Abstract: An axle assembly for a vehicle is described, in which the axle assembly has a suspension arm for accommodating an axle of the vehicle and a damper. The damper is coupled to a first engagement point of the suspension arm. The first engagement point is situated on the suspension arm so that the damper may be situated outside an installation space for axle components located between the suspension arm and a chassis of the vehicle.

Abstract: A transverse control arm for a motor vehicle is produced in one piece from a sheet metal blank. The transverse control arm includes a base body region with bearing regions formed thereon. A bearing journal is arranged in a bearing region with a material joint. The material joint is oriented in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the bearing journal, thereby providing a transverse control arm with high durability.

Abstract: An all terrain vehicle includes a steering shaft to which a handle is coupled, a pair of right and left frame members extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, at both sides in a width direction of the vehicle body, a steering shaft support member provided over and coupled to the pair of right and left frame members, and a bearing configured to rotatably couple a lower portion of the steering shaft to the steering shaft support member.

Abstract: A belt latch including a connection plate, for connecting it to a buckle, and a latch main body rigidly connected thereto. The latch main body may have a cut-open hollow cylindrical portion housing a bending and clamping element arranged to rotate in relation thereto from a deflecting position to a clamping position if the force in an associated belt exceeds a defined force. A lid may be arranged to cover the cut-open hollow cylindrical portion.

Abstract: Construction is achieved wherein a steering wheel can displace smoothly in the forward direction during a secondary collision, even when an electric motor 13a of an electric power steering apparatus protrudes to the side. Members are located between a pair of left and right installation plate sections 17c, which are provided on a bracket 10c on the column side that is supported by a steering column 6c, and a portion that is fastened to the vehicle body, and connected and fastened to both of these; and by making the rigidity or friction coefficient of these members different from each other, the load required for the installation plate sections 17c to drop away toward the front from the portion fastened to the vehicle body is made to be large on the side far from the electric motor 13a and less on the side near to the electric motor 13a.

Abstract: A horn module (12) in a vehicle steering wheel has at least one electronic horn sensor (20) including a trigger component (22) deflectable upon application of a horn operating force (F). At the trigger component (22) at least one strain gauge (24) is arranged by deflection of which a signal is produced.

Abstract: A steering-force transmitting apparatus including (a) an operating-member-side shaft; (b) a turning-device-side shaft offset from the operating-member-side shaft; and (c) a rotation transmitting mechanism having (c-1) an axially protruding portion provided in one of the two shafts and (c-2) a radially extending groove provided in the other of the two shafts such that the axially protruding portion is engaged in the radially extending groove. The rotation transmitting mechanism is configured to change a rotational phase difference between the two shafts while causing one of the two shafts to be rotated by rotation of the other of the two shafts. An axially end portion of a main body portion of one of the two shafts and an axially end portion of the other of the two shafts overlap with each other in the axial direction.

Abstract: A multiple wheel vehicle according to the present invention enables to incline freely the two wheels together with the vehicle body while keeping the ground contacting pressures of the two wheels equal. The multiple wheel vehicle comprises a pair of swinging arms 4 each comprising one-side end portion supported pivotably with right and left support shaft portions 3A and an interlocking device 6 for interlocking them alternately up-and-down. The interlocking device 6 comprises a pair of tilted members 17, a divertible member 19, and a cord-like body 20 connecting them. Each of the tilted members 17 comprises a first circular surface part 21 that has a center of a circular arc as a shaft center 3i of the support shaft portion 3A, and tiltably supported integrally with the swinging arm 4.

Abstract: An anchor pretensioner structure for cars, may include an inflator mounted on a car-body plate to pull a seat belt upon a collision, a pretensioner wire made of a flexible material and connected to the inflator, a protector mounted to the pretensioner wire coupled to the seat belt, and an angle-adjuster to selectively rotate the pretensioner wire, depending upon whether or not a passenger may be sitting on a seat, so that the pretensioner wire may be allowed to rotate by a predetermined angle.

Abstract: Devices and methods of transport are disclosed. Various embodiments include structural aspects related to steering and changing the direction of conveyances including features which utilize leaning or shifting of weight as part of turning.

Abstract: A pipe includes a cutout portion through which levers of a ring gear enter the pipe. An inner peripheral surface of the pipe opposing the cutout portion includes a curved inner peripheral surface in a curved portion of the pipe, a linear inner peripheral surface in a linear portion of the pipe, and a transition portion from the curved inner peripheral surface to the linear inner peripheral surface. The transition portion is located closer to a position where balls start to press the levers of the ring gear, than an intersection where an imaginary straight line ? extending from a cutout end portion of the cutout portion intersects an imaginary extension line of the inner peripheral surface of the linear portion of the pipe at a right angle.

Abstract: An inflatable safety belt has a belt webbing (3) with at least two belt webbing layers (3a, 3b) put on top of each other and forming a hollow space in between, a gas generator (12) having a flow connection to the hollow space, and an anchor fitting (6) for fastening the belt webbing (3) and the gas generator (12) to a motor vehicle. The ends of the belt webbing layers (3a, 3b) are connected to the anchor fitting (6) in such a way that the flow connection to the gas generator (12) is free of tensile forces.

