Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Charles B Steger

Kenneth H Reid

Bernard J Finn

Kenneth R Meloche

Active suspension for vehicles with a dual acting hydraulic actuator providing foreshortened overall length for a given amount of stroke. A conventional suspension unit when designed to give appropriate wheel travel protruded through the hood. The cylinder tube of the actuator of this invention makes use of concentric tubes proportioned to provide the same pressure-force relationship in both directions and to be no larger than the conventional unit. This actuator also incorporates a trapped air volume that is separate from the oil volumes. This air volume can be appropriately sized so that an air-spring is created by the moving piston. The air spring is of approximately the correct load an rate for the vehicle. This removes the requirement for carrying static vehicle load from the hydraulic portion of the device, which reduces power consumption. This eliminates the requirement for a coil spring around the actuator to carry these static loads and provides a 'limp-home' capability in the event that the hydraulic system becomes damaged.

Dual acting hydraulic actuator for active suspension system

A MacPherson type suspension strut in which an air suspension spring boot mounted on a steerable strut housing connects into a boot end cap in turn rigidly secured to the piston rod of the strut shock absorber adjacent the upper end thereof. The piston rod is pivoted to an upper mount so that the piston rod turns with the strut housing on steering input. The pneumatic seal between the boot end cup and piston rod is therefore static for improved sealing performance and service life.

Steerable suspension strut with pneumatic spring

A seat belt retractor has a belt reel rotatably mounted on a support member which is mounted on the housing by a pivot axis spaced from the reel shaft. A lockbar is pivotally mounted on the housing for movement between a locking position engaging a ratchet plate attached to the reel and an unlocked position disengaged from the ratchet plate to permit belt unwinding. A latch acts between the reel and the support member to normally latch the reel support member with the housing at a position establishing the reel ratchet plate in proximity with the lockbar for the selective locking engagement by the lockbar. The latch may be manually disengaged to permit the belt load acting on the reel to pivot the support member about the pivot axis and thereby carry the reel and ratchet plate away from locking engagement with the lockbar to permit belt unwinding irrespective of the lockbar being located at the locking position.

Lockbar release for inertia locking seat belt retractor

A seat belt retractor has a belt reel rotatably journaled on a housing. A ratchet plate carried by the reel has teeth facing in both the belt winding and unwinding directions. A lockbar is pivotally movable between a disengaged position allowing reel rotation and first and second ratchet engaging positions overcenter from one another with respect to the axis of reel rotation for engagement respectively with the unwinding facing and winding facing ratchet teeth. A support link supports the lockbar at the disengaged position for pivotal movement by an inertia sensor into engagement with the unwinding facing teeth to lock the reel against belt unwinding and thereby restrain the seated occupant. A handle permits reciprocal movement of the support link away from the ratchet plate to permit belt unwinding reel rotation which pivots the lockbar overcenter and establishes the lockbar for subsequent engagement with the belt winding facing teeth upon initiation of belt windup by the reel windup spring so that the belt is held at the extended length to facilitate occupant egress. Subsequent reciprocal movement of the support link by the handle permits belt winding reel rotation by the rewind spring to rewind the belt and return the lockbar overcenter to the normal position for subsequent pivotal movement by the inertia sensor.

Lockbar release and anti-rewind feature for seat belt retractor

A seat belt retractor has a belt reel 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 latch lever is pivotally mounted on the housing and engages the support link to support the support link at a normal position establishing the lockbar in proximity with the ratchet plate for selective movement between locking and unlocking positions relative the ratchet plate. A handle or the like is associated with the latch lever whereby the occupant may forcibly disengage the latch lever from latching engagement with the support link thereby permitting the seat belt load imposed on the support link by the lockbar to pivot the support link away from the ratchet plate and thereby move the lockbar from the locking position to unlock the reel for a belt unwinding rotation. Springs are associated with the lockbar, the support link, and the latch lever to restore their normal positions.

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.

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Warren, MI, United States of America

Charles B Steger