Abstract: A side-impact airbag device capable of being located in a narrow and restricted position and promptly and sufficiently inflating an airbag to a predetermined range even if a part such as an arm rest or the like is provided. An airbag body is disposed so as to be spread over a side wall such as a side door or the like. Predetermined portions of the airbag body, which correspond to the part such as the arm rest or the like attached to the side door, are bonded to one another so that the predetermined portions are prevented from inflating due to the introduction of gas therein. An inflator is used to inflate the entirety of the airbag body on the average.

Abstract: A preloader for use in a webbing retractor for retracting an occupant-restraining webbing forcibly onto a takeup shaft at the time of a sudden deceleration of a vehicle. The preloader includes a angular shaft rotating integrally with the takeup shaft; a deformable member disposed around the angular column shaft; and a wire connected to the deformable member and wound therearound. The wire is tightly wound around the deformable member at the time of a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, thereby causing the deformable member to undergo deformation and engage with the angular shaft. The angular shaft is hence rotated integrally with the deformable member so as to positively rotate the takeup shaft in a taking-up direction.

Abstract: A preloader for use in a webbing retractor for retracting an occupant-restraining webbing onto a takeup shaft so as to allow the webbing to be applied to the occupant with appropriate tightness. A rotating drum disposed coaxially with the takeup shaft has an annular groove. A wedge member is held around the rotating drum at a certain distance from the rotating drum by a shear pin. A wire is wound in advance around the outer periphery of the wedge member. At the time of a sudden deceleration of a vehicle a driving force is applied to the wire, and the wire in turn tightens the wedge member by being more tightly wound therearound. The shear pin is broken by the tight winding by the wire, and the wedge member is wedge-fitted to the rotating drum, so that the wedge member and the rotating drum rotate integrally and cause the takeup shaft to rotate.

Abstract: A webbing retractor for taking up an occupant-restraining webbing used in a seat belt apparatus for a vehicle has a takeup shaft held by a frame, and the webbing is wound around the takeup shaft. The takeup shaft is pivotally held at a substantially intermediate portion of each of a pair of arms. One end of each arm is pivotally supported by a support shaft, and the arms are adapted to rotate about the support shaft.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a brake system for use with an automatic transmission for braking a rotatable member such as a brake drum, which is accommodated in a casing and connected to the sun gear or the like of a planetary gear mechanism, by bringing a brake band having two ends into contact with the outer circumference with the rotatable member.

Abstract: An automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle, having an input shaft connected to an engine of the vehicle via a primary clutch, an output shaft parallel to the input shaft and operatively connected to drive wheels of the vehicle, a plurality of pairs of gears for transmitting a drive force of the input shaft to the output shaft at different speed reduction ratios, respectively, at least one shift member for selectively placing the individual pairs of gears into an operative position, and an actuator device for automatically activating each shift member. The transmission includes a secondary clutch connected to the primary clutch by the input shaft, and disposed between the input and output shafts, an intermediate shaft disposed in a transmission line between the input and output shafts. The intermediate shaft is provided with one of the gears of each of at least one of the pairs of gears.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a fluid torque converter and a first and second gear transmission mechanisn, each of which has two coaxial drive members--a power input member and a power output member--and is selectable to any one of several speed radios. Rotational power is output from the fluid torque converter to the power input member of the first gear transmission mechanism. The torque converter, and the first gear transmission mechanism including the power input and output members thereof are all coaxial on a first axis.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) whose speed ratio is continuously variable, the apparatus including a mode selector responsive to a currently required output of an engine, for selecing one of a continuously variable speed mode in which the speed ratio of the CVT is continuously changed, and a stepping shift mode in which the speed ratio is changed in a plurality of steps. The apparatus further includes a first control device operable in the continuously variable speed mode, for continuously changing the speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission so as to operate the engine with minimum fuel consumption, and a second control device operable in the stepping shift mode, for selecting one of a plurality of speed-ratio positions corresponding to the above-indicated plurality of steps, and for maintaining the selected speed-ratio position, based on the detected currently required output of the engine and the detected running speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: An automatic power transmitting system for an automotive vehicle, wherein the operation of an electromagnetic clutch is automatically controlled in response to automatic shifting actions of a constant-mesh transmission by synchromesh devices. The powder clutch includes a driving rotor unit having an outer yoke and an inner yoke which cooperate to define therebetween an annular space in which a thin-walled cylindrical member of a driven rotor unit is disposed, such that the cylindrical member cooperates with at least one of the outer and inner yokes to define at least one powder gap. A small thickness of the cylindrical member assures a minimum of rotational energy consumption by the synchromesh devices. A damper may be disposed so as to connect the driven rotor unit and the input shaft of the constant-mesh transmission, so as to provide a damping effect for preventing a rapid change in an amount of torque transmitted from the driven rotor unit to the input shaft.

Abstract: An automatic power transmitting system operatively connected to an engine of an automotive vehicle, having a constant-mesh transmission with at least one synchromesh device which is operated by an actuator device to selectively establish a plurality of gear positions. The system includes a first and a second clutch which are disposed in parallel relation with each other, between between the engine of the vehicle and the constant-mesh transmission. The first clutch has a one-way clutch operable to transmit an output of the engine to the constant-mesh transmission, and is engaged while the vehicle is in a normal drive mode. The second clutch is engaged while the vehicle is in an engine brake mode. Each synchromesh device is operated to effect a shifting operation after the opening of the throttle valve of the engine is reduced, and without disengaging the first clutch before the operation of the synchromesh device.

