Abstract: A pinion and upper and lower internal gears are adapted to be subassembled to a hub portion of a steering wheel prior to mounting on a steering shaft. An anchor leg is provided to the lower end of the lower internal gear and has a pair of opposed lateral sides which are opposed in the lateral direction perpendicular to the diametrical direction of the lower internal gear. A location arm is provided to the upper end of a stationary column and has a bifurcated upper end to loosely receive therewithin the anchor leg. The bifurcated end of the location arm is resiliently deformed by a screw driven thereinto to contact the lateral opposed sides of the anchor leg.

Abstract: In a passive restraint seat belt structure wherein a seat belt end is fixed to a slider which is movable along a mounting rail, and which is to be fixed to the rear end of the rail when the door of the vehicle is closed, a locking device for fixing the slider is disclosed. The slider is driven by a driver member which is loosely connected to the slider with a certain amount of free play therebetween. When the slider is driven backwards, the driver member is in a first position relative to the slider which allows engagement between an engagement assembly on the slider and an engagement assembly fixed on the body of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle seat belt retractor having an emergency locking mechanism of two seat belts is disclosed.

Abstract: A passive seat belt system includes a mechanical linkage between the seat back and a guide member which holds the belt in an appropriate operating position. The linkage serves to move the guide member forward as the seat back is tilted forward, to move the guide member to its normal working position when the seat back is moved to its normal upright position, and to hold the guide member in its working position as the seat back is tilted backwards. The mechanical linkage includes a linkage lever, of which one end is pivotably attached to the seat back and the another end constitutes a contoured lost-motion linkage engaging the pivotable guide member. The lost-motion linkage is designed to actuate movement of the guide member when the seat back moves within the forward moiety of its reclining range, and to be only slackly engaged with the guide member when the seat back is moved in the portion of its reclining range rearward of its normal upright position.

Abstract: A rotary wheel with a peripheral recess rotates with the adjusting movement of a motor-driven, adjustably movable seat. A manual lever is operable to freely rotate the wheel relative to the seat to an angular rest position, where a contact element of a memory switch engages in the recess of the wheel. When the seat moves back to the initial position after an adjusting movement, the contact element snaps into the recess to open the switch stopping the motor so that the seat automatically resumes the initial position.

Abstract: A safety seat belt arrangement for protecting an automotive seat occupant.

Abstract: A seat belt device used for a two-door automotive vehicle in which the seat back of the front seat is tilted forward whenever the passenger taking the rear seat gets out of the passenger compartment. In the seat belt device according to the present invention, since the seat belt is moved frontward along the side surface of the seat cushion by the use of a link mechanism, when the seat back is tilted forward, it is possible to open or close the vehicle side door smoothly without pinching the seat belt between the seat cushion and the seat back.

Abstract: A door for an automobile disclosed herein comprises a glass run rubber embraced in a door frame for guiding a window glass, the glass run rubber formed with a channel for receiving a wire harness extending from a buckle for releasing a seat belt in an emergency to a belt wearing alarm device for warning with a signal a driver of a disconnection of the seat belt to the buckle, thereby eliminating a notch formed in the door frame which would reduce the rigidity of the door, preventing the wire harness from being cut by an edge of a notch formed in the door frame and eliminating extra parts for retaining the wire harness in the channel.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor including guide means for maintaining the two seat belts smooth and twist-free. The guide means has two guiding portions extending upwardly and angled towards each other like the sides of an isosceles triangle. The guiding portions optionally have pivot means at their central portions permitting automatic repositioning to accommodate passenger movements. The retractor causes the belts to retract smoothly and without jamming or twisting.

Abstract: A belt supporting member mounted on an inner side of a hinged door of a vehicle is constructed of a resilient wire and comprises a base portion fixed to the inner side of the door, a fulcrum portion extending from the base portion, a hair-pin portion extending downwardly from the fulcrum portion, a straight portion extending upwardly from the hair-pin portion while making an obtuse angle relative to the hair-pin portion, and a belt supporting portion extending from the straight portion for supporting thereon a portion of the belt. The connection of the belt supporting member to the door is such that when no external force is applied to the belt supporting member, the hair-pin portion is raised by a certain angle from the inner side of the door permitting the straight portion to lie on the inner side of the door by making the fulcrum portion act as a fulcrum. A blocking member is mounted to the vehicle body at a portion to which the top of the hair-pin portion is engageable upon closing of the door.

