Abstract: A camber control system varies the camber of a wheel of a motor vehicle. The camber control system includes a detector for detecting a direction in which front wheels are steered, a controller for producing a control signal in response to a signal produced by the detector, an actuator operable in response to the control signal from the controller, and a rear wheel camber varying mechanism actuatable by the actuator for varying the camber of rear wheels. The controller is arranged such that the control signal produced thereby enables the actuator to operate the rear wheel camber varying mechanism so that the camber of outer and inner rear wheels with respect to a motor vehicle turning direction corresponding to the direction in which the front wheels are steered, is rendered negative and positive, respectively.

Abstract: A retainer for an air bag system having a plate member to which an air bag is attached and a module cover mounting member comprising a stand piece stood from an edge of the plate member, wherein a portion having low flexural rigidity for deforming the stand piece at the time of cleavage of the module cover is provided at the base side of the stand piece.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a damping force of a shock absorber provided between a wheel of a vehicle and a body thereof includes a road surface condition detecting unit for detecting a roughness of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling, and a damping force characteristic alteration unit for altering the setting of the damping force of the shock absorber on the basis of the roughness of the road surface detected by the road surface condition detecting unit. The apparatus also includes a damping force detecting unit, for detecting a magnitude of the damping force of the shock absorber, and an alteration speed control unit for controlling, on the basis of the magnitude of the damping force detected by the damping force detecting unit, an alteration speed at which the setting of the damping force is altered so that the alteration speed decreases as the magnitude of the damping force increases.

Abstract: A suspension control system for controlling the attitude of a vehicle has a hydraulic fluid supply source mechanism connected to a suspension unit of the vehicle through a hydraulic fluid supplying and discharging device for controlling the supply and discharge of hydraulic fluid to and from the suspension unit. The hydraulic fluid supply source mechanism includes a pump and a reservoir tank. The hydraulic fluid supply source mechanism further includes an unload line connecting a discharging port of the pump to the reservoir tank and an unload valve disposed in the unload line. The unload valve has an electromagnetic proportional valve and is controlled such that the current to be supplied thereto gradually increases and decreases when the valve is opened and closed, respectively.

Abstract: An improved tag axle system disclosed which is designed to be accommodated by the tailgate structure of a rear-loading trash compacting refuse truck to provide auxiliary support to prevent overloading of the rear axle of the truck and to better distribute the relative weight carried by all axles of the truck assembly. The system uses a pair of aligned spaced stub axles each having its own separate suspension system and mechanism which operates to raise and lower a wheel assembly. The systems are located on either side of the tailgate assembly and are preferably built as an integral part of it. The axles are further configured so as to be raised or lowered with the use of pneumatic springs.

Abstract: A structure for a shock energy absorbing type steering apparatus is disclosed in which a column jacket in which a bracket member, rotatably fixed to a clamp, is attached to a vehicle body linked to a column jacket by means of welding and an enclosing body is extended in a space between the bracket member and clamp so as to enclose an upper surface area of the bracket member, thus preventing a foreign matter from invading into the inside of the bracket member. In addition, the bracket member includes a front wall to which the column jacket is perpendicularly fixed, curling portions formed on both side ends of the front wall, rollers inserted into the corresponding curling portions, and side walls extended from the curling portions in parallel to the column jacket, and cut-out portions formed on a portion of the bracket member below the curling portions.

Abstract: An air bag module structure comprises a pair of subassemblies which are coupled together to form the module. The subassemblies comprise an air/bag cover subassembly and an inflator/reaction device subassembly. The air bag cover has an air bag cavity, a folded air bag disposed within the cavity, and a rim surroudning an access opening that communicates with the access opening. The air bag has a gas inlet opening surrounded by a border portion of the air bag, which is adapted to be secured to the rim of the cover. The inflator/reaction device subassembly has an inflator housing with gas dispensing nozzles, a gas generating composition within the housing, and an integral reaction device extending outward of the inflator housing. The reaction device is secured to the rim of the cover, and couples the inflator/reaction device subassembly with the air bag/cover subassembly. When the subassemblies are coupled together, the gas dispensing nozzles are in fluid communication with the air bag gas inlet opening.

Abstract: A suspension control system is designed to adjust suspension characteristics between hard and soft for bounding and rebounding stroke independently of each other. The system has a sensor means for monitoring speed of a vehicular body as a sprung mass for producing a vehicle body speed indicative signal, which vehicle body speed indicative signal has a variable signal polarity depending upon the direction of vibration, and a sensor means for monitoring relative speed between the vehicular body and a vehicular wheel as an unsprung mass for producing a relative speed indicative signal which also has a variable signal polarity depending upon the direction of relative movement of the vehicular body and the vehicular wheel. A control unit detects a combination of signal polarities of the vehicle body speed indicative signal and the relative speed indicative signal for adjusting damping characteristics for bounding and rebounding vibration independently of each other and depending on the detected combination.

Abstract: A steerable dual rear axle system for large trucks having a frame with steerable front wheels secured to the frame, a leading rear axle and a trailing rear axle spaced therefrom, a draft arm pivotally affixed to the leading rear axle and to the frame in the direction toward the frame front end, a structural salient having a forward end affixed to the leading rear axle and a rearward end pivotally attached at a point of pivotation to the trailing rear axle, spring support between the salient and the frame to transfer weight from the frame to the leading and trailing rear axles, and a steerage system for pivoting the trailing rear axle about a vertical axis through the point of pivotation with the salient member.

Abstract: A seat belt system for protecting and binding an occupant inside a vehicle which comprises an emergency locking seat belt retractor which can be selectively set to be in a tensile force giving mode to give tensile force to a seat belt or in a tensile force cancel mode to cancel the tensile force and a seat movement detector, characterized in that according to a signal from the seat movement detector, the emergency lock system seat belt retractor is for a time in the tensile force giving mode and after a predetermined length of time, said emergency locking seat belt retractor is in the tensile force cancel mode with an appropriate slack of the seat belt.

