Abstract: A magnet is fixed to an output shaft of a motor. The output shaft is rotated such that a magnetic field emitted by the magnet also rotates. A voltage pulse is generated from a passive sensor when the magnetic field rotates past the passive sensor. The voltage pulse is generated using a Wiegand wire. An active sensor is activated, from an unpowered state, in response to the voltage pulse. The active sensor detects a position of the magnet that correlates to a position of the output shaft.

Abstract: A method of controlling the motor speed of an electric retractor motor (18) of a belt retractor (10) for reducing a belt slack in the comfort mode comprises the following steps of: a) measuring the motor current (IM) applied to the retractor motor (18) as well as the voltage applied to the retractor motor (18), b) estimating the motor speed taking the time curve of the motor current (IM) applied to the retractor motor (18), the curve of the voltage as well as plural motor parameters (RM, IM, KM) into account, c) adapting the motor current (IM) in response to the estimated motor speed, and d) repeating the steps a) to c) until the estimated motor speed has reached a defined value.

Abstract: A collapsible steering column assembly comprising a steering shaft that is supported within a steering column shroud, the shroud comprising an upper shroud portion and a lower shroud portion, in which the upper shroud portion is located towards the end of the steering shaft that is nearest the steering wheel and the lower portion is located towards the end of the shaft furthest from the steering wheel, the upper portion being at least partially received within the lower portion so that the upper portion can telescopically collapse into the lower portion during a crash, a support bracket that in use is secured to a fixed part of the vehicle and includes two support bracket arms that depend from a base portion to embrace the shroud, a clamp rail that is releasably secured to the upper shroud portion, the clamp rail including a slot that extends generally horizontally, and a clamp pin that extends through an opening in each of the arms of the bracket and through the generally horizontal slot in the rail, the cla

Abstract: A symbol display element for a vehicle interior is proposed, which comprises a front cover formed by a diffusing lens. A shadow mask is arranged in the optical path between the diffusing lens and a plurality of point light sources which can be activated separately, and includes for each point light source an associated symbol which is projected in an enlarged manner onto the rear side of the diffusing lens upon activation of the corresponding point light source. With this easily realizable configuration of the display element, the different symbols share a common display surface on the diffusing lens which acts as a rear projection screen.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pyrotechnical actuator for a vehicle safety system comprising a cylinder (10) and a hollow piston (20) being displaceable relative to each other from an idle state to an activated state, wherein an igniter unit (30) being tightly connected to the hollow piston (20) is arranged inside the hollow piston (20). The invention excels by the fact that in the idle state the hollow piston (20) is received in the cylinder (10) and in the activated state it protrudes at least partially from the cylinder (10) so that the actuator has a larger total length in the activated state than in the idle state. The invention further relates to an actuator and a vehicle safety system comprising such actuator as well as to an actuating method.

Abstract: An adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle, having a console unit which is vehicle-fixed or articulated to the vehicle, a steering shaft bearing unit which is arranged in the console unit and is axially displaceable relative to the console unit, and a mechanism mounted to the console unit and provided for adjusting and fixing in place the axial length of the steering column. This mechanism, when in an open condition, enables an axial relative displacement between the console unit and the steering shaft bearing unit, and, when in a locked condition, it axially fixes the steering shaft bearing unit in place at the console unit. The steering column further has an energy absorbing unit which, in the locked condition of the mechanism for adjusting the axial length of the steering column, allows an axial displacement of the steering shaft bearing unit relative to the console unit, accompanied by an absorption of energy, the energy absorbing unit being mounted to the console unit.

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator for use in a hydraulic braking circuit of a vehicle comprises an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, and a linear actuator that is located within the motor. The linear actuator comprises an elongate shaft having a screw part at one end carrying an external thread that extends along a portion of the shaft, and a fixing part at the other end shaft, the linear actuator further comprising a drive nut that surrounds the screw part of the shaft and is located at least in a retracted position inside the enlarged bore of the first portion of the rotor body, the drive nut and being connected to the screw part. The rotor body is secured relative to the stator by a bearing assembly that is fixed to the second part of the elongate rotor body, the other end of the rotor body being otherwise unsupported and overhung from the bearing assembly.

