Abstract: A buckle pre-tensioner on a chassis support member, at the left side frame, one of two side frames 14-1 (left and right side frames) holding the seat pad of a seat cushion, respectively. A band 18 extends below the seat pad, extending between the left and right side frames. The band is fastened at one end to the right side frame, and at the other end 18b (free end) to the right side frame. The other end 18b is pulled at an emergency. A direction changing member 14-1a is provided on the left side frame. Via the direction changing member 14-1a, the free end 18b of the band extends along the left frame to the pre-tensioner and is connected the pre-tensioner. At an emergency, the pre-tensioner pulls both the seat belt 16 and the free end 18b of the band.

Abstract: Links are provided, each between one of the side frames of the seat cushion and the support member, and can be swung. A band extends at a substantially center part of the seat cushion and between the side frames, and is provided beneath the seat pad. One end of the band is secured to the top of one side frame, and the other end (free end) hangs over the top of the other side frame. The free end of the band further extends via the direction changing member provided on the side frame, first passing by a first relay point, i.e., the axle of the link provided on the side frame, and then passing by a second relay point, i.e., the axle of the link provided on the support member. At an emergency, the traction device pulls and stretches the band.

Abstract: An unlocking mechanism of inclinable headrest includes a push button having a connecting element and an internal frame having a cylindrical element defining a through-bore in which the push button is slidably accommodated. Provided within the internal frame is a slidable lever element having one end operatively connected with a lock gear for locking the headrest and another end having a connecting hole in which the connecting element of the push button is resiliently inserted and engaged. The slidable lever element is slidably supported by a guide element so that the connecting hole thereof is retained at a location corresponding to the through-bore of the cylindrical element. Hence, in assembly, simple insertion by a worker of the push button in the cylindrical element results in quick and precise connection of the push button's connecting element with the slidable lever element's connecting hole invisibly disposed in the headrest.

Abstract: An inclinable headrest includes a base bracket including first and second side walls, a ratchet gear, and a lock gear movable for engagement with the ratchet gear. Both ratchet and lock gears are disposed inwardly of the first and second side walls. The lock gear has a connecting hole. The first side wall of the base bracket has an opening defined at a location where the connecting hole of the lock gear exists, and a connecting region defined near to that opening. Provision of those opening and connecting region allows direct and quick connection by a worker' hand of a tension spring between the lock gear and base bracket from the outside, such that the worker can directly engage one end of the tension spring with the lock gear's connecting hole through the opening, while directly engaging the other end thereof with the base bracket's connecting region.

Abstract: To provide a passenger protective device and method that can achieve a stable protective performance even when deploying the airbag from the seat belt, thus allowing for appropriate restraint of the passenger's head. Passenger protective device 1 makes the timing in which the internal pressure of thigh airbag 12 peaks slower than the timing in which the internal pressure of head airbag 11 peaks. In addition, it also makes the timing in which the capacity of thigh airbag 12 reaches the maximum slower than the timing in which the capacity of head airbag 11 reaches the maximum. In this manner, the passenger's head, which moves due to inertial force, is caught by head airbag 11 and head airbag 11 is supported by thigh airbag 12, which is softer than said airbag 11. Therefore, the passenger's head can be caught softly.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion. The second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.

Abstract: A passenger restraint device of a motor vehicle comprises a plurality of predicting devices each being able to predict or detect a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle in front of the vehicle. A sensitivity adjusting device is able to adjust a sensitivity of at least one of the predicting devices. Reversible passenger restraining devices are able to reversibly restrain a passenger in the vehicle. Non-reversible passenger restraining devices are able to non-reversibly restrain the passenger in the vehicle. A control unit, based on a signal from the one of the predicting devices that has been subjected to the sensitivity adjustment by the sensitivity adjusting device, controls operation of the reversible and non-reversible passenger restraining devices.

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt apparatus includes a reel to wind a seat belt, a motor to control a belt tension of the seat belt by rotating the reel, and a lock section to allow rotation of the reel in a normal state, and to prevent rotation of the reel in a belt extracting direction in an actuated state. A control section is provided to restrict a lock operation of the lock section by rotating the motor in a belt retracting direction when the belt tension is controlled by the motor.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system of the present invention has: a seat belt restraint device (13) including a shoulder belt (11) which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant (C) diagonally from one of the shoulders (Cs) to the chest (Cc), and a lap belt (12) which restrains the waist (Cw) of the vehicle occupant (C); an upper air bag (30) supported by an upper support point (32) provided on the shoulder belt (11); a lower air bag (31) supported by a lower support point (33) provided on the lap belt (12) and coming into contact with the upper air bag (30) in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and an air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1–H9).

Abstract: An occupant protection system for protecting an occupant from side collision of a vehicle (20, 200) has a restraint member (5, 103) provided between the occupant and a side face of the vehicle (20, 200), and restraining a shoulder and a thigh of the occupant toward the inside of the vehicle (20, 200) when the collision to the side face occurs. Further, the system has a switching apparatus reversibly switching between a normal state in which the restraint member (5, 103) is accommodated at a place where the restraint member (5, 103) does not affect the occupant getting on and off the vehicle (20, 200) and an collision preparation state where the restraint member (5, 103) is positioned between the side face of the vehicle (20, 200) and the shoulder and the thigh of the occupant.

