Ford Motor Company Limited

Paul R Ervin

Ronald C Malec

Alan J Porter

A container (10) for compressed gas with a pressure relief member (18) made from a bimorph shape memory material. The bimorph (18) is impermeable by the gas. The bimorph (18) assumes a shape which changes depending on temperature. Below a critical temperature, the bimorph (18) lies in a first (deformed) state, and reverts to a second (remembered) state thereabove. The gas is entrapped within the container (10) when the bimorph (18) assumes the first state. When pressure rises due to temperature increase above the critical temperature, gas may escape from the container (10). This is because the bimorph (18) reverts to its second state, in which a relief gas passageway is opened, thereby relieving gas pressure.

Compressed gas container with shape memory alloy pressure relief member

A collapsible steering column arrangement for a vehicle is disclosed which comprises a pair of offset shafts and an extrudable housing. One of the shafts is generally fixed with respect to the vehicle and includes a first gear, a second gear and the other shaft includes in rotational driving engagement with the first gear on the one shaft for steering the vehicle and is movable with respect to the one shaft in response to an axial load imposed on the steering column arrangement. The energy of the axial load is absorbed when the second gear extrudes through the housing. In an alternative embodiment, one of the shafts includes a first gear and the other shaft includes a second gear in rotational driving engagement with the first gear to transfer rotation between the shafts, one of the gears having teeth with a width greater than the teeth of the other gear to allow the length of the steering column to be adjusted according to the driver's preference.

Large collapse mini-steering column

A collapsible steering column is mounted to a vehicle by upper and lower bend straps. The bend straps are located such that their energy-absorbing function is not susceptible to interference by intrusion of the dash during front end impact. The steering shaft length is minimized through the use of a break-away coupling located substantially inward of the dash and within the passenger compartment.

Passive impact restraining vehicular steering column assembly

An inertia responsive seat belt retractor includes an actuator pendulum operatively connected to both a locking pawl mechanism for stopping protracting movement of a webbing rewind reel and to a locking cam for simultaneously lockingly engaging the seat belt webbing.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Paul R Ervin