Abstract: A covering structure of a guide rail fixed to an inner wall of a vehicle body, within which is slidably guided a slide member connected to a seat belt which comprises: a decorative cover covering the guide rail and slide member and flexible yarn-like bodies in the form of a brush at lower edges of the decorative cover, thereby preventing dust from entering an opening of the guide rail and a hand or a finger of a child from being jammed by the slide member and guide rail and obtaining a more aesthetical appearance of the guide rail.

Abstract: A knee protector for use in a passenger car equipped with an instrument panel and a steering column installed near the instrument panel, comprises a first and second panels which are separate to each other. The steering column is positioned between the first and second panels. The first and second panels are attached under the instrument panel. A pad covering the first and second panels. The pad has a convex portion to be inserted into a space between the first and second panels.

Abstract: An emergency lock type retractor for a passive safety belt assembly of a vehicle includes a housing (1) mounted on the vehicle body, a reel (3) for the belt (4) rotatably supported by the housing and a ratchet wheel (7) secured to the reel. An inertia device (16) detects an emergent deceleration of the vehicle and causes a pawl (9) to engage with the ratchet wheel to lock the reel and prevent unwinding of the belt. The inertia device includes a first inertia member (19) perpendicularly suspended by the housing to assume a constant angle with respect to the vehicle body. The first inertia member supports a more sensitive second inertia member (22) which displaces relatively to the first inertia member as the vehicle is emergently decelerated. When the mounting angle of the housing varies with respect to the vehicle body, the first inertia member swings to stably maintain the second inertia member at a constant angular position with respect to the vehicle body.

Abstract: A section of a shock absorbing member, which is located in the vicinity of a hard projection, has higher stiffness than another section of the same which is located in the distance from the hard projection, so that when the occupant's knee portion is forced to move toward the hard projection and collides with the shock absorbing member upon vehicle collision, the knee portion under movement is forced to turn in a lateral direction, that is toward the low stiffness or safety section of the member, losing its kinetic energy.

Abstract: An emergency escape device for seat belts comprising a buckle including a latch mechanism, a tongue operative to be engaged with and disengaged from the buckle, a fixed operative member fitted to a retractor, and a release means movably fitted to the retractor and operative to disengage the tongue from the buckle.

Abstract: A covering construction of a guide rail for housing the sliding member of a passive type safety seat belt of an automotive vehicle comprises a plastic cover sheet applied on the opening of the guide rail and having a slit normally closed by the sheet member which allows the sliding member to move freely therein.

Abstract: A navigation information announcing system for a motor vehicle comprises a tape player, circuitry for measuring the distance actually travelled by the vehicle, circuitry for reproducing distance information pre-recorded on a magnetic tape, and a comparator. A distance indicated by a reproduced datum from a magnetic tape is compared with the distance actually travelled so that the tape player performs a pause operation until the two distances equal each other. When these distances equal each other, the normal playback operation is reestablished so as to reproduce oral information pre-recorded on the magnetic tape, supplying the vehicle driver with directional information.

Abstract: A rotary wheel with a peripheral recess rotates with the adjusting movement of a motor-driven, adjustably movable seat. A manual lever is operable to freely rotate the wheel relative to the seat to an angular rest position, where a contact element of a memory switch engages in the recess of the wheel. When the seat moves back to the initial position after an adjusting movement, the contact element snaps into the recess to open the switch stopping the motor so that the seat automatically resumes the initial position.

Abstract: A passive seat belt arrangement has an improved belt carrying mechanism which comprises a track member diagonally mounted on a vehicular hinged door, and a wheeled belt carrying device which runs in the track member to carry an intermediate portion of the seat belt for preparing easy-enter and occupant restraining positions of the belt in response to opening and closing movements of the door.

Abstract: A vehicle is fitted with a passive seat belt system which includes a seat belt, an emergency release tongue connected to the seat belt, and a slider which slides to and fro along a guide rail fixed to the vehicle body. An emergency release buckle is coupled to the slider, and is adapted to lock on the emergency release tongue when the emergency release tongue is inserted into it. A slider tongue is connected to the slider, and an anchor buckle is connected to the vehicle body in a position to, and adapted to, lock on the slider tongue, when the slider is in a position along the guide rail to tighten the seat belt about a person seated in the seat to insert the slider tongue into said anchor buckle.