Abstract: A pair of stoppers are formed in side wall sections of an upper clamp for preventing a tilt bracket from rotating about a tilt adjusting bolt relative to the upper clamp in secondary collision. The tilt bracket has an inclined upstanding wall section secured to a column jacket and a pair of side walls formed with cuts for encouraging shearing thereof. The tilt bracket further has rounded corners or rounded wall sections for encouraging the side wall sections to bend and flow toward the inclined upstanding wall section in collision. A pair of rollers may be fitted in the rounded wall sections of the tilt bracket.

Abstract: A seat belt anchorage is provided for a seat belt for use to protect a person sitting in a front seat of a two-door vehicle. The anchorage comprises a slider bar mounted in the interior of the vehicle adjacent the door sill and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. One end of the seat belt is slidably attached to the bar. The bar is adapted to be moved towards the sill when the slider bar is subjected to a force from above so that the distance between the slider bar and the sill is reduced. This minimizes any risk of a person catching a shoe heel between the slider bar and the sill.

Abstract: An automobile wheel suspension system which maintains the substantially vertical orientation of the wheel supporting strut during cornering of the vehicle or when a road hazard is encountered. The wheel suspension system utilizes a ball joint to connect the top of the vertically extending wheel strut to the body frame and a bell crank pivoted on the control arm supporting the wheel. The ball joint permits the body or chassis of the vehicle to tilt with respect to the strut while the bell crank maintains the orientation of the strut as the vehicle rolls or when the wheel makes contact with a bump in the pavement.

Abstract: A vehicle for sporting use comprises an articulated frame supporting three or more ground-engaging wheels at least one of which is steerable by means of a suitable steering control member, and a support platform for the user; all the ground-engaging wheels can be turned about respective axes lying generally parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the vehicle and orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the wheels defined by their axles whereby to displace the center of gravity of the vehicle for cornering.

Abstract: A rear wheel steering driving mechanism is provided for a vehicle having a front wheel steering system and a rear wheel steering system. The drive mechanism includes an input link adapted to be operatively connected to the front wheel steering system for translation thereby whenever the front wheel steering system is activated and an output link adapted to be operably connected to the rear wheel steering system to selectively transmit front wheel steering system activity to the rear wheel system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a safety device for selectively track-guided or road-travelling vehicles, which safety device exhibits on the road side an optical indicator device switched by a control device and normally set to "stop" signalling. In order to permit a change of the vehicle from track-guided to non-track-guided operation only when the sensing rollers are fully retracted, the invention provides that both a monitoring device monitoring the assumed rest position of the sensing rollers and signal transmission device coupled therewith are provided on the vehicle side. The signal transmission device transmits a signal indirectly switching the optical indicator device temporarily to "go" only in the case of the sensing rollers occupying the rest position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a new and improved bezel assembly for a seat belt retractor and particularly promotes low friction extension and retraction of the belt regardless of variation in the relative locations between the retractor reel and the aperture of the trim panel.

Abstract: A double wishbone rear suspension comprises upper and lower control arms of the A-shaped frame type. The pivot ends of the lower control arm pivot about axes which are coaxial and constitute part of a straight line (L.sub.1). The straight line (L.sub.1) extends forwardly and laterally outwardly and at the same time forwardly and upwardly with respect to the vehicle body. The pivot ends of the upper control arm pivot about axes which are coaxial and constitute part of a straight line (L.sub.3). The straight line (L.sub.3) is parallel with a longitudinal axis of a vehicle body and located on a horizontal plane. The oscillatory ends of the upper and lower control arms are connected via first and second ball joints to an axle housing. The first ball joint is located rearward of the second ball joint and adjacent and adjacently inward of an upper end portion of a tire of a rear wheel.

Abstract: A tilting and telescope traveling steering column arrangement for an automotive vehicle. The telescope traveling mechanism of the steering column arrangement includes a pluarlity of balls which are rotatably fixed on the peripheral surface of a ring member which is fixedly mounted on a steering shaft provided with a steering wheel. The balls are positioned along an imaginary helical line on the peripheral surface of the ring member. The ring member with the balls are fitted in a sleeve formed at its inner peripheral surface with a helical groove, in such a manner that the balls are movably fitted in the helical groove. The sleeve is axially fixed to a movable bracket. The ring member is driven through a gear mechanism by an electric motor, thus axially displacing the steering shaft relative to the sleeve. The tilt mechanism of the steering column arrangement includes a tilt screw movably connecting the movable bracket and a fixed bracket fixed to a vehicle body.

Abstract: A suspension system has a lower torque rod with a forward end pivotally connected to a hanger and a rearward end pivotally connected to an axle seat assembly. An upper torque rod has a forward end pivotally connected to the chassis intermediate the sides thereof and a rearward end pivotally connected to the axle. Forward and rearward air springs are mounted between the axle seat assembly and the chassis fore and aft of the axle. The upper torque rod functions as the upper arm of a parallelogram and as a lateral stabilizer bar. The upper torque rod and a like torque rod on the opposite side of the vehicle cooperate with the axle to define an A-frame, but the connection of the upper torque rod to the chassis is independent of said opposite torque rod.

