Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Bernard J Finn

Kenneth H Reid

Ming-Chih Yew

Brian T Haddlesey

Kenneth R Meloche

Charles B Steger

Gene R Hawkins

James G McLeish

Herbert A Libkie

Richard L Rezanka

Steerable vehicle suspension in which lateral support is provided to the strut body as opposed to support of the strut rods to eliminate or minimize the bending loads and the strut rod. This support and provides equilibrium against the moment from the offset of the wheel load to the ball joint. The lateral support is provided by a support bracket which is attached to the inner race of the upper strut mount and turns about the kingpin axis with the strut and spring assembly during steering maneuvers. One or more rolling elastomer elements are disposed between the support bracket and the strut body. These elements provide support while allowing relative vertical motion to occur between the support bracket and the strut.

Suspension strut with side load support

A twist isolating connection between a distal end of an elastic beam disposed transversely of a vehicle sprung mass and an adjacent end of a torsion rod disposed longitudinally of the sprung mass between a suspension control arm and the elastic beam distal end, the connection including a yoke rigidly attached to the end of the torsion rod with a pair of legs straddling a platform member on the distal end of the elastic beam, and a pair of protuberances on the legs engaging opposite sides of the platform member in a common transverse plane of the sprung mass but at laterally spaced locations. The elastic beam is thus clamped between the protuberances which transfer torsional moments to the elastic beam for resistance in bending modes but which isolate the elastic beam from the torsion rod with respect to twisting of the beam due to beam bending of the torsion rod.

Elastic beam-torsion rod connection

A level control system for a motor vehicle with an unsprung mass including a wheel, a sprung mass, and a shock absorber connecting the sprung and unsprung masses comprises fluid power apparatus activatable to level the sprung mass with respect to the unsprung mass, a sensor effective to generate a signal indicating the level of the sprung mass relative to the unsprung mass and apparatus responsive to the sensor to compute the difference between the total times, within a predetermined time period, spent by the level above and below a predetermined trim band and apparatus effective to compare the difference of the times with a reference comprising a predetermined percentage of the predetermined time period and activate the fluid power apparatus if the difference exceeds the reference in magnitude, whereby the system can maintain a narrow trim band while the vehicle is not moving while avoiding unnecessary corrections and cycling due to excursions above and below the trim band during vehicle movement over rough surfaces.

Automatic vehicle level control

A vehicle wheel suspension includes transverse control arms for an opposed pair of road wheels and a primary suspension spring beam spaced longitudinally of the vehicle away from the control arms and interconnected therewith by torsion rods installed on axes located outboard of the swing axes of the transverse control arms.

Vehicle wheel suspension

Vehicle suspension strut having onboard service of shock absorber cartridge through access opening in the mount tower and through the upper mount while the road wheel remains on the support surface.

Suspension strut for vehicles with onboard service of shock absorber

In a vertical telescopic strut and transverse lower control arm type suspension, such elements are interconnected at a point substantially inboard between the ends of the control arm and the wheel support knuckle is substantially outboard of the strut axis at the distal outer end of the lower control arm. A second transversely extending control arm for the wheel knuckle is swingably mounted upon the lower telescopic portion of the strut above the lower control arm.

A linear belt storage retractor includes a locking mechanism attached to the end of the belt and travelling vertically inside a vertical tubular housing mounted on the vehicle body. The weight of the locking mechanism retracts the belt into the tubular housing. The locking mechanism includes a ramp member attached to the belt and having a ramp surface facing the inner wall of the tubular housing. A wedge member is seated upon the ramp surface and moves radially relative the inner wall upon axial movement relative the ramp member. A platform engages the wedge member and is spring biased to support the wedge member at a normal position away from the inner wall. Upon occurrence of ramp member acceleration with the belt in the belt extending direction, the resting inertia of the wedge member and platform overcomes the spring so that movement of the wedge member lags behind the ramp member and the ramp member forces the wedge member radially outward to initiate self actuating frictional locking engagement of the wedge member with the inner walls to lock the ramp member against belt extending movement. A pendulum acts upon the platform to move the wedge member axially relative the ramp member in response to a vehicle deceleration so that the wedge member moves radially to engage the inner wall and thereby initiate self actuating frictional locking engagement to lock the belt against belt extending movement.