Abstract: An inflatable cushion for a side of a vehicle is provided, the inflatable cushion having: a first cushion section formed from a first sheet of material secured to a second sheet of material, the first cushion section having a plurality of separate inflatable cells each of which having an inlet opening for receipt of an inflation gas; an internal passageway formed in the first cushion section, the internal passageway linking and fluidly coupling to each of the plurality of separate inflatable cells via the inlet opening of each of the plurality of separate inflatable cells, the internal passageway being formed by an upper portion of the first sheet of material and an upper portion of the second sheet of material; a fabric diffuser member located in the internal passageway, the fabric diffuser member being sealed at one end and open on another end for receipt of an inflation gas, the fabric diffuser being configured to supply the inflation gas to each of the plurality of separate inflatable cells through a plur

Abstract: An air-bag device capable of improving degree of freedom in setting of reaction forces according to physical frames of occupants, a vehicle occupant's lower limb protecting device and a device for protecting an occupant at the time of vehicle side collision using the air-bag device. Knees of an occupant of large build whose inertia load at the time of collision is great are assuredly protected by collective energy absorbing action of the upper cylinders (121, 121) and the lower cylinders (122, 122) at the time of collision. In a case of an occupant of small build whose inertia load at the time of collision is small, loads from the upper cylinders (121, 121) and the lower cylinders (122, 122) are exerted on the occupant in appropriate proportions according to physical size of the occupant to fulfill impact absorption at the time of collision.

Abstract: A side impact airbag arrangement mounted in a vehicle door (20) has an air cavity (46) inside the body (22) of the vehicle door (20) an initial volume in an intact state and a reduced volume smaller than the initial volume after a side impact has deformed the door body (22). An airbag cushion (10) is arranged in an airbag compartment (44) adjacent to the air cavity (46). The airbag cushion (10) has an interior configured to be filled with a gaseous medium to inflate the airbag cushion (10). Flapper valves (14) inserted between the air cavity (46) and the interior of the airbag cushion (10) allow a flow of air from the air cavity (46) into the interior of the airbag cushion (10) to inflate the airbag cushion (10) when a side impact deforms the air cavity (46) from the initial volume to the reduced volume.

Abstract: A seatbelt device having a first energy absorbing member with two axial direction end portions attached respectively to a spindle and a lock member and which absorbs energy by undergoing twisting deformation when a load of at least a predetermined value acts on the spindle while the lock member is locked during an emergency. A second energy absorbing member is fixed to the spindle at one end portion and extends through a bend route provided in the lock member. The second energy absorbing member absorbs energy by being pulled through the bend route so as to undergo plastic deformation when the spindle rotates as a result of twisting of the first energy absorbing member. A deformation portion is interposed between a turned back portion of the second energy absorbing member and the spindle.

Abstract: A structure for mounting ancillaries on a vehicle wherein one end of a first bracket in a plate form extends downwardly and is fixed to a body frame and the other end of the first bracket supports a reservoir. In addition, the first bracket supports the regulator in the proximity of the reservoir. The reservoir attached to the forward end of the first bracket functions as a deadweight which, because of the inertia of the deadweight, suppresses the vibrations of the forward end of the first bracket due to vehicle traveling and engine rotation. Thus, this structure suppresses and attenuates the vibration of the regulator attached to the first bracket.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling motor torque in a hybrid vehicle are provided. A current sensor provides a feedback current when the sensor is operating properly. A processor controls the motor torque using the feedback current if the current sensor is operating properly. The processor controls the motor torque using a slip value for the hybrid vehicle if the current sensor is not operating properly.

Abstract: An active bolster is provided on an generally-planar interior trim panel. An invisible tear seam in the panel follows a closed path that is spaced away from a peripheral edge of the panel. An inflatable bladder has a rim bonded to the panel along an inward edge of the tear seam. A bowl-shaped reaction frame has a cavity receiving the inflatable bladder and has a rim bonded to the panel along an outward edge of the tear seam, so that the inflatable bladder is contained between the reaction frame and the interior trim panel. Inflation of the inflatable bladder causes the interior trim panel to tear at the tear seam causing the portion of the interior trim panel within the closed path to separate and expand away from the reaction frame into the passenger compartment.

Abstract: A knee bolster for vehicles, which is placed inside a lower instrument panel of a vehicle and is mounted to a cowl cross bar and relieves shock applied to knees of a passenger in case of an accident, may include a U-shaped bracket mounted to the cowl cross bar and bent to form a U-shape to be deformed by an external force during the accident, thus primarily absorbing knee load of the passenger, and a shock absorbing foam mounted in the U-shaped bracket, being deformed by the external force during the accident, and sliding along inner surface of the U-shaped bracket, thus secondarily absorbing the knee load of the passenger.