Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Earl Henry Nelson

Bradley W Smith

David W Parkinson

Michael Perry Jordan

Alan Ralph Larsen

Mark Ludwig Enders

Yutaka Okamoto

Guy R Letendre

Blake L Cheal

Steven R Fredin

Isaac Hoffman

Hans-Otto Kock

Eric Drake

Alan D Van Leer

Phillip R Anderson

A seatbelt pretensioner is provided including an inner tube with a gas generator housed therein, an intermediate sleeve extending over the inner tube, and a spool portion housing the sleeve and the tube. The spool portion includes spiraling flutes thereon that correspond to a protruding member in the form of flutes or pegs extending from the intermediate sleeve. In response to the gas generator firing, the sleeve will be driven longitudinally, causing the protruding member to act on the spiraling flutes of the spool, thereby causing the spool to rotate. The intermediate sleeve can include a spiraling slot that receives a peg from the inner tube, so that the intermediate sleeve will rotate to compound the spool rotation.

Seatbelt pretensioner

An apparatus for filament wrapping a composite material around an object includes a fixture onto which the object can be rotationally fixed at a selected angle from vertical designated &#x3b1;, where 90&#xb0;&#x3e;&#x3b1;&#x3e;0&#xb0;. The fixture is secured to a rotatable planar platform. The rotatable platform permits the fixture to be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the planar platform. An eyelet is provided wherethrough a composite material filament can be released to wrap the object rotationally fixed onto the fixture. Also provided are corresponding or associated methods for filament wrapping a composite material around an object and helically wrapping a composite material filament around an inflator device subassembly.

Filament wound inflators

A side impact airbag arrangement mounted in a vehicle door () has an air cavity () inside the body () of the vehicle door () an initial volume in an intact state and a reduced volume smaller than the initial volume after a side impact has deformed the door body (). An airbag cushion () is arranged in an airbag compartment () adjacent to the air cavity (). The airbag cushion () has an interior configured to be filled with a gaseous medium to inflate the airbag cushion (). Flapper valves () inserted between the air cavity () and the interior of the airbag cushion () allow a flow of air from the air cavity () into the interior of the airbag cushion () to inflate the airbag cushion () when a side impact deforms the air cavity () from the initial volume to the reduced volume.

Door-mounted airbag system

Opposite end portions of an airbag made of a folded metal plate and formed into a tubular shape are capped by respective end caps and are attached to an attachment surface of a front pillar, and the airbag is deployed along the front pillar by use of gas produced by an inflator, thereby protecting by the airbag a pedestrian that collides with the front pillar. Bolts penetrating through long holes formed in the end portions of the airbag and bolt holes of the end caps are screwed to weld nuts, and thereby the end portions of the airbag are slidably supported by the end caps. Accordingly, when the airbag is deployed the long holes slide with respect to the respective bolts toward inside in a longitudinal direction of the airbag, and a tension in the longitudinal direction of the airbag is prevented from acting on a metal plate of the airbag, thereby enabling the airbag to be deployed reliably near the end caps. Therefore, it is possible to inflate the airbag evenly along its entire length and thereby enhancing the shock absorbing performance when a pedestrian collides.

Airbag system

A reinforced frame having a roof member and a pillar includes a brace interconnected to the frame. The brace is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The deployed position is defined by the brace extending diagonally between the pillar and the roof member.

Rollover protection system for a motor vehicle and related method

An airbag module has a rigid cushion with an integrated inflator. The cushion has a rear cushion panel and the inflator may have a front inflator plate attached to the rear cushion panel. A rear inflator plate is optionally provided and may be positioned within the cushion or outside the cushion. A pyrotechnic may be disposed within the space between the front inflator plate and the rear cushion panel and/or the rear inflator plate. An initiator may be seated in the rear inflator plate and/or the rear cushion panel to initiate combustion of the pyrotechnic. Instead of the front inflator plate, the inflator may have an expanse of tape that secures the pyrotechnic and/or the initiator to the interior of the cushion. The pyrotechnic may be sealed by the tape or by a foil pouch. The initiator may be secured by the tape or by a rear inflator plate.

Airbag cushion with integrated inflator

An impact energy management system for absorbing or displacing kinetic energy during a collision. The system includes a housing defining a chamber and a contact element disposed at least partially within the chamber and longitudinally movable therein. A tab extends from a side wall of one of the housing and the contact element. Prior to a collision, the contact element is disposed in an impact position, and upon the collision the contact element moves within the chamber. The tab contacts a side wall portion of an other of the one of the housing and the contact element. The side wall of the housing and/or the contact element tears to absorb or displace kinetic energy during the collision, thereby reducing the force of the impact by transferring energy through the tearing.

Vehicle impact energy management system

An airbag restrain system is disclosed for use in automotive protective systems. The airbag restraint system includes an inflatable airbag cushion having a tether coupled to the interior surface of the cushion. The airbag restraint system further includes first and second inflators for dual mode airbag cushion deployment. Upon a pre-impact condition, the first inflator deploys to partially inflate the cushion and release the tether. The second inflator also deploys to inflate the cushion to approximately full capacity. Upon an impact condition, only the second inflator deploys and the tether extends until taut to limit expansion of the cushion. Means are provided to retain and release the tether in response to the first inflator.

Airbag cushion with dual mode deployment for pre-impact and impact conditions

Disclosed are embodiments of methods and apparatus for inflating an airbag with a tether release system. In one embodiment of the invention, first and second inflators are employed. A tether is operatively connected with one of the inflators such that the system is configured to release the tether upon deployment of one of the inflators and to allow the tether to restrict the full inflation size of the airbag upon deployment of the other inflator.

Airbag tether release

A flexible inflator provides enhanced features to an inflatable airbag restraint such as flexibility to facilitate installation in the tight spaces along the sides of a vehicle. The flexible inflator may include a housing with first and second ends made of corrugated metal. End caps are attached to each end of the cylindrical housing to form a pressure vessel. Combustible material, capable of generating inflation fluid, is positioned within a membrane inside the housing. An initiator is in communication with the combustible material, for initiating a combustible reaction within the housing. The housing is surrounded by a steel wire over-braid. The corrugated steel housing can be readily pierced without leaving a burr to damage the environmental seal. The corrugation also provides a plenum allowing gasses to readily flow from around the inflation fluid generant.

Flexible airbag inflator

A folded rigid knee airbag for preventing the lower body portion of a vehicle occupant from being propelled forward during a collision is provided. The folded rigid knee airbag includes a back panel and a front panel attached to the back panel. Both the front panel and the back panel may be made from a rigid material, such as sheet metal. The back panel may include first and second accordion folds, and first and second vertical folds. The airbag may be in communication with an inflator. During discharge of the inflator, the accordion folds and the vertical folds unfold to form four substantially planar walls. The accordion folds and the vertical folds enable the front panel to remain substantially flat and maintain a substantially uniform cross-sectional area during inflation.

Growing community of inventors

West Haven, UT, United States of America

Earl Henry Nelson