Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Horacio Shakespear

Richard E Denzer

Gerald J Marsh

The disclosure relates to a small lightweight automotive vehicle having a frame supported on front and rear axles, a stationary front module containing an engine, drive train, controls, etc. and a rear seating module which is pivotally supported by the frame for movement about a generally vertically axis extending above the rear axles to permit easy entry into and exit from the vehicle. The vehicle could either have a single or a pair of pivotal rear seating modules and the basic geometric structural shell for the vehicle is a tetrahedron so that the seating module or modules when pivoted to an open position to permit entry to and exit from the vehicle requires relatively little side clearance.

Small lightweight automotive vehicle having swingable rear seating

An independent rear wheel suspension for an automobile type vehicle wherein each wheel effects negative camber orientation during both jounce and rebound deflection, the suspension including a pair of control arms supported on the vehicle body for pivotal movement about transverse axes of the body, a pair of wheel support members connected at their lower ends to respective ones of the control arms for relative pivotal movement about longitudinal axes of the control arms, and a pair of lateral control rods each having an outboard end connected to a corresponding wheel support member above the control arm connections for universal pivotal movement and to the vehicle body at the center plane thereof also for universal pivotal movement. The lower and upper portions of each wheel support member traverse arcs of substantially infinite and finite, respectively, lateral radii during jounce and rebound so that negative camber orientation is effected.

Vehicle suspension system

A track extends longitudinally inboard an occupant seat and mounts a belt carriage which slidably receives lap and shoulder belts having their outboard ends attached to the door and their inboard ends attached to the vehicle structure forwardly of the occupant. A spring urges forward movement of the carriage to stow the belts forwardly of the occupant. A lever arm associated with the door is connected with the carriage by a cable and pulley arrangement which retracts the carriage in the rearward direction as the door is closed to establish the lap and shoulder belts in their respective restraining positions without necessity of a latching arrangement to maintain the carriage in the rearward position during emergency restraint of the occupant. In a vehicle body having a center occupant, the track is located on or below the floor and mounts the outboard ends of lap and shoulder belts for the center seating position so that forward movement of the carriage permits the center seat occupant to ingress and egress through the door.

Passive occupant restraint system

A cambering vehicle having pivoted trailing arms interconnected through a cambering device including a bell crank consisting of two wing members which are connected together by a gearing arrangement and combined with a lever-operated locking device that allows the trailing arms to be freely movable for normal operation of the vehicle and to be folded towards the vehicle frame so as to provide a compact package when the vehicle is to be stowed.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Horacio Shakespear