Abstract: A modular cover for an air bag assembly has good appearance and is durable. The modular cover includes a main surface (3), four side walls (2A), (2B), (2C) and (2D) integral with the main surface (3), and a tear line (6) extending along only three of the four side walls (2B), (2C) and (2D).

Abstract: A body trailer is provided and consists of a housing having a compartment for storing various items, with a door hinged to the housing for covering the compartment. A pair of wheels are mounted on one end of the housing, while a mechanism is mounted on other end of the housing for towing the body trailer behind a person, with the wheels rolling along the ground.

Abstract: Described is a pad for an air bag device. The pad has an embedded, plate-like element, which is composed of at least two plate-like members. An edge portion of one of the plate-like members overlaps the other plate-like member.

Abstract: An exemplary engine mounting system provides two sets of rails along which the engine can travel in the event of an impact. A first set of rails is longitudinally mounted within the vehicle with the inwardmost portions thereof curving towards the ground to prevent intrusion by the engine into the passenger compartment. A second set of rails, orthogonal to the first set, permits side-to-side movement of the engine and first set of rails. The second set of rails may be curved downward to lengthen the path of engine travel. Springs are used for biasing against both longitudinal and transverse movement, as well as for dampening of engine vibration. The two sets of rails may be used in conjunction with bumpers attached directly to the engine. In another embodiment the engine block is mated with lugs to an engine mount integrated with the vehicle frame via angled shock absorbing pistons.

Abstract: A lightweight, optionally foldable wheelchair which allows the user maximum control over both travel direction and seat position. The wheelchair is driven manually by an arrangement of drive gears, which are actuated by a drive gear selector and operated by rotating a pair of opposed handwheels, one of which is contacted by each of the occupant's hands. One of four or more different gears may be selected, including a "Forward Only" and a "Reverse Only" gear, which allow travel only in the direction selected. A dual function shift lever supports the drive gear selector and may be activated to disengage the drive gears and engage a seat positioning gear. When the seat positioning gear is engaged, rotation of the handwheels by the wheelchair occupant will activate a seat raising mechanism which moves the seat from a horizontal sitting position to a substantially vertical position toward the rear of the wheelchair.

Abstract: A steering wheel positioner for an automatic driving position system is provided with an actuator for driving a steering wheel shaft, a tilt sensor for detecting an inclination of the steering wheel shaft, a car speed sensor, a neutral-park relay for detecting the vehicle to be stepped and a controller for memorizing a steering wheel position suitable for the driver, for driving a steering wheel to the memorized steering wheel position through the actuator, for driving the steering wheel downwardly when the tilt sensor is abnormal, and for preventing the steering wheel from driving in the downward direction when the tilt sensor is abnormal and the neutral-park delay detects the vehicle to be traveling.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic seat belt system. A guide rail is mounted on a vehicle body, and a driving tape is disposed along the length of the guide rail. A drive means is energized to move a slider to either one of two positions where a webbing restrains an occupant or releases the occupant therefrom. One end of the webbing used for restraining the occupant is supported to the slider which is maintained in engagement with each of the openings defined in the tape. In addition, the slider is movable in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and disposed movably with respect to the guide rail. A stopper is maintained in engagement with the slider in the webbing-restraining position so as to prevent the slider from being moved in the direction to which the webbing is pulled.

Abstract: In a system for controlling a chassis, in particular for controlling spring cylinders that can simultaneously perform the function of a semiactive shock absorber and are disposed between wheel suspensions and the vehicle body, at least one chamber of the spring cylinder is intended to communicate via a line or branch line with a pumping device, reservoir or the like for a pressure fluid, and at least one control member is connected between the pump device, reservoir or the like and the chamber. A control valve, which responds to a change in pressure in a shunt between the control valve and a line, is disposed in the control member.

Abstract: An inflator for an air bag-type passenger restraint system for a motor vehicle includes two cup-shaped members which are joined to form chambers for a gas generator and activating devices for activating the gas generator. The two members are coupled by threads which do not increase the weight of the inflator. The inflator also includes a filter for filtering particulate matter from the gas generator.

Abstract: A pneumatically operated apparatus is provided for automatically disengaging the bogie pins from the trailer rails of a tractor-trailer rig. The apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing truck trailer and bogie assemblies and to work along side the conventional manual pin retracting mechanisms of the bogie assemblies. The apparatus includes safety features that prevent the apparatus from retracting the bogie pins of the trailer and bogie assembly when the emergency brakes of the assembly have not been engaged. The apparatus is also provided with safety features that automatically control the bogie pins to reengage in the holes of the trailer rails upon disengagement of the emergency brakes of the tractor-trailer rig.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system having active and passive modes, comprising fluid providing means for providing a pressurized fluid, a cylinder, having at least two chambers, protection valve means having first and second states, for coupling the fluid providing means to the cylinder in the first state and uncoupling the fluid providing means from the cylinder in the second state, and by-pass valve means, having at least first and second states, being fluidly coupled to the cylinder and the protection valve means, for providing fluid communication therethrough between the chambers in the second state and not providing fluid communication therethrough between the chambers in the first state, and wherein the protection valve means is in the first state when the suspension system is in the active mode and the protection valve means and the by-pass valve means are in the second state when in the passive mode.

