Abstract: A ground loss detection circuit identifies a faulty ground connection in a vehicle electrical system including a pair of redundant ground lines connected between a vehicle battery/chassis ground and an electronic control unit (ECU). In particular, a first ground line is connected between the battery/chassis ground and a first ECU ground connection, while a second ground line is connected between the battery/chassis ground location and a second ECU ground connection. The ECU includes a common ground associated with selected electronic components included in the ECU. A first shunt component is connected between the first ECU ground connection and the common ground, and a second shunt component is connected between the second ECU ground connection and the common ground. The currents through the first and second shunt components are monitored to identify a current imbalance to detect a faulty ground connection in one of the first and second ground lines.

Abstract: A belt tensioner for a seat belt system comprises a pinion (10) pivoted about an axis of rotation A which is adapted to be coupled to a best reel of a belt retractor, a drive unit, a force transmission element (12) and a guide means. By activating the drive unit the force transmission element (12) is moved along the guide means so that it engages in the pinion (10). The guide means includes a portion (16) which is deformable in a direction x perpendicular to the axis of rotation A of the pinion (10) and to the direction of movement y of the force transmission element (12).

Abstract: In a belt retractor (10) for a seat belt comprising a belt reel (12) onto which webbing (14) can be wound while being spring-loaded and comprising a tensioning device (16) which is adapted to act on the belt reel (12) in a winding direction (A), a control (18) is provided which is adapted to activate the tensioning device (16) when the seat belt is unloaded and not fastened.

Abstract: In a bait retractor (10) comprising a frame (12), a sensor (16) for vehicle-sensitive blocking including a sensor lever (22), a belt reel (14) and a rocker arm (30) coupled to the belt reel (14) via a coupling (32) which is adjustable between a home position in which the sensor lever (22) is blocked and an extended position in which the sensor lever (22) is released, the coupling (32) is a wrap spring coupling comprising a drive element (34) coupled to the belt reel (14) as well as a driven element (40) connected to the rocker arm (30), wherein the drive element (34) and the driven element (40) include a respective annular outer friction surface (38, 44) and are arranged concentrically to each other and a coil spring (46) is provided which contacts the friction surfaces (38, 44) and couples the driven element (40) to the drive element (34).

Abstract: A frontal airbag for vehicle occupants, especially a passenger airbag, includes a contact panel (26) facing the vehicle occupant (12). Inside the airbag plural tensile means (38) are arranged which in portions withhold the contact panel (26) in the inflated state of the airbag (10) and form at least one lateral bead (34) and plural central beads (36) which in cross-section are smaller than the lateral beads (34). Furthermore, an airbag module is presented.

Abstract: A belt pulley for a gear mechanism, in particular for a steering gear, having a cylindrical body having an outer surface on which a toothing made of a plastic material is provided, and a fastening flange which is provided with fastening openings, is characterized in that the toothing is configured integrally with the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A belt retractor (10) is provided with a retractor shaft (12) and a device (26) for determining the rotational speed and/or the angle of rotation of the retractor shaft (12), with a rotating magnetic element (18), a stationary magnetic field sensor (24) and a stationary element guiding the magnetic flux (20) arranged between the rotating magnetic element (18) and the magnetic field sensor (24).

Abstract: On a belt retractor (10) for a vehicle seat belt comprising a frame (12) provided with plural locking teeth (24), a belt reel (14) which is rotatably supported in the frame (12) and includes a locking tooth system (26) corresponding to the locking teeth (24), and comprising a locking mechanism adapted to transfer the belt reel (14) from a home position in which it is freely rotatable into a locking position in which the locking tooth system (26) of the belt reel (14) engages in the locking teeth (24) of the frame (12), wherein at least one pivoting control lever (28) is provided in which one side of the belt reel (14) is rotatably supported and which is adapted to guide the belt reel (14) from the home position into the locking position, an interlock mechanism is provided which releases the pivoting movement of the control lever (28) not before the latter has been rotated in the unwinding direction (A) of the webbing out of a home position into a release position.

Abstract: In a belt retractor (10) having a belt tensioner (16) and a force-limiting device, the belt tensioner (16) includes a pivoted pinion gear (24) associated with a belt reel (14), a drive unit (18) and an oblong force-transmitting element (22) movable by the drive unit (18) supported at least partly in a tubular portion (21) and adapted to be engaged in the pinion gear (24) so as to rotate the pinion gear (24) in a tensioning direction (A). The force-transmitting element (22) includes a bending portion (30) which is provided at the rear end of the force-transmitting element (22) viewed in the tensioning direction and which is designed to be pressure-resistant in the longitudinal direction (L) of the force-transmitting element (22) but to be flexible in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L).

