Abstract: A suspension system for connecting a wheel mount to a frame of a vehicle wherein the wheel mount is provided with a rigid extension above the wheel spindle on the wheel mount extending into proximity of the chassis and overlapping the chassis, the linkages connected between the end of the rigid extension and the frame using parallel pin means at each end. Both the extension and the linkage may be made double or otherwise more rigid. A second generally horizontal linkage is connected by similar parallel rotation-permitting pins at one end to the wheel support and at the other to the frame. Suspension systems are usually symmetrical so that wheels on opposite sides of the frame are connected by similar linkages.

Abstract: An air bag assembly is mounted in a vehicle instrument panel recess located below an opening in the instrument panel upper surface which has a removable cover door normally closing the opening. The air bag assembly comprises an inflator, an air bag, and a container for housing the air bag and inflator and having a deployment opening. A deflection shield closes the container opening and comprises a deflector panel, a front flap overlying the front of the container, and a pair of side flaps which overlie the container sides. The side flaps include two spaced arcuate slots which receive shoulder bolts mounted on the container sides. Upon actuation of the inflator, the air bag inflates and forces the deflector shield upward to force open the cover door. The inflating air bag moves the shield upward to a position spaced above the instrument panel. The deflector panel and the side and front flaps form a deployment chute which directs deployment of the inflating air bag rearwardly of the instrument panel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inflatable seat belt apparatus in which, under ordinary conditions, a shoulder belt (2) is maintained in a belt-shaped form and a movable lever (7d) is maintained in contact with a main body (7a) at an opening-area reducing position. Accordingly, the belt (2) is prevented from turning over and twisting so similar to that of the conventional seat belt apparatus. In the event of an emergency such as a vehicular collision, a gas generator (8) is actuated and generates a gas which causes a shoulder belt portion (2a) between the gas generator (8) and the intermediate guide (7) to inflate. The gas which has filled the portion 2(a) of the shoulder belt causes the movable lever (7d) to move to the position at which it enlarges the opening area of the through-hole. Accordingly, the gas easily flows into the shoulder belt (7b) ahead of the intermediate guide (7). Thus, the shoulder belt (7) expands instantaneously and in reliable fashion.

Abstract: An assembly for an air bag (56) adapted to fit within an opening (22) in a panel in the vehicle interior such as an instrument panel. The assembly comprises a housing (44) including a first wall (100) and an opposite second wall (102), a flexible wall member (106) secured to the first wall (100) defining a space (132) therebetween to receive a hinge portion of the deployment door. One of the first wall (100) and flexible wall members (106) includes a plurality of depressions or first tabs (112) which extend into the space (132) to provide a mechanism to engage and lock the hinge portion of the deployment door in place. The second wall (102) includes at least one louver (122) forming a pocket (123) and a plurality of outwardly extending tabs (120) which provide a mechanism to engage and lock in place a tear seam portion of the deployment door.

Abstract: An adjustment system for providing toe and/or camber adjustment for a normally fixed wheel of a vehicle using a plate member, in conjunction with portions of the structures of the suspension system of the vehicle, to locate at least one center point for the formation of new aligned openings so that a portion of the control system may be moved from an original location and secured at a new location to provide for the toe and/or camber adjustment.

Abstract: The safety belt pre-tension assembly comprises a support 14, a safety belt buckle 10 mounted on the support for axial displacement relative to the support, a housing 40, a winding reel 44 mounted within the housing and a helical power spring 52 associated with the reel to cause rotation of the winding reel. A flexible cable 34 has one end connected to the winding reel, so that the flexible cable will be wound thereon upon operation of the power spring. The other end of the flexible cable 34 is connected to the buckle 10 to move the buckle axially in a first direction effective to tension a safety belt held by the buckle. Actuation means 54-70 are provided to trigger actuation of the spring 52 upon the actuation means being subjected to a deceleration greater than the predetermined value. Locking means 26-32 are provided to allow the buckle to move in the first direction only, but not in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A cab suspension system comprises an active, computer controlled damping mechanism positioned between the cab and the truck frame, at the rear of the cab. Further, corner mounted high and low level passive damping mechanisms are provided at the front of the cab. Also, a torsion bar is engaged centrally across the frame members beneath the cab, the torsion bar controlling side roll and sway, as well as acting as a radius rod to limited fore-aft travel of the cab.

