Abstract: In an air bag apparatus which is installed at an opening of a dashboard, a case fixed to a vehicle dashboard has an opening and side walls having through holes. A door to cover the opening of the case has connecting portions having through holes. The connecting portions of the door are connected to the side walls of the case by stays. In this case, one end of each of the stays is fixed to the outer face of one of the side walls and the other end penetrates both the respective through holes of one of the side walls and one of the connecting portions so that the door can move in three dimensions with respect to the case. As a result, the door can be disposed at the opening of the dashboard without tilting with respect to the upper surface of the dashboard.

Abstract: A vehicle collision detecting apparatus is provided which includes a casing having an opening, a base support member fitted into the opening of the casing to retain a movable contact and a stationary contact, a mass member biased by a spring in a first direction along a given path of travel defined in the casing to urge the movable contact into constant disengagement from the stationary contact, and a stopper member formed on the base support member to restrict movement of the mass member in the first direction urged by the spring to hold the movable contact at a given contact gap away from the stationary contact. The mass member is responsive to acceleration caused by impact acting on the apparatus to move in a second direction opposite the first direction against a spring force exerted by the spring to engage the movable contact with the stationary contact to provide a signal indicative of occurrence of a vehicle collision.

Abstract: A collision detecting device for a motor vehicle includes a base plate coupled within an open end of a bottomed cylindrical case and secured in place to provide a sealed chamber, a support shaft rotatably mounted within the sealed chamber, a rotary member provided on the support shaft for rotation therewith and having the center of gravity positioned eccentrically from its rotational axis, a pair of contact elements provided on the rotary member for rotation therewith and being symmetrically arranged with respect to the rotational axis of the rotary member, a pair of electric terminals fixed to the base plate, the terminals each having an internal contact portion slidably engageable with each of the contact elements and an external terminal pin for connection to an electric control circuit, and a spring disposed within the sealed chamber to apply a counteracting rotational force to the rotary member depending on an angle of rotation through which the rotary member has rotated.

Abstract: A switching device for detecting the rotational positions of a rotary shaft including a lever rotating with the rotary shaft as a unit, and an electrically conductive plate spring having a central portion and two side portions which is bent and mounted on the lever. The two side portions of the plate spring are each formed with a movable electrical contact, and electrical contacts each juxtaposed against one of the movable electrical contacts on the plate spring are formed in fixed members respectively. Rotation of the lever brings one set of movable and fixed contacts into and out of engagement with each other to detect one rotational position, and further rotation thereof brings the other set of movable and fixed contacts into and out of engagement with each other to detect another rotational position. The plate spring is held in position in flexed condition on the lever by retaining means which has the effect of positively keeping the two contacts with each other.

Abstract: A collision detecting device for automobiles or the like and adapted to produce, upon detection of a collision, an electric signal for actuating a safety device such as an air-bag.