Daimler Chrysler Ag

Other

Mercedes-benz Aktiengesellschaft

Daimler-benz Ag

Trw Occupant Restraint Systems Gmbh

Harald Rudolf

Michael Meyer

Manfred Mueller

Volker Petri

Bogdan Serban

Michel Witte

Frank Zerrweck

Manfred M&uuml;ller

Joerg Henkel

Friedrich Reiter

Luigi Brambilla

Alban Bossenmaier

Wilfried Bullinger

Guido Wetzel

Ulrich Tschaschke

Martin Steiner

Frank Schink

Ernst Johann Hauer

Carsten Lorenz

Wolfgang Disam

Werner Bacher

Michael Kaupp

J&ouml;rg Henkel

H-Dieter Wiesner

Roland Jung

In a method and apparatus for activating vehicle-occupant protection devices, an approach speed to a collision object is determined within a predefined proximity range of the vehicle surroundings. If the approach speed is above a threshold value, an anticipated impact time for a collision with the object is determined. A time range is determined on the basis of the anticipated impact time, a signal quality of at least one proximity sensor, driving dynamics and the geometry of a collision object being taken into account in this time range. The assigned vehicle-occupant protection devices are activated after occurrence of a positive plausible-confirmation check within the time range.

Method and device for activating passenger protection device

An occupant detection system for a motor vehicle includes at least two occupant detection devices. A first occupant detection device is, for example, a seat occupancy or weight detection device arranged in the vehicle seat. The second occupant detection device comprises a first electrode arranged in the seat, and a second electrode arranged in the adjoining foot well. An electrical coupling variable is detected, and is used to determine a variable which characterizes an occupant, by means of an electrical field which is applied between the two electrodes.

Occupant detection system in a motor vehicle

An identification device for retrofitting a child seat is provided for detecting the child seat on a vehicle seat in a motor vehicle by means of a child seat detection device. A transceiver component, connected to a control and evaluation device, for transmitting an electromagnetic transmission signal and for receiving an electromagnetic reception signal, is arranged as part the child seat detection device in the vehicle seat or in the direct vicinity of the vehicle seat. The reception of the transmission signal in the identification device causes transmission of the reception signal. The identification device has external wiring. By means of a defined mechanical manipulation which brings about a defined change in the external wiring, the identification device can be changed from an inactive initial state to an active state.

Identification device for a child seat

A device for venting a gas bag made of a textile material includes at least one ignitable pyrotechnic charge which is associated with the gas bag in such a way that, when the pyrotechnic charge is ignited, at least one thread of the textile material is directly destroyed by the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge.

Controlled deflation device for a gas bag

A method for triggering a gas generator for an air bag in a motor vehicle having acceleration sensors, air bags, and gas generators uses an air bag control unit for evaluating an impact. Evaluation of the impact takes place by using the signals of the acceleration sensors for triggering a gas generator. The gas generator has a triggerable valve which can be controlled into at least two conditions with a different passage cross-section. The air bag control unit controls the gas generator as a function of the seriousness of an accident such that the position of the valve of the gas generator alternates several times successively between two conditions in order to adapt the inflating operation to the collision.

Method of triggering a gas generator for an air bag in a motor vehicle

A device for deflating a gas bag includes a gas bag having a deflation opening which is closed along a breakable, predetermined line. The predetermined breaking line includes a closure element and is breakable by melting or sublimating the closure element.

Device for controlled deflation of a gas bag

An occupant-restraining system has a belt force limiter that limits a restraining force exerted on an occupant via a restraining belt by switching from a relatively higher to a relatively lower level of restraining force depending on predefined parameters. The belt-force limiter is activated only after a predetermined forward displacement of the occupant is reached and only after a predefined air bag inflating time, when an excessive crash intensity and an occupant's weight are recognized as being below a predetermined threshold.

Occupant-restraining system

An instrument panel for a motor vehicle. The panel is adapted to cover the front passenger air bags with webs in one piece with a support preform of the instrument panel, in which case the webs are situated outside a passage contour of the front passenger air bag. The wall thickness of the support preform is reduced at least in sections in the area of the webs.

