A garment support assembly includes a base element mounted on a vehicle wall. The base element has a transversely extending groove which is located adjacent the vehicle wall. The garment support assembly also includes a single continuous ring element. The ring element includes an inverted U-shaped hanger receiving portion closed by a transversely extending rod portion. The rod portion is slip-fittedly seated in the groove on the base element and is captured between the base element and the vehic...

A retainer clip includes a retainer portion having an axially extending tubular wall which is radially expandable for snap-fitted radial engagement with a reduced diameter portion of a rod such that the retainer clip is radially and axially trapped on the reduced diameter portion of the rod and can only be removed by simultaneous application of dual directional forces. The retainer clip includes the retainer portion, a washer portion, and a hinge portion integrally connecting the retainer portio...

A method and system for folding an air bag for a supplemental inflatable restraint system for use in a vehicle wherein the air bag includes a front face, a rear face, upper and lower edges, an inflation opening located on the front face, and an upper portion defined between the upper edge and the inflation opening and a lower portion defined between the lower edge and the inflation opening. The air bag is initially placed in a flattened position and the lower portion is provided with a series of...

An air bag module includes an inflator and an air bag for inflation. The air bag includes retainer bars for attachment of the air bag to the housing. The module further includes an axially elongated, open-ended, generally cylindrical extruded housing having a circular-shaped cross section defined by a single cylindrical wall having an internal wall surface and an external wall surface. The housing includes integrally extruded air bag channels directly disposed on the external wall surface. The i...

A steering wheel and air bag module assembly includes a steering wheel having a hub portion and a rim portion and a plurality of spoke portions connecting the hub portion to the rim portion. An air bag module is mounted to the hub portion and includes an air bag cover having a generally planar top surface. The top surface of the cover includes first, second, and third weakened portions defining a single Y-shaped tear pattern substantially covering the top surface of the cover. The air bag cover ...

An adjustable pedal mechanism for automotive vehicles utilizes a slave lever pivoted on a conventionally located laterally extending front pivot and actuated by a pedal lever on a parallel rear pivot located behind and below the front pivot. The levers are connected by an adjustable link lying generally parallel with the plane of the front and rear pivots to form a parallelogram linkage with the link side being of variable length to vary the initial angular position of a foot pedal at the lower ...

An inflatable restraint system includes an inflator for generating inflator gas and a bladder inflatable upon generation of gas by the inflator. The bladder includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a pair of opposing end panels extending between and interconnecting the forward and rearward panels. Preferably, the bladder is made of a metal material. Also preferably, the system includes an instrument panel having a lower portion and the bladder is positioned beneath the lower portion of th...

An air bag module and membrane horn switch assembly includes an air bag cover, a membrane horn switch, a backing plate fixedly mounted on the cover in spaced relation to the cover, and a switch containment portion disposed on the backing plate. The switch containment portion releasably captures the membrane horn switch within the switch containment portion such that the membrane horn switch is normally positioned in spaced relation to the cover and such that the membrane horn switch is activated...

A method of making a one-piece steering wheel insert includes the steps of extruding material into an elongated continuous extrusion having a shape including an outer rim portion, a central hub portion and at least one spoke portion extending between the hub portion and the rim portion, cutting the extrusion into a plurality of blanks, and forming each of the blanks into a final shape of the steering wheel insert.

A structural cross car beam for transverse mounting to A-pillars on opposite sides of an automotive vehicle body. The beam comprises outer, intermediate and inner nesting structural members fixed together at upper and lower edge portions and opposite end portions and internally configured to provide a structurally stiff load carrying and support beam. The outer member has a generally U-shaped cross section with upper, rear and lower sides and an open frontal area. The intermediate member has a m...