Abstract:
A seat belt retractor (30) comprising: a frame (32) having a base and two parallel side walls (34, 36) extending therefrom, each side wall includes a first opening (40, 41) therein, a spool (50, 54), rotatably positioned relative to the side walls, first and second disks (92a, b) positioned relative to the spool, a plurality of bars or pins, the first and second disks positioned on opposite sides of the spool, the pins received within cooperating bores in the spool and joining the disks together, a shaft rotationally linked to the disks for providing an axis of rotation of the spool and disks, a locking mechanism for engaging the disks to prevent protraction of safety belt webbing.
Abstract:
An air bag having an inlet portion adapted to receive inflation gas and a cushion portion inflatable in response to inflation gas extendable to a predetermined length. The air bag additionally includes a first pleat, and an optional second pleat, formed in the cushion portion for foreshortening the length of the cushion. A portion of the first pleat provides an opening into cushion for receiving inflation gas. The air bag includes a sew pattern or seam comprising a plurality of stitches, for temporarily holding the pleats in place thereby preventing the pleats and hence the cushion portion from expanding, the sew pattern or seam arranged generally along a longitudinal fore-aft direction of inflation of the cushion portion, whereby upon receipt of inflation gas the cushion portion is inflated, the inflation gas enters the open portion of the pleats and separates and tears, in a sequential manner, each individual stitch permitting the pleat or pleats to open and the cushion portion to continue to inflate.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to an optical coupling device for facilitating the coupling of an optical fiber to an optical waveguide and to a method for fabricating such coupling device. An optical coupling device comprising: a substrate (20) having a surface region at a predetermined position on a surface of said substrate for placement of an optical waveguide; and a channel (121) on the surface of said substrate for optically aligning and coupling an optical fiber (32) having a diameter (d1) dimension d1 and an optical waveguide positioned at said predetermined position, wherein the longitudinal axis of said channel is in alignment with said predetermined position such that on placement of said optical fiber in said channel and placement of said optical waveguide in said position the light carrying core of said fiber and said waveguide are in optical alignment or substantially in optical alignment, said channel having sidewalls (16, 18) and a floor (24) wherein the separation of said sidewalls at a cross-sectional depth dimension d2 in the direction normal to said floor has a width W1 and the separation of said sidewalls adjacent to said floor has a width W2, wherein W1, W2, d1 and d2 are selected such that: (a) W2 is greater that W1; (b) d2 is greater than 1/2 d1; and (c) d1 is greater than W1 and is equal to or less than W2, wherein on placement of said optical fiber in said channel the force required to displace said optical fiber from said channel is equal to or greater than about 0.01 Newton (N), as determined by the "retaining force test"). Preferred materials for use in the fabrication of substrate (20) include printed circuit board material, polymers, quartz, glass, fused silica, semiconductor wafers and inorganic crystals.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a process of forming a composite material comprising a polymer matrix comprising a polymeric material and dispersed particles selected from the group consisting of platelet or fibrillar particles having average thicknesses of less than 50 ANGSTROM and a maximum thickness of less than about 100 ANGSTROM and fibrils having an average diameter equal to or less than about 200 ANGSTROM and a maximum diameter of about 200 ANGSTROM and having an organo metallic residue species covalently bonded to said particles, said organo metallic species having a moiety which is compatible with a polymer species in the polymer matrix, or said species having a moiety which is covalently bonded to a polymer species in the polymer matrix or a combination thereof, said dispersed particles being present in an amount less than about 60 % by weight of the composite material and to the composite material formed by such process.
Abstract:
An improved coating composition having one or more polymeric binders dispersed in a liquid medium, wherein the improvement comprises an anti-sag and anti-settling effective amount of oxidized ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymer.
