Trw Automotive Gmbh

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Daniele Aranzulla

Martin Burkhardtsmaier

Kurt F Fischer

Bernd Issler

Douglas M Gould

Achim Hofmann

Juergen Schmid

Angelo J Adler

Alexandra E Schroeder

Timo Abele

Simon Kramer

Tomasz Pys

Lisa Stegmaier

Martina Rausch

Nico Werner

Martin Burkhardtsmaler

Jochen Weiss

Thomas Pys

A front head/torso airbag () of a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a cover surface () and a baffle surface () forming a contact face for the vehicle occupant () which merges Into the cover surface (). In the inflated state of the airbag () being in the mounted position, the baffle surface () includes a central surface portion and laterally adjacent thereto at feast one bulge () projecting from the central surface portion for laterally protecting the head ().

Front-head/chest airbag

A frontal airbag for vehicle occupants comprises a contact panel () facing the vehicle occupant in the inflated state and including upper and lower edges () as well as two lateral edges (). In the interior of the airbag, tension means () that withhold portions of the contact panel () in the inflated state are arranged at the contact panel () so that the contact panel has plural indentations. The contact panel () is composed of plural interconnected cut parts ().

Frontal airbag

The invention relates to an inflatable airbag () for protecting a person (), comprising a flexible cover () which includes at least two finger-type extensions (), wherein the flexible cover () delimits a closed gas expansion compartment () by the finger-type extensions (). The invention excels by the fact that the finger-type extensions () are arranged relative to each other such that in an inflated state the airbag () takes a three-dimensional shape and in the inflated state the finger-type extensions () at least in portions delimit a clearance (), wherein the cover () is deferrable for absorbing impact energy while deforming, especially reducing, the clearance ().

Inflatable airbag for protecting a person, airbag module, vehicle occupant restraining system comprising such an airbag, and method for producing an inflatable airbag

The invention relates to an inflatable airbag () for the protection of a person comprising a flexible sheath () which comprises at least two fingerlike extensions (), wherein the flexible sheath () delimits a closed gas expansion chamber by the fingerlike extensions (). The invention excels by the fact that the fingerlike extensions () are connected by at least one of being stitched, glued or welded to each other so that in an inflated state the airbag () takes a three-dimensional shape. The invention further relates to an airbag module, a vehicle occupant restraint system as well as vehicle parts comprising such airbag.

Inflatable airbag for protecting a person, and airbag module, vehicle parts and vehicle occupant restraint system having such an airbag

A front airbag comprises a front wall () facing an associated occupant in the inflated state which front wall serves for cushioning the vehicle occupant and is secured to a peripheral wall of the front airbag (). The front wall () is composed of at least two cut parts () so that it is curved toward the vehicle occupant and is not adapted to be flatly spread.

Front airbag

In an airbag comprising at least one aperture () which is provided in an airbag shell () and to which a closure element () is attached a tether () via which the closure element () can be maintained in a closed position acts on the closure element (). The invention moreover relates to a method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system.

Airbag and method for operating a vehicle occupant protection system

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () for being inflated between an instrument panel () and a seat () of the vehicle () is provided. The protection device () includes a front portion () that has a panel () presented towards the vehicle seat (), a rear portion () adjacent the instrument panel (), and top and bottom portions () interconnecting the front portion () and the rear portion () to define an inflatable volume (). A pocket () defines an uninflated volume () outside of the inflatable volume (). The pocket () is defined by a single panel () of the protection device (). The panel () extends along a centerline () and includes an extension () of material on each side of the centerline (). The extensions () overly one another and are interconnected along a seam () to form the pocket ().

Air bag with uninflated pocket

Elongate woven pulling means () for an airbag module comprises plural longitudinal portions () that have different warp densities. An airbag module for a vehicle safety system comprises an airbag, pulling means () coupled to the airbag and an activation unit coupled to the pulling means for releasing the pulling means upon actuation of the activation unit. The pulling means () is an elongate woven pulling means having different warp densities which is fastened to the airbag by a first end portion () of low warp density, preferably by stitching, and is coupled to the activation unit by a longitudinal portion () of high warp density. A method of manufacturing such pulling means () comprises the steps of: weaving a longitudinal portion () on a loom of low warp density; and weaving a further longitudinal portion () on the loom having high or increasing warp density in the same working step. For weaving an adjustable reed having different widths is employed.

Movement limiting band for an airbag module

An airbag, especially a passenger airbag, comprises a rear injection orifice, a front wall () for the impact of the occupant as well as two opposed sidewalls () and an upper wall and a lower wall. Each of the upper and lower walls is split and consists of side portions () which are juxtaposed and are connected to each other along opposite margins ().

Airbag

An apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant () of a vehicle () comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () inflatable between a vehicle surface () and the vehicle occupant. A vent () releases inflation fluid from the protection device (). The vent () includes a vent opening with a flow area that can be adjusted to throttle inflation fluid flow through the vent. A tether () has a first connection with the vent () and a second connection with the protection device (). Tension on the tether () throttles the vent (). The second connection of the tether is positioned on the protection device () such that deployment of the protection device throttles the vent () toward an actuated condition, and occupant () penetration into the protection device throttles the vent toward a non-actuated condition.

Air bag with variable venting

An apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant () of a vehicle () comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () inflatable between a vehicle surface () and the vehicle occupant. A vent () releases inflation fluid from the protection device (). The vent () has an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition. A tether () has a first connection with the vent () and a second connection with the protection device (). Tension on the tether () actuates the vent (). The vent () is initially in the non-actuated condition upon initial deployment of the protection device (). Further deployment of the protection device () causes the tether () to place the vent () in the actuated condition. Occupant penetration into the protection device () causes the tether () to place the vent () in the non-actuated condition.

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () includes a front panel () and a rear panel () that are interconnected to at least partially define an inflatable volume () of the protection device. The rear panel () has a conical configuration resulting from portions of the rear panel being interconnected with each other.

Air bag with conical portion

A vehicle occupant restraint system comprises an airbag module () disposed in an instrument panel () the airbag () of which extends when inflated from a receipt in the instrument panel () into the interior of the vehicle (). A supporting structure () for the airbag () on a side of the airbag () facing a windscreen () is configured so that it supports the airbag () against the forces occurring when a vehicle occupant immerses in the airbag ().

Growing community of inventors

Essingen, Germany

Daniele Aranzulla