Abstract: A pressure supply network for an active suspension system employs a strategy for predicting consumed fluid flow rate on the basis of bounding and rebounding stroke between a vehicular body and a suspension member rotatably supporting a vehicular wheel. A discharge rate of a fluid pump disposed in the pressure supply network is controlled on the basis of the predicted fluid flow rate.

Abstract: An air bag structure for an automotive vehicle is mounted on an instrument panel in front of a passenger seated on a front seat of the vehicle. The air bag structure includes a casing enclosing an inflator and air bag. The casing is formed with a plurality of aspiration holes, through which air is introduced into the air bag when the air bag is inflated by an ignition of inflator. A cover member surrounds and covers the casing. The cover member is spaced from the casing by a predetermined distance, so that an air passage is formed between the cover member and the casing.

Abstract: An energy absorbing steering column support member for mounting a steering column to a half beam support frame extending transversely of the vehicle. The support member being in the general shape of a parallelogram having a first base wall affixed to the steering column and disposed along the axis of the steering column, a second base wall opposite the first base wall and affixed to the half-beam, and two opposed channel-shaped side walls extending between the first and second base walls. Each side wall including upper and lower rolled flanges which increase in width and accordingly, in bending resistance, from the first base wall to the second base wall. As the steering column axially collapses during a high energy impact, each side wall absorbs energy by forming a plastic hinge that moves from the first base wall to the second base wall at a rate providing near constant energy absorption at the initial peak load level.

Abstract: A steering system for use in an automotive vehicle includes a steering shaft inclined at a fixed angle with respect to a vehicle body, an air bag module securely mounted on one end of the steering shaft, and a steering wheel pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of the steering shaft. The steering wheel can be tilted relative to the steering shaft.

Abstract: A self-propelled chemical applicator with adjustable rear wheel tread includes two rear fore-and-aft spaced cross tubes which are cantilevered from the main frame. A pair of roller mechanisms are supported between the tubes on opposite sides of the centerline of the vehicle. Each mechanism includes a roller frame supporting eight rollers, two transversely spaced on each of the upper and lower sides of each tube. The roller frames, contained between and rollable along the tubes, are connected to the upper ends of corresponding drop assemblies which mount hydraulically driven wheels. A transversely extending hydraulic cylinder is connected between each roller frame and the main frame to roll the drop assembly in or out to change wheel spacing. Each drop assembly is releasibly clamped in position by a simple mechanism which includes a fore-and-aft extending bolt which pulls the spaced cross tubes towards each other to clamp the roller frame tightly between the tubes.

Abstract: An urban delivery motor vehicle, provided with a front towing unit having a vertical front-rear symmetry tiable to a towed unit, and comprising a central part forming a driver-passenger cockpit substantially symmetrical about a substantially vertical axis and having a rear part provided with a space located below the cockpit and opened on its sides and on its rear part; two front wheels and at least one rear wheel located within the space and coplanar with the vertical front-rear symmetry of the towing unit, and an attachment located close to the vertical axis for receiving a complementary attachment of the towed unit to link it thereto.

Abstract: A driving torque adjusting system for adjusting a driving torque acting upon driven wheels, for example, a throttle valve for adjusting an output power or torque from the engine, is subjected to feed-back control at a set response velocity so as for an actual slip value of the driven wheel to reach a given target value. When the actual slip value of the driven wheel is equal to or larger than a set value larger than the target value, only the set response velocity in the direction of reducing the driving torque acting upon the driven wheels is corrected to become larger when the actual slip value is smaller than the set value. Preferably, the set response velocity is set smaller as a friction coefficient on a road surface is smaller in both cases where the torque acting upon the driven wheels is increased and decreased. An amount to correct the set response velocity, i.e.

Abstract: A mounting structure for a vehicle deceleration sensor, comprising a deceleration sensor mounted on a part of a vehicle body where a longitudinal end of a front side member extending along a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body on one side thereof and a bulkhead separating a passenger compartment from a front part of the vehicle body are joined together with a part of the deceleration sensor protruding into the hollow interior of the front side member. Thus, a deceleration resulting from a vehicle crash is quickly transmitted to the deceleration sensor through the front side member, and the deceleration sensor is protected from adverse environmental effects as it may be located in the interior of the front side member.

Abstract: An auxiliary suspension unit for mounting parallel to a standard shock absorber comprises a cylinder receiving a piston which includes a piston head mounted to a piston rod and defining in the cylinder first and second chambers filled with oil. The first chamber is on the rod side of the piston head. A spring structure comprises a floating piston and a high pressure accumulator contained in a third chamber with the floating piston being slidable therein. The working fluid from the second chamber exerts pressure on the floating piston and is opposed by the high-pressure accumulator of the third chamber. The auxiliary unit also comprises an actuator for positioning a valve provided on the piston into first and second positions thereof and further comprises a control device for the actuator. In the first position of the valve and upon compression of the auxiliary unit, a bypass allows fluid transfer from the second to the first chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for instantly forming an air bag deployment opening in an auto interior trim panel structure such as an instrument panel or steering wheel cover just prior to inflation of the air bag. A delineated pattern of concentrated energy is instantaneously applied to the inside of the trim structure as by ignition of a segment of detonating cord to fracture a section of the trim panel in a required door shape just before the air bag is inflated. The air bag, stored behind the trim panel, engages and pushes open the door so formed in the trim panel when activated, and is able to be deployed through the resulting opening. The trim panel may therefor be free from any exteriorly visible markings defining a deployment door until deployment actually occurs.