Abstract: An apparatus for assuring the proper seating of a seat belt mounting bolt 30 against a mounting tab 36 is provided that includes a cage member 56 receiving a drive tool 52 to abuttingly engage the tab 36 against a vehicle body panel 14 with the cage member 56 while drivingly engaging the bolt 30. Electrical contacts 66, 68 on the drive tool 52 engage the cage member 56 to provide an electrical signal indicating the bolt 30 is seated with respect to the tab 36.

Abstract: A fuel pump is mounted within the fuel tank of an automobile on a bracket attached to a flange which sealingly covers an opening in the fuel tank. The bracket has side members with materially altered sections for increasing the energy absorption capability of the bracket. Materially altered sections can take the shape of oblong slots or circular apertures in a center section of the side members, or notches along the edges of the side members. Crimped sections in the side members also serve to absorb energy imparted to the bracket.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle of the type having a front end, a rear end, a front pair of road wheels and a rear pair of road wheels located respectively adjacent to front and rear ends is disclosed. The vehicle also includes a passenger compartment area extending longitudinally between front and rear road wheels, a pair of frame members and a bumper member disposed generally transverses to the frame members. The vehicle further includes a storage compartment disposed longitudinally forward of the bumper member bounded by a plurality of body panel members and an isolation mechanism which isolates the storage compartment from longitudinal loads applied to the bumper member from a rear end collision to minimize the magnitude of the loads acting on the storage compartment.

Abstract: A passive impact energy absorbing collapsible steering column assembly including a main support bracket fixed at its base to the steering column body and having side members extending in the direction of the steering column and disposed on opposite sides of the steering column. Each side member including a guide slot bifurcating the side member into separate side rail portions, one of which constitutes a guide rail and the other constituting an impact energy absorbing side rail. A bolt is passed through each guide slot to secure the main support bracket to a support structure and is of a diameter greater than the width of the guide slot thereby offering resistance through bending deformation of the energy absorbing side rail portion to the collapse of the steering column body throughout the period of sustained impact.