Abstract: In an air bag having a gas introducing opening for gas from an inflator, a synthetic resin molded member is provided on each face of a marginal portion of the gas introducing opening, and the synthetic resin molded members are coupled to each other. One of the synthetic resin molded members is formed with protrusions, and the other synthetic resin member has engaging holes corresponding to the protrusions. The protrusions are inserted in the engaging holes through holes formed through a cloth portion of the air bag, and welded to the engaging holes.

Abstract: A rear wheel steering system is disposed in a rear wheel steering mechanism and has a power cylinder for generating a power for steering the rear wheels in response to a liquid pressure. The power cylinder is connected to a pump as a source of generating the liquid pressure through a high pressure passage and further to a reservoir tank through a low pressure passage. The high pressure passage is connected to the low pressure passage through a relief passage on the pump side and a relief passage on the power cylinder side, the relief passages being disposed in parallel to each other. The rear wheel steering system is provided with a passage shifting system for closing the relief passages during stationary period of time while opening each of the relief passages during operation and dividing the high pressure passage between the relief passages into sections and with a narrowed passage portion disposed at the relief passage on the power cylinder side.

Abstract: A crash protection device for use in a vehicle has a housing including an opening. An inflatable bag and inflator means are contained within the housing and arranged such that, on activation of the device, the bag inflates and protrudes through the opening. The housing has at least one flap pivotally attached to the remainder of the housing, and flap retainment means for retaining the at least one flap in a position overlying the opening such that (a) before activation of the device, the at least one flap is held in a position in which it retains the bag within the housing and (b) upon activation of the device, the flap retainment means releases said at least one flap to permit protrusion of the bag through the opening. The device has a front cover overlying said housing and mounted on the or one of the flaps.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor for an automobile comprises a reel for retracting a seat belt around the same, a frame for holding the reel in a rotatable manner, and a spring for biasing the reel in the direction of retracting the belt. The spring is consisted of a main spring for normally biasing the reel in the direction of retracting the belt and an auxiliary spring for producing, in the direction of retracting the belt, biasing force that is applied to the reel in an off-and-on way by an off-and-on unit, the main spring and the auxiliary spring being disposed in parallel. The device includes a unit for detecting an open/closed state of a door at the side of a seat on which the seat belt is fastened, and the off-and-on unit interrupts transmission of the biasing force in the direction of retracting the belt from the auxiliary spring to the reel when the door open/closed state detecting unit detects the closed state of the door.

Abstract: A buffering safe device for use in vehicles, suits a seat belt in a vehicle, can form a inflated cushion layer to protect the human body, comprises an elongate hollowed box which has an openable lid and has a folded air bag inside thereof; on both ends of the box are hook portions for connecting the box to a surface of a seat belt; on one end of the box is a inflator connecting pipe, one end thereof being connected with an air bag in the box, while the other end being connected with an inflating device via a flexible and elastic hose; therefore, the box is installed directly on the seat belt while the inflating device is installed at one appropriate position in the vehicle, such that the buffering safe device can be installed on any seat in any vehicle.

Abstract: There is provided a mechanism for engaging a power takeoff employed primarily to drive a load from a truck engine having a solenoid with a high energy coil that is energized for a short interval to produce engagement of the power takeoff and a low energy coil to maintain engagement of the power takeoff. The mechanism includes an armature movable from a retracted to an activated position to move the power takeoff engagement mechanism to a power takeoff engaged position and a high rate spring which is compressed if the power takeoff does not engage whereby to return the armature to its retracted position upon de-energization of the high energy coil. A second lower rate spring moves the armature to its retracted position upon de-energization of the lower energy coil.