Abstract: A belt tensioner for a belt retractor having a load limiter includes a pivoted pinion (14) coupled to a belt reel, a drive unit and a load transmission element (20) moved by the drive unit. The load transmission element (20) engages in the pinion (14) so as to rotate the pinion in a tensioning direction A. The load transmission element (20) is designed so that in the rotational position adopted by the pinion (14) after being rotated by the load transmission element (20) a part (20b) of the load transmission element (20) engages in the pinion (14). A method of tensioning a seat belt by means of a belt tensioner and subsequent load limitation by means of a load limiter includes moving a load transmission element (20) by a drive unit in a first direction so that the load transmission element (20) engages in a pinion (14) coupled to a belt reel (12). The rotating the pinion (14) is rotated by the moved load transmission element (20) in a tensioning direction A.

Abstract: A front airbag (10) comprising a cut including two substantially triangular side portions (30, 32) facing toward each other by a respective side which form at least the side walls (18, 20) and at least portions of the upper and lower walls (22, 24) as well as a central portion (44) located between the side portions (30, 32) which is adjacent to the sides of the triangular side portions (30, 32) facing each other and forms at least the front wall (16), wherein in the area of the side walls (18, 20) a respective transitional portion (34, 36) is present between a side portion (30, 32) and the central portion (44), wherein at least one connecting portion (46, 48, 50, 52) projecting from the central portion (44) or the side portions (30, 32) in an outspread state of the cut is provided for the transitional areas (34, 36) associated with the lower and/or upper wall (22, 24) and wherein the connecting portion (46, 48, 50, 52) of the finished front airbag (10) is connected both to the central portion (44) and to at l

Abstract: A belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprises a rotatably supported belt reel from which webbing can be unwound, a force limiting means which in a force limiting phase permits controlled webbing extension in the webbing extension direction when the belt reel is blocked and a particular force threshold is exceeded, and a change-over device for performing a change-over operation during which it is changed between a low force limitation level and a high force limitation level. In accordance with the invention, the change-over device includes a control means which in response to the identification of an installed child safety seat suppresses a change-over operation from the low force limitation level to the high force limitation level and/or triggers a change-over operation from the high force limitation level to the low force limitation level.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power steering for a motor vehicle, having an input shaft which is rotatable about a steering axis, a steering column tube arranged around the input shaft, a sensor housing which is axially adjacent to the steering column tube and has a housing opening for the input shaft, and a shaft expansion element which is connected with the input shaft and has an outside diameter, the input shaft extending through the steering column tube and the housing opening into the interior of the sensor housing, wherein an opening diameter of the housing opening is smaller than the outside diameter of the shaft expansion element.

Abstract: A method of folding an airbag (10) includes the following steps: the airbag (10) is flatly spread, a first section (16) adjacent to a first border (14) is folded at least once, the folded first section (16) is folded in U-shape, and a second section (18) adjacent to the first section (16) is rolled around the folded first section (16).

Abstract: An airbag, especially for a vehicle occupant restraint system, in the inflated condition includes a front side (112) forming the occupant impact surface and an opposite rear side (114), wherein the cover portions (102a, 102b, 102c) forming the front side (112) and the rear side (114) are interconnected at their longitudinal edges (110). Along a center line (M) of the respective side extending in the longitudinal direction of the airbag (100) the front side (112) is longer than the rear side (114) so that in the inflated condition the airbag (100) takes a curved shape. The front side (112) and, resp., the rear side (114) includes at least one connecting line (108) substantially extending transversely to the center line (M) at which two cover portions (102a, 102c) are interconnected, wherein at least one of the cover portions (102a) in the cut includes a boundary contour (104) concavely or convexly extending transversely to the center line (M).

Abstract: A belt retractor casing shell having a cup-shaped configuration comprises a front wall (14) as well as a circumferential wall (16) extending from the front wall (14), the front wall (14) including an annular zone (44) weakened vis-à-vis the radially inside and/or outside adjacent portion around a center (42).

Abstract: A looking mechanism (12) for a bolt retractor (10) including an inertia element (24) which is supported to be rotatable between a home position and a locked position in a bearing (28), the bearing (29) being a conical bearing.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of protecting a vehicle occupant (14) during a side impact which includes a side airbag (10) comprising an inflatable thorax section (16) and an inflatable arm lift section (18). Inflation of the arm lift section (18) results in lifting of the arm (24) of the occupant (14). Furthermore an airbag (10) comprising an inflatable thorax section (16) and an inflatable arm lift section (18) is described.

Abstract: A mounting device (10) for a folded airbag, especially for a folded side airbag, is provided comprising a base plate (12), a clamping portion (14) encompassing the airbag in ring shape and a fixing plate (16) adjacent to the clamping portion (14). The fixing plate (16) and the base plate (12) exhibit a first and, resp., a second contact surface (32, 34) which are directly superimposed in the mounted condition. Furthermore an airbag module comprising a mounting device (10) is suggested.

Abstract: A coupling element (32) which is movable between a coupling position in which the coupling element couples the belt reel (12) to the damping means (22) and an idle position in which the coupling element (32) is disconnected from the belt reel (12) is provided on a belt retractor (10) comprising a belt reel (12) which is mounted in a housing (14) and onto which webbing of a seat belt can be wound and comprising a damping means (22) adapted to dampen the winding rotation of the belt reel (12) in a defined end portion.