Abstract: A vehicle safety system for preventing unintended acceleration of motor vehicles due to the driver's pedal misapplication of depressing an accelerator instead of brakes against the driver's intention of stopping the vehicle. The system exploits the excessive pressure applied on the accelerator during a driver's pedal misapplication to reduce the engine speed and to apply the vehicle's brakes. The system is active only when excessive pressure is applied on the accelerator, and does not affect normal driving.

Abstract: In a suspension system of a vehicle which the damping force characteristic is changed into three or more characteristics, the damping force characteristic is changed step by step when the damping force characteristic selected by a given control rule is different from the damping force characteristic at that moment in several steps. Also, the running state is detected by detecting means and the damping force characteristic to be selected is limited to two or so from three or more characteristics according to the vehicle running state. The damping force characteristic is changed only within the above selected damping force characteristics based on a given control rule. Through the above, noise and oscillation caused by large changes of the damping force characteristic can be lowered.

Abstract: An improved glove box structure is provided in an instrument panel in a front compartment of a vehicle, which includes a frame member, extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle body and an instrument panel, supported by the frame member. The glove box structure includes a box, having at least front and rear box walls for forming a glove box, supported for swinging movement by the instrument panel structure. The glove box moves between a closed position, in which the front box wall is located within an opening formed in the instrument panel, and an open position, in which the rear box wall is located close to the opening. A knee protector is located, outside and above a path traversed by the glove box between the closed and open positions, inside the instrument panel structure for protecting knees of a passenger upon a collision. The knee protector includes a resiliently bendable member.

Abstract: A vehicle steering knuckle includes a body, a knuckle shaft for supporting a wheel and extending from the body, and a yoke having upper and lower legs extending from the body in a direction opposite the knuckle shaft. The upper leg of the yoke includes a fastening flange separate from the main body, the fastening flange including a bore through which a pivot pin can pass. Bolts releasably fasten the fastening flange to the body. A head end of an axle can fit between the upper and lower legs and a pivot pin can be inserted through the yoke and the axle to form a knuckle joint. The fastening flange can be released from the body to gain access to a portion of the knuckle joint by releasing the bolts.

Abstract: An airbag restraint system for an automotive vehicle is comprised of an airbag including a bag-shaped section. The bag-shaped section is formed by sewing a sheet material into a bag-shape, forming a sewed section. The sewed section has a low strength part which is openable under action of an internal pressure of the gas inside the airbag during inflation of the airbag, so that a passenger's head is protected from an impact or reaction from the inflated airbag during a serious vehicle collision. A generally frame-shaped reinforcement patch is fixedly attached on the inside surface of the airbag in such a manner as to expose a major part of the low strength sewed part, thereby defining the low strength sewed part having a predetermined size.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension comprises dampers changeable between low and high damping modes and normally operated in the low damping mode. A damper control stores a plurality of sets of reference numbers as a function of vehicle velocity, the reference numbers of each set representing limit values of throttle velocity for the low damping mode for a given transmission gear mode. The reference numbers of each set increase in value with increasing vehicle velocity in a continuously non-linear manner so as to compensate for the decreasing acceleration and body lift produced by a given throttle velocity as vehicle velocity increases. The control changes the damper from low to high damping during vehicle acceleration for a predetermined time when the throttle velocity exceeds a throttle velocity limit reference derived from the reference number corresponding to the vehicle velocity in the set corresponding to the selected transmission gear mode.

Abstract: An airbag restraint system for protecting a vehicle passenger in the event of a vehicle serious collision. The airbag is comprised of suspension belts and a pair of belt catch members for preventing the airbag from inflating to project generally in one direction or toward the vehicle passenger during inflation of the airbag. The belt catch members are disposed near the portion of the gas inlet and sewed to the end portions of the suspension belts. The belt catch member has tongue-like members which are overlapped with the end portion of the suspension belt in order to easily distinguish whether the suspension belt are properly put between the belt catch members or not.

Abstract: A pressure activated seat belt locking device is disclosed for allowing an operator from a remote location to control the locking or unlocking of seat belts such as those used on amusement park type rides, or elsewhere. The seat belt locking device has a buckle portion into which a latching tongue is inserted and held into place by a retractable element which extends through an aperture in the latching tongue. The latching tongue can be removed from the buckle by depressing a release latch to disengage the retractable element from the aperture. The seat belt locking device is provided with a pneumatically inflatable air bladder which is exerted against a pivotable lever lock when properly inflated. The inflation of the air bladder causes the lever lock to pivot and bear against the lower end of the release latch, such that the release latch cannot be depressed by the user of the seat belt to disengage the retractable element from the latching tongue.

Abstract: An automatic seat belt device for motor vehicles, includes a retracting member installed on a vehicle door, and upper and lower webbings wherein each lower end thereof is unified into a composite structure for slidably locking with a seat belt lock and each upper end thereof is movably connected to the retracting member, whereby the upper and lower webbings can be fitted to or released from the seated occupant as the vehicle door is closed or opened.