Abstract: A modularized aspirating/venting motor vehicle passenger passive restraint assembly. A first embodiment utilizes two separate inflator units lockingly engaged within a stamped mounting plate which, in turn, is installed within an outer base plate. Both plates comprise a lower depending skirt portion defining an aperture through a lower portion of the corresponding plate. These apertures are located in substantially vertical alignment when the mounting plate is seated within the base plate. An elongated conduit permits a reciprocal fluid flow between the interior of the module and the ambient atmosphere. A first end of the conduit is inserted through the corresponding apertures in the base plate and mounting plate to a location adjacent the inflator units and secured therein by magnaforming the overlapping skirt portions into a groove on the conduit's outer surface. A second end of the conduit extends through an inner structural wall of the vehicle to a location outside of the passenger compartment.

Abstract: The handwheel of a vehicle is connected to a handwheel shaft which in turn is connected through a load torque isolating device (overrunning clutch) that acts in either of the two directions of rotation and is connected to a steering shaft that controls a hydraulic arrangement. The hydraulic arrangement controls a steering motor that in turn controls the direction of turning of the vehicle. A second motor is drivingly connected to the overrunning clutch to rotate the steering shaft when the second motor is operated but when the steering is controlled by the handwheel, movement of the second motor is prevented. The second motor is operable from a location remote from the vehicle. The overrunning clutch includes a hub connected to the steering shaft and is movable by the handwheel shaft, the hub being wedgable against the clutch housing for being driven by the second motor by two jamming rollers that each acts in one direction of rotation and can be released by rotating the handwheel shaft.

Abstract: In order to reduce the risk of head injuries in a passive safety belt system, the upper anchoring fitting provided with a buckle insert is automatically pivoted in response to loads typical of an accident to a safety position in which the anchoring fitting projects only a minimal amount into the region of a passenger head in a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Abstract: An independent suspension for use in a front wheel or a rear wheel of an automobile is provided. It produces a varied characteristic of camber variation for a fixed roll center height and a fixed scuff variation and, consequently, improves freedom of suspension design and offers enhanced operational stability. An upper arm is divided into a knucle side upper arm and a vehicle side upper arm, the two upper arms are interconnected so as to be shakeable in the direction of vertical movement of the wheel, and the vehicle side upper arm and a lower arm are interconnected through the medium of a rigid member having the opposite ends thereof adapted for free vibration. This independent suspension is particularly suitable for use in the Wishbone type independent suspension.

Abstract: An airbag assembly (10) includes a sheet metal door subassembly (36) with a cross cut (40) and two side cuts (38) that fully covers an airbag escape opening (34) in a primary substrate (32). The inflation of the airbag (16) causes two doors (42) of the subassembly 36, to bend around the primary substrate (32) at upper and lower sides of an airbag escape opening (34). A cutting edge (44) is located at one end (46) of one of the two doors (42) and cuts an opening through the outer uninterrupted cover (25) so the airbag (16) may expand therethrough into the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The subassembly (36) has a continuous periphery (36a) that is connected by a reduced number of rivets (26).

Abstract: In "C" dolly systems, it is conventional to provide a resistance to steer of approximately 0.3 G in order to improve the steering thereof particularly in an evasive action and to decrease the tendency of high speed off tracking. The higher this resistance to steer, the better the high speed off tracking characteristics are. However, high resistance although relatively satisfactory at high speeds, at relatively low speeds below approximately 30 miles an hour, results in the creation of severe and undue stresses and forces in the dolly and hitch structures particularly during relatively tight turning maneuvers. The present invention comprises a two phase control system. The speed of the vehicle is sensed continuously and when the speed is below approximately 30 mph (approximately 50 kph) the steering axle of the dolly is free to steer under the control of the axle steering dampening system but above 30 mph (50 kph), the axle is locked thus giving the maximum resistance to steer.

Abstract: An automobile air bag system for restraining and protecting a driver upon a collision includes a modular air bag device which is installed, as a subassembled unit, in a steering wheel. The modular air bag device has at least an air bag capable of unfolding and an electrically operated inflator unit for generating gas and inflating and unfolding the air bag with the gas. A bottom cover, assembled to a bottom of the air bag device, covers and protects at least a portion of a harness extending from and laying under the bottom of the air bag device against damage.