Other

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Eric N Streif

Timothy A Swann

Ernst M Faigle

Roy D Van Wynsberghe

Paul A Bowers

Homer William Fogle, Jr

Brian R Pitstick

Ivan L Stonich

Lee D Bergerson

Dean M Esterberg

Christopher C Shih

Bryan W Shirk

John P O'Loughlin

Jack L Blumenthal

Douglas P Campbell

David H Lewis, Jr

A pretensioner ( ) tensions vehicle seat belt webbing ( ). The pretensioner ( ) has a member ( ) movable by an actuating fluid to tension the seat belt webbing ( ). The pretensioner ( ) further has at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device ( ) energizable to supply actuating fluid to move the member ( ).

Seat belt webbing pretensioner using MEMS devices

An inflator ( ) includes an assembly ( ) comprising a plurality of individually energizable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices ( ) for, when energized, actuating the inflator. The assembly ( ) further comprises a sensor mechanism ( ) for sensing a condition of the inflator ( ) and for generating a control signal indicative of the sensed condition. The plurality of MEMS devices ( ) are responsive to the control signal to control actuation of the inflator ( ).

Air bag inflators

An apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (12) includes a pressure vessel (16) containing inflation fluid, and a source of thermal energy which heats the inflation fluid. An initiator assembly (17), when actuated, initiates an outlet flow of the inflation fluid from the pressure vessel (16). The initiator assembly (17) includes a first actuatable device (18) which varies the degree to which the thermal energy can heat the inflation fluid, and further includes a second actuatable device (20) which causes the source to release the thermal energy to heat the inflation fluid. The initiator assembly (17) is actuated in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages. The differing stages correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions, and include a 'softest' stage in which only the first actuatable device (18) is actuated.

Vehicle occupant protection apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Higley, AZ, United States of America

Eric N Streif