A vehicle passenger safety restraint arrangement where an inflatable cushion mounted in a vehicle roof is operatively connected to an inflator which inflates the inflatable cushion in the event of an accident. The inflator is conveniently positioned in the roof space adjacent to the front reinforcement rail and can be attached to the rail by a deformable bracket so that the inflator may move relative to the bracket to soften the impact if a passenger collides with the inflator during an accident.

A vehicle roof structure including a front header, a pillar support member, a side roof rail, and a roof rail outer front member. The front header has a substantially box-shaped cross-section. The pillar support member has an elongated member extending between a windshield opening and a door opening, a short first member at one end of the elongated member extending along the windshield opening, and a short second member at the end extending along the door opening. The first member includes a first edge adjoining an end of the front header. The side roof rail has a substantially box-shaped cross-section and adjoins a second edge of the pillar support second member. The roof rail outer front member is affixed to the pillar support member. The roof rail outer front member adjoins the end of the front header in a region of the first edge, adjoins the side roof rail in a region of the second edge, and extends along at least a portion of the elongated member of the pillar support member. The roof rail outer front member and the pillar support member form a substantially box-shaped cross-section extending between the first, second and elongated members such that a continuous substantially box-shaped cross-section exists throughout the joint defined by the vehicle roof structure.

There is provided an attachment structure of a seat belt system for a rear seat in which a seat belt retractor can be attached without causing an increase in vehicle weight and an increase in manufacturing cost, and the use feeling of the seat belt system is not lowered. The seat belt retractor is fixed to a bracket in the vicinity of a coupling portion. The coupling portion is defined by a D-pillar at one side of the rear of a body shell, a side rail, and a rear rail.

To fasten a reinforcement frame in an opening in a vehicle roof member, the roof member is supported on a flanging bed and moved in succession against flanging edges of a plurality of flanging jaws. To insert the jaws into the roof opening, the jaws can be displaced in a plurality of moves of individual jaws parallel to the plane of the opening in which jaws are withdrawn from straight portions of the margin of the opening to permit corner jaws to be withdrawn from comer portions of the opening.

A sealing method and apparatus involves positioning sealant carriers in a gap between first and second components to be sealed. Sealant is applied to a first major surface of the sealant carriers. As the first and second components are tightened together, the carriers are compressed and cause sealant to travel from the first major surface and through the carriers to a second major surface which is opposed to the first major surface. The sealant carriers may be positioned on respective carrier supports while sealant is being applied to the first major surface of the sealant carriers. The supports are used in initially positioning the sealant carriers in place and then are removed prior to tightening the first and second components together. The supports may include alignment mechanisms for use in aligning the sealant carriers with one of the first and second components. The sealant adheres the sealant carriers to such one of the first and second components following removal of the supports.