Instrument panel for a motor vehicle

An active occupant restraint system for a motor vehicle has a central control unit and a plurality of active restraining devices with associated triggering units which are connected to the central control unit for the transmission of ignition information by an ignition bus line system having at least one ring line and/or at least one stub line. The triggering units within a respective ring and/or stub line of the ignition bus line system are arranged as a function of a predeterminable protection significance priority of the restraining devices assigned to the triggering units such that, with a decreasing protection significance priority, they are situated farther away from the central control unit. The occupant restraint system comprises one or more multistage restraining devices with pertaining triggering units, with the triggering unit pertaining to a higher stage of each multistage restraining device arranged in the corresponding ring or stub line closer to the central control unit than the triggering unit pertaining to a lower stage.

Active occupant restraint system having an ignition bus line laid in a ring shape and/or in a stub shape

An air bag module housing for a motor vehicle has an oblong basic housing body which is used for receiving a gas generator and an air bag and which is laterally closed by two side covers. The air bag module housing is deformed in the event of an impact of a part of the body, particularly of the head, of a vehicle occupant. In order to optimize deformation of the air bag module housing, at least one slot respectively is provided in the side covers. The slot extends essentially perpendicularly to the expected impact direction of the body part along the largest part of the respective side cover to the edge.

Air bag module housing

In a method for triggering a two-stage air bag generator in a motor vehicle, an acceleration signal is measured, processed and evaluated with respect to the accident severity according to a first evaluation process. As a function of the determined accident severity, a triggering decision is made at least for the triggering of a first stage of the gas generator. At least until a defined time period T1 has elapsed since the ignition of the first stage, the acceleration signal is evaluated according to a second evaluation process with respect to the accident severity before, on the basis of defined triggering conditions, as a function of the determined accident severity, a triggering decision is made for igniting the second stage of the gas generator.

Method for triggering a two-stage air bag gas generator

An airbag device for motor vehicles has a housing in which an airbag expandable through a housing opening is located. The housing opening is covered by a flexible protective cover in the resting state of the airbag. The cover is provided with at least one tearing location. The cover flanks the airbag on all sides over at least a portion of its expansion path during expansion. The protective cover is provided with at least two tearing locations offset with respect to one another in the expansion direction such that the protective cover tears open in stages during the expansion of the airbag.

Airbag device for a motor vehicle and method of making same

An airbag for motor vehicles comprises an airbag sheath and an inner airbag that is inflated before the airbag sheath and, by virtue of its design, is prepared for deliberate filling with gas in the direction of the passenger, with the inner airbag having a cross section that decreases uniformly in the direction of the passenger, to aim the gas stream toward the passenger.

Airbag for motor vehicles

A triggering circuit for a passenger restraint system for motor vehicles is provided with at lest one belt tightener for tightening a safety belt associated with a vehicle seat. A triggering circuit evaluates the acceleration signal from an accelerometer and delivers a triggering signal to the belt tightener when a critical impact is detected. An evaluation channel detects a rear-end collision. In the evaluation channel, on the basis of the acceleration signal that appears in the event of a rear-end collision, a travel signal that characterizes backward displacement of the passenger is determined that permits the triggering signal to be output to the belt tightener when a threshold value is exceeded.

Triggering circuit for a passenger restraint system

A method and system for releasing an airbag in a motor vehicle utilizes an acceleration signal which is measured and processed for the formation of a release criterion. An impact causes an initial increase in the release readiness, which is cancelled after a short period of time if no release has taken place up to that time. In particular in the case of impact processes with moderate acceleration values, such as for example in an offset pole crash, there is the risk that the airbag is released so late that an occupant who has already been substantially displaced forwards towards the steering wheel is additionally endangered by the explosive opening of the airbag. The cancellation of the increased release readiness is controlled by a state variable which corresponds to the forward displacement of an occupant and is obtained by double integration from the acceleration signal with respect to time. The cancellation takes place when the forward displacement exceeds a critical value.

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Tuebingen, Germany

Harald Rudolf