Abstract: A vane type rotary pump comprises a cam ring mounted within a stator housing and having an inner peripheral wall defining four circumferentially equi-spaced semicylindrical inner cam surfaces, a pair of end wall structures fitted to opposite ends of the cam ring to form a pump cavity, a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the stator housing, a rotor contained within the pump cavity and mounted on the drive shaft for rotation therewith, and a plurality of circumferentially equi-spaced vanes slidably fitted in the body of the rotor to cooperate with the inner cam surfaces to form four pairs of suction and delivery chambers.

Abstract: An improvement in a double Cardan universal joint having a pair of spiders connected by a ring-shaped coupling member, a pair of yoke members angularly movably connected with each other by the spiders, a centering assembly for aligning the yoke members with each other and defining a reservoir for grease within a bridge forming a part of one of the yoke members and a breather hole formed in the bridge for making the reservoir communicate with the atmosphere. The improvement comprises a valve of elastic material inserted in the breather hole and capable of elastically blockading the communication of the reservoir with the atmosphere when internal pressure of the reservoir is below a predetermined amount and being elastically deformed to make the reservoir communicate with the atmosphere when the internal pressure reaches or exceeds the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A suspension for an automobile comprises a cylinder having a lower seat secured fixedly to an outer periphery thereof, a piston rod projecting from the cylinder and having an upper portion supported rotatably by a car body and a coil spring having lower and upper ends respectively held by the lower seat and an upper seat. To the piston rod is secured fixedly a guide having a cylindrical portion provided on an outer periphery with a thread. A movable member provided on an inner periphery with a thread engaging the thread on the guide is coupled with the guide by the engagement of both threads. The movable member is secured fixedly to the upper seat. The piston rod is provided with a tool engaging portion which is turned to adjust the car height.

Abstract: In a rack and pinion type steering system with an energy absorbing mechanism, errors in axial dimensions of the steering shaft and column tube often make it difficult to fix the two parts to each other at two predetermined axially spaced positions. Such difficulty is eliminated by providing an elongated slot of a predetermined axial length in the column tube to allow a holding member to extend radially through the slot irrespective of the dimensional errors to fixedly connected the column tube to the steering shaft. In addition, a support member which is mounted on the steering shaft for assembling a bearing thereon is constituted by a single structure to preclude disconnection or disintegration of component parts caused by the thrust acting thereon and provided with claw portions or caulking wall portions for holding the bearing securely in position.

Abstract: In a transmission for automobiles including; a housing containing planetary gear units respectively having at least three revolving elements, such as ring gears, sun gears and a carrier; an input shaft connected to one of the revolving elements of the planetary gear units, and an output shaft connected to another one of the three revolving elements of the planetary gear units and rotatably supported on the input shaft through the medium of a first antifriction bearing means consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller; the improvements comprising; a face of the input shaft substantially vertical with respect to the axis of the assembly, one of the inner and outer races of the first antifriction bearing means being adapted to engage the face of the input shaft; a second antifriction bearing means disposed between the input shaft and the housing so as to support the input shaft rotatably and consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller, and a pressure means screwed with the end of said inp

Abstract: A power transmission unit for a motor vehicle comprises an auxiliary transmission for selectively completing low and high speed drive power trains, the auxiliary transmission having an input shaft drivingly connected to an output shaft of an engine through a disengageable coupling, a primary transmission arranged between the disengageable coupling and the auxiliary transmission and having a main sleeve shaft in surrounding relationship to the input shaft and a countershaft arranged in parallel with the main sleeve shaft, the main sleeve shaft being connected with an output member of the auxiliary transmission and provided integral with a plurality of drive gears for selectively driving respective change-speed gears on the countershaft, and a final drive gearing drivingly connected to the countershaft to drive a differential gear unit.

Abstract: A transmission for an automotive vehicle, including an auxiliary speed change device of a planetary gear mechanism type, which provides two speed stages and is automatically shifted between the two speed stages by a hydraulic fluid control system according to the operational conditions of the vehicle, and a main speed change device which is connected in series to the auxiliary speed change device, and which includes a gear transmission mechanism, which is manually shiftable between several speed stages.

Abstract: A transmission for an automotive vehicle, including a manually controlled main transmission and an automatically controlled subtransmission. The main transmission includes a main casing within which are rotatably supported a tubular intermediate shaft and a power output shaft, in parallel. Several gear wheels on each of these shafts cooperate, and by their selective engagement various different speed driving ratios may be obtained between the shafts. One end of the intermediate shaft and one end of the power output shaft project from one end of the main casing. A power input shaft passes coaxially through the tubular intermediate shaft and is rotatably supported therein. The ends of the power input shaft project from the ends of the tubular intermediate shaft.

Abstract: A die-cast transmission extension housing has an outer peripheral wall or whell and an integral bearing supporting partition wall provided transversely of the longitudinal axis of the shell between the open forward end and the closed rear end thereof. The partition wall supports at least a bearing for the transmission output shaft extending through the open forward end, the bearing on the partition wall and the closed end. The inner surfaces of the shell forwardly of the rear surface of the partition diverge to the open end of the shell so that the inner space defined by these inner surfaces and the partition can be moulded by a die-casting mould part which is slidable out of the inner space through the open end of the shell after the extension housing is die-cast. The upper wall of the extension housing is formed therein with an upper opening adapted to be closed by a shift lever retainer.

Abstract: A shift fork support structure in a manual transmission of such a type that a shift fork is axially slidable on a fork shaft comprising a bushing press-fitted into apertures formed on the shift fork and engaging the fork shaft. The inner peripheral surface of the bushing is coated by Teflon layer. With this structure, the frictional resistance between the shift fork and the fork shaft may be reduced, thus permitting the shift fork to be smoothly operated.