Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Alliedsignal Inc.

Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Key Safety Systems, Inc.

Gerald Keller

Jon E Burrow

Jason W Raines

Edward W Clancy, Iii

Jeffrey Sikorski

Brian K Blackburn

David R Arnold

H John Miller, Iii

Kurt W Schulz

Bin Wang

Niels Dybro

Gunter K Clute

Rudi Grzic

Carl M Petersen, Iii

Susan A Richards

Chad Moore

Lynette M Norgan-Curtiss

William L Palmer

Lloyd Snyder

Daniel K Webb

Brian Nadeau

Frank Kiiskila

Matthew Owen

A pretensioner assembly for motor vehicle belt restraint systems is provided. The pretensioner assembly includes a tube in fluid communication with a gas generator. An elastic piston disposed within the tube is operable to drive a plurality of balls upon receiving pressurized gas discharged from the gas generator. The piston includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end includes a flexible rim that expands upon receiving pressurized gas from the gas generator, and the distal end includes a flexible rim that expands in response to backpressure from the plurality of balls. The expansion of the flexible rims at the proximal and distal ends of the piston provides a tight seal between the piston and the inner peripheral wall of the tube.

High seal retractor pretensioner piston

An adaptive load limiting seat belt retractor particularly adapted for motor vehicle applications. The retractor provides multiple levels of load limiting through the use of a pair of internal torsion bar elements. The torsion bar elements control the tension force on the seat belt webbing during an impact in a manner which provides desirable crash management characteristics. The retractor can be switched between high and low load limiting modes through activation of a pyrotechnic pretensioner. When the pyrotechnic pretensioner is not activated, the retractor provides a low load level characteristic. Pretensioner activation switches the retractor into a high load level operating condition. A high load limiting level is provided when the pretensioner is not activated if the spindle rotation exceeds a limited level in the low load limiting condition. A degressive load limiting feature may be provided to cause load limiting to begin at a higher level than the high load limiting level, and then step down the high load limiting level.

Adaptive load limiting retractor

A torsion bar, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an elongated bar has a first end, a second end, and a mid-section between the first and second ends. The first end of the elongated bar has a material void. The first end preferably has a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the mid-section. In one design, the material void is a slot extending longitudinally, and the first end may also define a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extending longitudinally. In another design, the material void is a bore extending longitudinally, and the first end may also define a plurality of slots extending longitudinally and extending from the bore through an exterior surface of the elongated bar to leave a plurality of fingers at the first end. In these designs and other, the torsion bar and the material void may be cold forged, thereby eliminating a second forming step. The torsion bar may also include a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extending longitudinally from the first end to the second end.

Seat belt retractor and torsion bar providing secondary load limiting

A seatbelt retractor is disclosed. The seatbelt retractor has a frame, a spindle, a seatbelt webbing and torsion bar. The frame is attached to a structure of a road vehicle. The spindle is rotatably supported by the frame. The seatbelt webbing is wound about the spindle for retraction there to and protraction there from. The torsion bar is fixedly coupled to the spindle for rotation therewith, the torsion bar has a first torsion portion mechanically coupled or press-fitted into a second torsion portion.

Modular torsion bar

A seatbelt retractor is disclosed. The seatbelt retractor includes a frame, a spindle, and a torsion member. The frame is attached to a structural member of a vehicle. The spindle is rotatably supported in the frame. The spindle includes a slot for accommodating a seatbelt webbing. The torsion member is coupled to the spindle, and the torsion member has a first engagement end, a second engagement end and an intermediate engagement portion disposed between the first and second engagement ends. The intermediate engagement portion includes an engagement portion and a non-engagement portion, wherein the engagement portion couples the torsion member to the spindle and the non-engagement portion is proximate the seatbelt webbing and allows seatbelt webbing to pass through the slot without interference.

Low profile spline

A seat belt load limiter employs a magnetostrictive sensor to detect the elastic loading and plastic deformation of a torsion rod forming part of a seat belt retractor. A magnet and a coil are placed about or adjacent to the torsion rod. When the torsion rod undergoes elastic or plastic strain, an electrical voltage is induced in the coil which is used to detect elastic or plastic strain of the torsion rod. A vehicle safety system uses the output of the magnetostrictive sensor to inform the vehicle operator when the seat belt load limiter is in need of replacement. The output of the magnetostrictive sensor as processed by the vehicle safety system can also be used to detect a situation where the seat occupant is not restrained by the seat belt and to make an airbag deployment decision.

Seat belt retractor torsion rod activity sensor

An energy absorber for protecting the occupants of a vehicle. The energy absorber includes an interior portion and a first contact surface at least partially surrounding the interior portion. The first contact surface is attachable to a structural member of the vehicle. The energy absorber also includes at least one hollow cavity extending through the interior portion in a direction substantially parallel to the first contact surface. During a vehicle collision, the first contact surface absorbs energy from occupant impact with an interior trim piece by deforming into the hollow cavity.