Abstract: A motor control circuit for an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering system comprises a switching circuit comprising a plurality of electrical switches, a current demand signal generator which converts the torque demand signal into a current demands signal; and a fault mode motor current controller that is responsive to an error signal that represents the difference between the current demand signal and the actual current flowing in the motor and is operable in the event of a fault where one phase is open-circuit to drive the remaining two phases as a single combined phase by generating a single voltage demand signal that is representative of the voltage to be applied across the combined phases, the voltage signal being in turn fed into a drive circuit for the switches that generates pulse width modulated switching signals for the switching circuit required to apply the voltage across the combined phases.

Abstract: The invention relates to an occupant restraint system (10) for a vehicle comprising a roof cross member (12) which extends transversely to a longitudinal vehicle axis (A) and is part of a body of the vehicle, an airbag module (14) which includes an airbag (16) and in a non-actuated initial state is accommodated inside the roof cross member (12), wherein the roof cross member (12) has a front side (18) facing a front end of the vehicle and an opposite rear side (20) facing a rear end of the vehicle, and wherein the front side (18) or the rear side (20) of the roof cross member (12) includes a mounting opening (22) for receiving the airbag module (14).

Abstract: In a belt shaft (12) of a belt retractor (42) of a seat belt comprising a base member (10) extending in the longitudinal direction of an axis of rotation (D) to which the seat belt is fastened, the base member (10) is a stamped and bent part.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a seat of a vehicle includes an inertia member (66) that engages an element (54). The inertia member (66) is movable relative to the element (54) from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to at least one sensed vehicle condition for activating the occupant protection device (10). A vertical axis (83) extends through the center of mass of the inertia member (66) when the inertia member (66) is in the unactuated position. At least one of the element (54) and the inertia member (66) has at least one planar surface (80) that extends at an angle relative to the vertical axis (54). The inertia member (66) and element (54) are movable relative to one another along the at least one planar surface (80) to place the inertia member (66) in the actuated position to activate the occupant protection device.

Abstract: The invention provides in a best tensioner (10), especially a rotary tensioner, for a seat belt comprising an elongate and preferably cylindrical pressure cylinder (129, a piston (18) movably supported in the pressure cylinder (12) in the longitudinal direction which is adapted to be pressurized with fluid under pressure and thus to be moved into a tensioning direction (S), a thrust means (20) interacting with the piston (18) and a stop (24) provided on the inside (38) of the pressure cylinder (12) to which the piston (18) can be adjacent in the tensioning direction (S) at an end position at which the piston (18) seals the pressure cylinder (12), that the stop (24) is made of a plastically deformable material and is plastically deformed by the piston (18) at the end position so that the piston is in sealing contact with the inside of the pressure cylinder (12).

Abstract: In a belt tensioner (10) for a seat belt comprising an elongate pressure reservoir (12), a piston (18) movably supported in the pressure reservoir (12) in the longitudinal direction to which piston pressurized fluid can be applied and which in this way can be moved in a tensioning direction (S), a mechanical thrust means (20) interacting with the piston, the thrust means interacting with a gearwheel (22) and driving the same in the case of restraint, and comprising a stop (24) on which the piston (18) abuts in the tensioning direction in a final position, it is provided that between the piston (18) and the thrust means (20) a spacer (30) in the form of a separate member is provided which is dimensioned such that in the final position of the piston (18) the thrust means (20) is urged past the stop (24) by said spacer. Furthermore there is provided a method of mounting a belt tensioner of this type.