Seat belt retracting and locking mechanism

A seat belt retractor and locking mechanism includes a cable attached to the restraint belt and attached to a spring biased reel. A housing encircles the cable and encloses first and second collet members having aligned inner walls with mating recesses defining a cable passage therethrough and opposed-facing angularly-inclined outer walls. First and second rollers are interposed respectively between the housing and the inclined outer walls of the collet members. A pair of spring clips acting between the collet members and an adjustable support plate for the rollers cooperate to establish a normal spaced apart position of the collet members in which the cable passes freely through the cable passage during belt extension and retraction induced by winding and unwinding of the cable from the reel. A pendulum sensitive to a predetermined magnitude of vehicle deceleration is effective to initiate axial movement of the collet members so that the rollers coact with the inclined outer walls to contract the collet members into gripping engagement with the cable. The forward momentum of the occupant imparts a load on the restraint belt and cable so that the coaction between the rollers and the inclined outer walls cause the cable to be progressively gripped to thereby lock the effective length of the restraint belt.

A buckle assembly for a continuous loop lap and shoulder restraint belt system includes a latch plate assembly carried by the belt and a buckle mounted on the body. The latch plate includes a housing having a cinching member pivotally mounted thereon. The continuous loop belt passes around the cinching member. The buckle has a lip member on the buckle housing which projects into proximity with the restraint belt generally along one side of the cinching member to provide an abutment surface against which the cinching member may clamp the restraint belt. When a load is imposed on the lap belt portion of the continuous loop belt, the cinching member is rotated in the direction to clamp the belt against the abutment surface of the buckle housing to prevent sliding movement of the continuous loop belt in the direction to increase the length of the lap belt. When a load is imposed on the shoulder belt portion of the continuous loop belt, the cinching member is pivoted in the opposite direction to unclamp the continuous loop belt and permit sliding movement of the belt in the direction to shorten the lap belt portion and lengthen the shoulder belt portion. When the latch plate is disengaged from the buckle the belt may pass freely in either direction around the cinching member so that the latch plate is free falling to a desired position along the belt.

Buckle assembly for continuous loop occupant restraint belt system

A belt for restraint of a seat occupant has an upper end mounted on the vehicle body generally above and rearward a door opening and a lower end mounted on the body generally adjacent the occupant hip. A retractor mounts one of the belt ends and winds the belt to a stowed position extending partially across the door opening and partially obstructing access to a vehicle compartment located behind the occupant seat. A track extends along the roof rail forwardly from the upper end of the belt. A carriage is slidably movable along the track and has a belt loop slidably encircling the belt. A hand grip is provided on the carriage by which the carriage may be manually gripped for forward sliding movement along the track to unwind the belt from the retractor and stow a belt portion along the roof rail and thereby substantially lessen the belt obstruction of access to the compartment behind the seat. A latch is provided to latch the carriage at the forward position and is releasable to permit rearward movement of the carriage by the retractor to reestablish the shoulder belt in the normal stowed position in readiness for donning by the occupant.

Restraint belt positioner

A seat belt retractor for use in a passive seat belt system having one of the belt ends attached to the vehicle door. A belt reel is rotatably mounted on the retractor housing for belt winding and unwinding rotation. A toothed ratchet plate is carried by the reel. A lockbar is pivotally mounted on a support link which is in turn pivotally mounted on the retractor housing. A stop provided on the housing limits movement of the support link in the direction toward the toothed ratchet plate to establish the support link at a normal position wherein the pivot axis of the lockbar is situated over center with respect to the locking face of the lockbar and the pivot axis of the support link. Accordingly, whenever the inertia sensing pendulum moves the lockbar into locking engagement with the ratchet plate, the stop supports the support link and the lockbar against movement by the belt load so that the reel is locked against unwinding rotation. A manually operated handle is connected to the support link and permits the occupant to forcibly move the support link in the direction away from the stop and the ratchet plate so that the pivot axis of the lockbar is moved over center with respect to the support link pivot axis and the face of the lockbar engaging the ratchet plate. Thus, the lockbar is disengaged from locking engagement with the ratchet plate so that the belt may be unwound to terminate restraint of the occupant and permit opening movement of the door.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Bernard J Finn