Extrudable energy absorber

An energy absorbing retractor having a frame, locking mechanisms to initially stop a spool from rotating in a belt protraction direction, the spool rotationally supported relative to the frame, a seat belt wound about the spool, and biasing device to retract the seat belt, a two-sided torsion bar for generating at least a first level of reaction torque on the spool permitting the spool to rotate in a controlled manner in a belt protracting direction including a torsion bar having a middle portion fixedly coupled to the spool to prevent relative rotation therebetween, a first torsion rod extending therefrom, the first torsion rod including a first end coupled to a first locking mechanism to prevent the first end from rotating upon such coupling, whereby upon locking of the first end, and the loading of the spool, the first torsion rod is twisted to generate a first level of control force. A second torsion rod including a second end coupled to a second locking mechanism to prevent the second end from rotating upon such coupling, whereby upon locking of the second end, and the loading of the spool, the first and second torsion rods are twisted simultaneously to generate a second level of control force.

Multi-level load limiting torsion bar retractor

An adaptively controlled safety restraint system (20) is disclosed which includes a safety restraint device (22, 24) operative in response to a flow of pressurized gas, and fluid means (28) having a stored energy device (30) which can be activated to produce pressurized gas which is discharged through a conduit network (34, 36) for driving the safety restraint device (22, 24). The system further includes a throttling valve assembly (32, 58) disposed between the fluid means (28) and the safety restraint device (22, 24) for controllably varying the output of the fluid means (28). The throttling valve assembly (32, 58) is controlled by an electrical signal received from a crash management controller (38).

Valve controlled automotive pyrotechnic systems

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor having a frame; a spool on which the seat belt is wound, the spool rotationally supported relative to the frame; a first locking mechanism for initially stopping the spool from rotating in a belt protraction direction; a bias or rewind spring to retract the seat belt, and a first energy absorbing or dissipating member, associated with the first locking mechanism, for permitting the spool to rotate in the belt protracting direction subsequent to activation of the first locking mechanism for generating a reaction force to control the manner in which the spool rotates; wherein the first locking mechanism includes a mechanical inertial sensor for initiating the locking up of the first locking mechanism and wherein the retractor further includes a first non-inertial sensor (100, 200) for preventing the initiation caused by the inertial sensor.

Multi-level load limiting retractor

A system (20) for controlling the effective rate at which an air bag (24) is filled comprising: a housing (22) operatively communicated with the air bag such that as the air bag is pressurized by inflation gas such gas enters the housing increasing its internal pressure, the housing (22) including: variable vent (54, 50, 52) for defining an opening through which a quantity of inflation gas is controllably diverted from the air bag to thereby reduce its rate of inflation from that rate which is achieved when the vent means is closed.

Variable vented housing

An energy absorbing retractor having a frame, locking mechanisms to initially stop a spool from rotating in a belt protraction direction, the spool rotationally supported relative to the frame, a seat belt wound about the spool, and bias means to retract the seat belt, a two sided torsion bar for generating at least a first level of reaction torque on the spool permitting the spool to rotate in a controlled manner in a belt protracting direction including a torsion bar having a middle portion fixedly coupled to the spool to prevent relative rotation therebetween, a first torsion rod extending therefrom, the first torsion rod including a first end coupled to a first locking mechanism to prevent the first end from rotating upon such coupling, whereby upon locking of the first end, and the loading of the spool, the first torsion rod is twisted to generate a first level of control force.

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor having a frame, a locking mechanism to initially stop a spool from rotating in a belt protraction direction, the spool rotationally supported relative to the frame, a seat belt wound about the spool, and bias means to retract the seat belt, a mechanism means for permitting the spool to rotate in the belt protraction direction subsequent to being locked including a wire pulling device which pulls a formed wire member through a tortuous path and in so doing generates a reaction force to control the manner in which the spool rotates.

An occupant protection system for protecting a seated occupant comprising: seat (20) having a seat cushion (22) and a seat back (24), frame means (26, 30) to support the seat back, a headrest extending above the seat back, cushion material (32) for providing resiliency to the seat and a protective cover material (34) covering the cushion material; an air bag (50,50'), having a first portion extending generally along the length of the seat back and a second portion which when inflated extends above the seat back to be positioned generally in front of the headrest, whereby upon inflation of the first portion of the air bag a portion of the seat back is gently urged against the spine of the occupant and the second portion expands upwardly to provide a protective layer between the headrest and the occupant's head.

Growing community of inventors

Shelby Township, MI, United States of America

Gerald Keller