Abstract: In a method of folding an airbag (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system, especially of curtain-type side airbag, to form an airbag package (12?), the airbag (10) is rolled and/or folded to form an airbag roll (12) having a first volume (V1). The airbag roll (12) is fed to a pressing device (14) in which the airbag roil (12) is compressed to form an airbag package (12?) having a second volume (V2) which is smaller than the first volume (V1). The airbag roll (12) and resp., the airbag package (12?) is heated within the pressing device (14) and the airbag package (12?) is cooled, with the airbag package (12?) retaining the second volume (V2) when it is removed from the pressing device (14; 114). The pressing device (14) includes a pressing mold or a molding shaft (18) whose height substantially corresponds to the desired height of the finished airbag packages (12?), a heating unit (20) for heating the airbag packages (12?) and a cooling device (22) for cooling the airbag packages (12?).

Abstract: In a vehicle occupant protection device (20) comprising an airbag (22), especially for a passenger, including a fastening portion (24) as well as an inflatable restraining portion (26) being especially adjacent to the fastening portion (24), it is provided that the fastening portion (24) is arranged beside the sitting position of the vehicle occupant (12) and the restraining portion (26) is configured so that in the fully inflated unloaded state the airbag (22) extends in front of the vehicle occupant (12). There is further provided a vehicle seat (10) comprising a vehicle occupant protection device (20) of this type, wherein the fastening portion (24) and/or the inflator (28) are arranged on the side of or within the vehicle seat (10), especially on or within the seat cushion (14).

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for processing received radiation (e.g. RADAR radiation) reflected from a target, the method comprising generating a set of predicted targets, the set of predicted targets comprising at least one member, each member representing a state of the target, generating a predicted waveform for the radiation for each member dependent upon the state of the target, and comparing each predicted waveform with a waveform of the received radiation to determine the accuracy with which the state of the target represented by the member for which the predicted waveform was generated matches an actual state of the target.

Abstract: A telescopic steering column assembly includes at least one support bearing assembly that comprises an inner bearing race which is located on the steering shaft, an outer bearing race that is located on an inner face of a shroud, and a set of ball bearings that are located between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race and are free to roll along bearing surfaces defined by the bearing races. Each of the bearing races comprises a pair of annular bearing race parts, defining a circumferentially extending bearing surface arranged coaxially and spaced apart from each other axially such that varying the spacing between the two parts varies the effective radius of the bearing race.

Abstract: The invention relates to an inflator (10), especially for a vehicle safety system, comprising a combustion chamber (20) containing a pyrotechnical solid propellant bed (21). In accordance with the invention, an igniting mixture (25) is located in the combustion chamber (20), wherein a filler element (30, 30?) is arranged to be movable between the igniting mixture (25) and the solid propellant bed (21) in the idle state of the inflator (10).

Abstract: A collapsible steering column assembly comprises a telescopic steering shaft that is supported within a steering column shroud, comprising a first shaft having a hollow end, the inner surface of the hollow end being provided with a plurality of inwardly facing elongate splines that each extend axially along the inner surface, and a second shaft that has an end that is located within the hollow end of the first shaft, the second shaft being provided with a set of outwardly facing elongate splines that each extend axially along the outer surface of the end of the second shaft, the splines of the second shaft inter-engaging the splines of the first shaft to prevent relative rotational movement of the two shafts whilst permitting the two shafts to move axially relative to one another at least in the event of a crash.

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator for use in a hydraulic braking circuit of a vehicle comprises an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, and a linear actuator that is located within the motor. The linear actuator comprises an elongate shaft having a screw part at one end carrying an external thread that extends along a portion of the shaft, and a fixing part at the other end shaft, the linear actuator further comprising a drive nut that surrounds the screw part of the shaft and is located at least in a retracted position inside an enlarged bore of the first portion of the rotor body, the drive nut being connected to the screw part through a set of balls that engage the threads of the drive nut and screw part, and the fixing part of the shaft includes a tapering portion that engages a complimentary tapering portion of the bore in the second portion of the rotor body.