Abstract:
A test for an electronically controlled braking system, such as an adaptive braking system, is made to assure that the solenoids of each of the modulators (52, 54, 66, 68) are properly wired. According to the test, each modulator (52, 54, 66, 68) is tested in sequence. The exhaust solenoid of a modulator (52, 54, 66, 68) is actuated for 10 milliseconds, and the hold solenoid is then actuated for 30 milliseconds. If the modulator (52, 54, 66, 68) has been miswired, the exhaust solenoid will have been actuated for 30 milliseconds, thus generating a much louder "popping" sound than that generated by the other modulators (52, 54, 66, 68) will be immediately noticed and corrected. Further, there is disclosed an antilock modulator valve with a variable control orifice having a relay valve (12), in which the pressure in the relay valve control chamber (28) is controlled by means of two normally open solenoid inlet valves (46, 94) in parallel, one of them being provided with a flow restricting orifice (60), and a single normally closed solenoid exhaust valve (68). During the anti-lock mode of operation pressure is (re-)applied to the control chamber (28) solely through the inlet valve (46) which is provided with the restriction (60), in order to control the rate of pressure increase. The disclosed antilock modulator valve provides a reduced brake application time during normal braking while affording a reduction in the total number of relay valves on the vehicle.
Abstract:
A brake system (10) having a master cylinder (14) connected to wheel brakes (24, 26) of a vehicle through remote compensation valves (20, 22). The master cylinder (14) has a two piece housing (66, 84) with a bore (74, 86) therein. First (32) and second (34) pistons are located in the bore (74, 96) by a sleeve and bearing arrangement (98, 82). Return springs (104, 110) in the bore (74, 96) position the first (32) and second (34) pistons to define first (106) and second (114) chambers in the master cylinder (14). The two piece housing has first (22) and second (90) flanges that are joined together by hook (94, 94', 94'', 94''') and slots (73, 73', 73'', 73''') to form a unitary structure and by bolts (47, 47') which further compress seals (102) by joining the first flange (72) to a brake booster (12) to assure that the bore (114) is sealed from the surrounding environment.
Abstract:
An air bag module having a housing having an open end defined by first (20) and second (22) side walls and first (30) and second (32) end walls; the first and second side walls and first and second end walls, proximate the open end, each comprising an extending boss (40a-d), each boss (40a-d) comprising at least one slit (42), each slit at a lower portion thereof including an enlarged portion (44); an air bag (50) including an inlet portion approximately the size and shape of the housing open end, the air bag proximate ends of the inlet portion being formed with looped portions, each looped portion being inserted within a slit (42) in a corresponding boss (40a-d); a plurality of bars inserted within each looped portion of the air bag after the looped portion is within a designated slit, for preventing the looped portion from being dislodged therefrom; a cover including a top (102) having a frangible tear portion torn open upon inflation of the air bag, side walls (106a-d) and a lip portion (108) extending inwardly from each side wall, the cover fitted to the housing supporting each looped portion and first means within a corresponding slit.
Abstract:
An air bag module (10) comprising: an extruded housing (12), the housing (12) including integrally extending sides (30a, b) and a diffuser (40) situated at a designated position along each side integrally extending between the sides. The housing defining an open ended trough (42) capable of receiving an inflator (18). Each side (30a, b), at a top portion thereof, includes a first slot (36a, b). A second slot (50a, b) is located generally at the juncture of the diffuser (40) and each side (30a, b). An air bag (14) having a neck portion (60) with a looped portion of air bag material formed at opposite sides thereof is provided. A rod (70) is fitted into each looped portion and each rod and associated looped portion are slid or pulled through one of the corresponding second slots. A cover (16) is provided to enclose the housing and protect the air bag.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a process for remediating vaporous pollutants which comprises passing a vaporous stream (6) containing one or more pollutants through a bioreactor (1), the bioreactor comprising a plurality of biologically active bodies (3), the biologically active body comprising a macroporous substrate and one or more of microorganisms capable of remediating one or more of said pollutants, wherein the substrate is fabricated from a decomposition-resistant material. The present invention further provides an apparatus for this purpose.