Abstract: An air bag cover for covering an air bag in a folded state, the air bag being adapted to expand in front of a seat occupant at a sudden deceleration of the vehicle speed. The air bag cover includes a first thin-wall portion which is first broken by the expanding pressure at the time of the inflation of the air bag and a second thin-wall portion which is broken after the breakage of the first thin-walled portion has advanced. The first thin-walled portion and the second thin-walled portion are connected to each other in such a manner as to be substantially perpendicular to each other. A connecting portion between the two thin-walled portions has an even smaller thickness than the thicknesses of the two thin-walled portions, thereby permitting the breakage of the first thin-walled portion to advance smoothly to the second thin-walled portion.

Abstract: An air bag includes a base plate, and a cover, together with the base plate, forming a bag accommodating space. The air bag is mounted on a vehicle by passing bolts through the base plate into the bag accommodating space and threading them with nuts fixed to the side of the base plate located in the bag accommodating space. The nuts are covered by caps so as to prevent damage to a bag accommodated in the bag accommodating space.

Abstract: A steering wheel for a vehicle includes spokes made of a flexible casing alloy by a molding process so that they integrally connect a boss and a steering wheel rim. Accordingly, the production of the steering wheel is facilitated.

Abstract: An energy absorbing apparatus for a steering wheel includes an energy absorbing portion or member disposed between a steering shaft and a steering wheel rim. The energy absorbing member is constituted by an annular relatively thin plate which surrounds the axis of the steering shaft. A portion of the energy absorbing member is bent in the plane orthogonal to the axis of the steering shaft, whereby the bent portion is deformed when a collision occurs, and the kinetic energy is thereby absorbed. The deformable bent portion is provided with a plurality of slits extending radially of the steering shaft and has embossed portions each defined between a pair of adjacent slits, whereby it is possible to control the absorption of any impact load and adjust the amount of kinetic energy which it is intended should be absorbed.

Abstract: A rack-and-pinion type steering gear for automotive vehicles including a columnar rack guide made of resin having a small coefficient of friction. An outer diameter of the rack guide in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of a rack bar is greater than an inner diameter of a rack guide hole for insertion of the rack guide in such a manner that the transverse cross-section of the rack guide is elliptical. With this arrangement, vibration of the rack guide in the rack guide hole due to an external force dynamically acting on the rack bar, thereby preventing generation of noise from the rack guide hole.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for turning over a clutch pedal which comprises an arm for turning the clutch pedal over, a rod connecting the arm to the clutch pedal for joint rotation upon working of the clutch pedal and a tension spring provided between the arm and the clutch pedal. When the clutch pedal is worked until it reaches a predetermined position, the direction of force of the tension spring acting on the clutch pedal for returning it to its initial position is changed to assist forward movement of the clutch pedal. The device further includes a means connected to the rod for applying lateral force to the rod.