Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Automotive Systems Deutschland Gmbh

Hans Gert Nilson

James Lloyd Webber

David Charles Viano

James Kent Conlee

James Peter Nini

Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel

Johannes-Alexander Varcus

Richard J Neely

An airbag module is shown for an occupant restraint system of a motor vehicle. The airbag module has a housing in which a folded inflatable airbag is accommodated. A part of the housing is designed as a covering which is movable into the vehicle interior and which supports the knees of the occupant during the unfolding of the airbag. The airbag is designed in such a manner that it can be unfolded through an opening at the housing past the covering and into the vehicle interior when the covering is at least partly moved into the vehicle interior.

Airbag module

An airbag which is provided with an airbag mouth ( ) for connection to a gas generator has in the interior of the airbag a deflection device ( ) in the region of the airbag mouth ( ) which at least partly laterally deflects a gas flow which emerges from the airbag mouth ( ).

Airbag with interior deflection device

A vehicle seat (10) has a lower seat frame (14) and a seat back (16) pivoted about a recliner axis (20). An occupant (22) restraining shoulder belt (26) has an upper attachment point provided by a sliding belt guide (40) fixed to the top of a resilient, flexible elongated tower (36) attached to one side of the seat back (16). The tower (36) is normally unflexed, with the same orientation as the seat back (16), but is capable of bending with the belt guide (40) down and forwardly relative to the seat back and closer to the recliner axis (20) when a forward and downward force is applied to the belt guide (40). An inertially locking belt retractor (24) is rigidly fixed to the seat (10) below the belt guide (40). The retractor (24) provides a reserve length of belt (50) that extends up along the back of the tower (36) and over the belt guide (40) and then continues into the shoulder belt (26). In the event of rapid vehicle deceleration, the belt retractor (24) locks to the belt reserve length (50) as the occupant (22) moves relatively forward into the shoulder belt (26), thereby rapidly increasing tension in the shoulder belt (26) and applying a forward and downward bending force to the upper belt guide (40) and tower (36). In response, the tower (36) bends over and downwardly, allowing the belt reserve length (50) to move more horizontally along with the bending tower (36) as the upper guide (40) and shoulder belt (26) move forwardly with the occupant. This compound belt motion reduces the resulting tension load in the shoulder belt (26) considerably, as well as the moment applied to the seat back (16) about the recliner axis (20).

Vehicle seat with integral, load limiting belt system

Growing community of inventors

Wuppertal, Germany

Hans Gert Nilson