Abstract: A vehicle rollguard comprising at least one member of stanchions and struts which are detachably connected. The connections include a necked-down end of one of the interconnecting members and an opening in the other interconnecting member for receiving the necked-down end. The opening in the interconnecting member can be in the sidewall or be an open end. Pairs of opposed aligned apertures in each interconnecting member form a passage for a bolt or other securement means. Securement to a vehicle includes a bracket in the form of a plate having openings for bolting to a vehicle and a pair of upstanding tabs having opposed aligned apertures. Another pair of opposed aligned apertures on the end of the rollguard member to be secured line up with the apertures in the tabs for passage of a bolt or other securement means. A disc of hard plastic overlies the plate and is disposed between the bracket and the end of the rollguard member to be secured.

Abstract: An adjusting device for the shoulder strap holding element of a safety belt includes a slide member movable in a rail section by a screw spindle driven by a motor. The slide member can be tilted relative to the rail section to be locked in the rail section in any position.

Abstract: A motorized height adjuster for adjusting the height of the pillar loop in vehicle safety belts comprises an elongate bar (10) having a substantially U-shaped cross-section; a threaded spindle (14) rotatably mounted in the bar; a motor (18) for driving the spindle; and a carrier (19) for the pillar loop (20) adapted to be moved in the bar by the rotation of the spindle. The bar is adapted to be attached to the car body at the seat for which the seat belt is intended by means of a first and a second screw means. The screw means are positioned close to the different ends of the bar and have a threaded portion and a main portion. The first screw means (23) has a main portion which is designed to be brought into engagement with the bar (10), when the threaded portion has been screwed into the car body. The main portion is provided with a recess through which a driving shaft (17) between the motor (18) and the spindle (14) can pass freely.

Abstract: A deceleration sensor for detecting a threshold level of deceleration indicative of a vehicle collision, comprising a pair of sensor masses in the form of pendulums, a spring-loaded firing pin, a pair of trigger levers which individually hold the firing pin in a dormant state as long as they are held by the sensor masses in their neutral states but can be individually disengaged from the sensor masses by the motion of the sensor masses as a result of detecting a deceleration level greater than the threshold level. Since the firing pin is released only when both the trigger levers are released from their neutral states, the reliability of the dormant state of the firing pin is assured. To the end of improving the reliability of the activation of the firing pin, the firing pin may be spring-loaded by a pair of springs in such a manner that either spring is sufficient for the activation of the firing pin.

Abstract: The vehicle has a forward section (1) containing the engine and seating for three people, being carried on four wheels (5,6). Behind the forward section can be fixed a central extension section (2), for carrying additional passengers and which runs on its own support wheels (7). On the rear of the extension section (8) or the rear of the forward section (1) a rear section comprises an openable tail gate (3) and bumper bar (4). The sections have bolt plates on the upper panel and cross members at the base, by which the sections can be bolted together, with a torsion bar (11) bolted between the vehicle section suspension legs (12).

Abstract: A suspension for a pair of wheels of a motor vehicle, comprising a spring (10,30) extending tranversely of the vehicle and supported by two mountings (11,12) spaced between the spring ends and which ends are connected, directly or indirectly, to wheel carrier members, wherein the spring has a portion (22,24) displaced out of the general line of adjacent parts of the spring to give a clearance from a part of the vehicle. The displaced part of the spring may be the entire central portion (40,50,60,100) thereof between its mountings (45,46,101) and end portions of the spring may be inclined to such central portion, so that the space directly between the wheels is clear of suspension parts.

Abstract: A fail-safe system for an automotive suspension control system monitors inputs from one or more sensors monitoring vehicle driving conditions and producing sensor signals indicative of suspension control parameters, and operation of a controller. The fail-safe system performs fail-safe operation by which over-steering characteristics of the vehicle are prevented when malfunction of any of the sensors or of the controller is detected. In order to ensure prevention over-steering, the fail-safe system stiffens the suspension for driving wheels so that the damping characteristics at the driving wheels are stiffer than at the driven wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus responsive to the energy generated by a collision of predetermined force and relative movement between its chassis and drive unit resulting therefrom for actuating a safety mechanism, e.g. for tightening a seat belt.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly has a steering shaft, a wheel ring, a support supporting the wheel ring on the steering shaft, and an air bag device supported on the support means radially inwardly of the wheel ring. The wheel ring has an upper half and a lower half which are positioned above and below, respectively, a transverse line passing through the steering shaft when the steering wheel is in a neutral position thereof. The support has a first support member supporting the upper half of the wheel ring and a second support member supporting the lower half of the wheel ring, the first support member having a greater rigidity than that of the second support member.

Abstract: Steerable vehicle suspension in which lateral support is provided to the strut body as opposed to support of the strut rods to eliminate or minimize the bending loads and the strut rod. This support and provides equilibrium against the moment from the offset of the wheel load to the ball joint. The lateral support is provided by a support bracket which is attached to the inner race of the upper strut mount and turns about the kingpin axis with the strut and spring assembly during steering maneuvers. One or more rolling elastomer elements are disposed between the support bracket and the strut body. These elements provide support while allowing relative vertical motion to occur between the support bracket and the strut.