixed over the horn switch 16 and to the steering wheel (18). Movement of the airbag module can actuate the horn switch.

Abstract: An information processing and display system comprising steering wheel (10) having a rim (12) and at least one spoke (14), and a plurality of sensors (102, 106, 108) placed about one or both of the rim and the spoke, each sensor selectively actuable due to the proximity of a finger, fingers, a hand or hands of a driver; and a processor, logic device or computer (120) in communication with each sensor and capable of detecting specific hand or finger movements corresponding to specific desirable functions.

Abstract: An assembly of a driver airbag module and a steering wheel comprises connecting elements for connection of the airbag module with the steering wheel, the elements comprising a hinge or other connection means that allow the airbag module to swivel or rotate with respect to the steering wheel.

Abstract: An airbag cushion assembly (10, 100) has an airbag cushion (12) and an inflator (20, 120). The airbag cushion has a plurality of inflatable chambers including a primary chamber (11, 111) configured to receive inflation gas and one or more additional chambers (14, 16, 114, 115, 116) for receiving inflation gas from the primary chamber (11, 111). The inflator (20, 120) is in communication with, or open to, the gas inlet of the primary chamber (11, 111). One or more of the additional chambers has one or more one-way gas flow check valves (30, 130) for receiving inflation gases into the chamber and preventing the received gases from back flowing to maintain the one or more additional chambers at full inflation when the airbag cushion is inflated and loaded.