Abstract: To provide a passenger protective device and method that can achieve a stable protective performance even when deploying the airbag from the seat belt, thus allowing for appropriate restraint of the passenger's head. Passenger protective device 1 makes the timing in which the internal pressure of thigh airbag 12 peaks slower than the timing in which the internal pressure of head airbag 11 peaks. In addition, it also makes the timing in which the capacity of thigh airbag 12 reaches the maximum slower than the timing in which the capacity of head airbag 11 reaches the maximum. In this manner, the passenger's head, which moves due to inertial force, is caught by head airbag 11 and head airbag 11 is supported by thigh airbag 12, which is softer than said airbag 11. Therefore, the passenger's head can be caught softly.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system of the present invention has: a seat belt restraint device (13) including a shoulder belt (11) which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant (C) diagonally from one of the shoulders (Cs) to the chest (Cc), and a lap belt (12) which restrains the waist (Cw) of the vehicle occupant (C); an upper air bag (30) supported by an upper support point (32) provided on the shoulder belt (11); a lower air bag (31) supported by a lower support point (33) provided on the lap belt (12) and coming into contact with the upper air bag (30) in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and an air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1-H9).

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus is provided to apply a proper restrictive feeling on passengers, corresponding to traveling condition of a vehicle. In the seatbelt apparatus, on receipt of detection signals from a fore-and-aft acceleration sensor 97 and a left-and-right acceleration sensor 99, a controller 101 controls respective tensions of seatbelts for driver seat and assistant driver's seat individually. Owing to the controller 101, it is established at a vehicle's braking to make a seatbelt tension of the assistant driver's seat larger than that of the driver seat. When the vehicle is turning, it is carried out to make a seatbelt tension of the driver seat larger than that of the assistant driver's seat.

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus includes a deceleration detecting sensor for detecting a decelerating state of a vehicle and a controller for controlling the drive of a motor for the seatbelt apparatus corresponding to a detected value of the deceleration detecting sensor. The controller is provided with a correcting unit for correcting the detected value of the deceleration detecting sensor in anticipation of the future so as to advance the operational timing of the motor. By advancing the judgment timing for urgency so that the operational timing of the motor is hastened, it is possible to restrain a passenger's body in an emergency certainly without enhancing a restraining force of a webbing unnecessarily.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion. The second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus includes a first pretensioner for winding a webbing to a retractor by a predetermined tension, a second pretensioner for applying a tension to the webbing in an emergency to restrain a passenger finally, a brake-pedal stroke sensor for detecting a manipulated amount of a brake pedal, a laser radar for detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle and a first controller for controlling the tension by the first pretensioner in accordance with at least one of a tension control based on the detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor and another tension control based on the detection data by the laser radar. In operation, under the tension control based on detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor, the first controller allows the first pretensioner to always operate when it is judged that the vehicle is braking in an emergency. Under the tension control based on detection data by the laser radar, the first controller allows the first pretensioner to operate selectively.

Abstract: A passenger restraint device of a motor vehicle comprises a plurality of predicting devices each being able to predict or detect a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle in front of the vehicle. A sensitivity adjusting device is able to adjust a sensitivity of at least one of the predicting devices. Reversible passenger restraining devices are able to reversibly restrain a passenger in the vehicle. Non-reversible passenger restraining devices are able to non-reversibly restrain the passenger in the vehicle. A control unit, based on a signal from the one of the predicting devices that has been subjected to the sensitivity adjustment by the sensitivity adjusting device, controls operation of the reversible and non-reversible passenger restraining devices.

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus includes a first pretensioner for winding a webbing to a retractor by a predetermined tension, a second pretensioner for applying a tension to the webbing in an emergency to restrain a passenger finally, a brake-pedal stroke sensor for detecting a manipulated amount of a brake pedal, a laser radar for detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle and a first controller for controlling the tension by the first pretensioner in accordance with at least one of a tension control based on the detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor and another tension control based on the detection data by the laser radar. In operation, the first controller adopts the control based on the detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor while taking its precedence over the control based on the detection data by the laser radar.

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt apparatus includes a reel to wind a seat belt, a motor to control a belt tension of the seat belt by rotating the reel, and a lock section to allow rotation of the reel in a normal state, and to prevent rotation of the reel in a belt extracting direction in an actuated state. A control section is provided to restrict a lock operation of the lock section by rotating the motor in a belt retracting direction when the belt tension is controlled by the motor.

Abstract: A seatbelt apparatus includes a first pretensioner for winding a webbing to a retractor by a predetermined tension, a second pretensioner for applying a tension to the webbing in an emergency to restrain a passenger finally, a brake-pedal stroke sensor for detecting a manipulated amount of a brake pedal, a laser radar for detecting an obstacle in front of a vehicle and a first controller for controlling the tension by the first pretensioner in accordance with at least one of a tension control based on the detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor and another tension control based on the detection data by the laser radar. In operation, the first controller adopts the control based on the detection data by the brake-pedal stroke sensor while taking its precedence over the control based on the detection data by the laser radar.