Autoliv Development Ab

Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Marcus Weber

Thomas Reiter

Brent A Parks

Raimund Nebel

Marc Schock

Klaus-Peter Kühne

Michael Perry Jordan

Karl-Heinz Sommer

Jörg Albert

Roland Peiz

R Mark Hubbard

Geoffrey A Mills

Don Paxton

Sven Hoffmann

Jens Hoffmann

Wolfgang Drössler

Scott David Thomas

Alan Ralph Larsen

Christopher Donald Morgan

Yutaka Hirota

Terry Allen Sella

Lennart Karlsson

Nico Wallat

Remi Baillivet

David Robert Palm, Jr

Jeff Kida

Klaus Massanetz

Zhiyong Jiang

Martin Haas, Jr

Holger Zang

Lutz Staack

Stefan Svedjenäs

Andreas Guggenberger

Alexander Feicht

Jonas H Gustafsson

Tomas Ågren

Wolfram Engelhardt

Tomasz Skoneczny

David Jacobsson

Ulrika Fredriksson

Albert Jörg

Thomas Niedernhuber

Christina Lindblom

Karl-Heniz Sommer

Michael Burger

Andreas Förge

Jürgen Knauss

Alexander Rottach

Zang Holger

Johann Biberger

Niclas Hörnquist

Michael Gruhne

Felix Pollatschek

Dominik Zelmanski

Knut Schmeier

Gavin Anae

Patrick Brunner

Rainer Hartman

Andreas FÖRG

A steering wheel includes a steering wheel body and a base. The base carrying an inflator and an airbag package, such that the base, the inflator and the airbag package form a first sub-assembly. The base is connected to the steering wheel body at least indirectly via at least one elastic element, such that the sub-assembly can move relative to the steering wheel body in at least one direction so that the whole sub-assembly serves as a vibration damping mass. The steering wheel also includes a cover element with a roof extending over the airbag package, and at least one horn sensor generating a signal when a pressing force exceeding a predefined value is applied to the roof. The cover element is not rigidly connected to the base, such that the sub-assembly can move relative to the steering wheel body under deformation of the elastic element while the cover element does not move relative to the steering wheel body.

Steering wheel with vibration damping mass

An actuator assembly that includes an actuator device. The actuator device includes a tubular housing with a first end and a second end, the tubular housing defining a storage chamber containing a pyrotechnic material to produce gas. At least one electrical connection is coupled to the first end, the electrical connection in reaction initiating communication with the pyrotechnic material. An actuator housing that partially encompasses the tubular housing, wherein an outer surface of the actuator housing comprises a hexagon shaped portion that extends along a longitudinal direction of the actuator housing. An assembly housing at least partially encompasses the actuator device, wherein an inner surface of the assembly housing comprises an engaging surface portion that extends along a longitudinal direction of the assembly housing that corresponds to and slidably engages with the hexagon shaped portion of the actuator housing.

Tether release for an automotive safety device

Driver airbag cushion assemblies comprising dampening means. In some embodiments, the assembly may comprise a driver airbag module, a steering wheel armature, and an intermediate plate positioned between the driver airbag module and the steering wheel armature. The assembly may further comprise one or more horn actuators, such as horn springs coupled to the airbag module, and one or more dampening members. The one or more dampening members may be used to couple two or more of the armature, plate, and airbag module together. In some embodiments, the dampening member(s) may be functionally and/or physically decoupled from the one or more horn actuators.

Dampening driver airbag assemblies and related systems and methods

A pyrotechnic igniter includes at least one pyrotechnic material designed to be ignited by a heating element, a case enclosing the at least one pyrotechnic material, and a plastic overmoulding of the case, forming a fixation interface of the igniter and designed to be inserted into a fixation orifice of a support up to an inserted position. The fixation interface of the plastic overmoulding includes at least one deformable part designed to elastically deform during passage into the fixation orifice and assume during an elastic return a blocking position against the support when the igniter is in the inserted position in order to prevent any withdrawal of the igniter.

Pyrotechnic igniter

A safety module for a motor vehicle includes at least one inflatable cushion with a first fixation interface and at least one actuating device. The at least one actuating device includes an igniter and an igniter support. The igniter has a plastic overmolding forming a second fixation interface. The igniter support has a third fixation interface designed to receive and fix the second fixation interface. The at least one actuating device retains the first fixation interface by sandwiching it between at least one part of the second fixation interface and at least one part of the third fixation interface.

Attachment interface for a pyrotechnic actuator

An airbag module having a first nozzle () enclosing a first gas compartment (G), and a first inflator. At least one adaptive ventilation device for the first gas compartment (G) is provided with a ventilation opening () bordered by flexible material and at least one throttle device with a tear seam, which, in a first state, throttles the gas flow more strongly than in a second state. A second cover () surrounding a second gas compartment (G) and a gas source for the second gas compartment (G) are provided, wherein the tear seam () extends through the second gas compartment and, upon filling of the second gas compartment (G) by the gas source, the seam ruptures and the adaptive ventilation device passes from the first, to the second state.

Airbag module with an adaptive ventilation device

An airbag module having a first shell () forming a first gas chamber (GI), a first inflator for the first gas chamber (GI), an adaptive influencing device for influencing the ventilation or shape of the first gas chamber (GI), and an actuation unit () for the influencing device. The actuation device () has a second shell () forming a second gas chamber (G), and a gas source. The state of the influencing device changing upon actuating the gas source. A tensioning element having a first end () is coupled to the adaptive influencing device or forms the device, and a second end () is coupled to the second shell () when the second gas chamber (G) is not filled and is decoupled from the second shell () when the second gas chamber (G) is filled.

Airbag module with an adaptive influencing device

A fastening device for detachably fastening an automotive airbag component. The fastening device has a holding device (), a connecting element () extending from a first end () to a second end (), which, is normally connected to a fastening section of the holding device (), and a pyrotechnic charge, which, on ignition, causes an end () of the connecting element () to be detached from the fastening section. The holding device () has a bearing through which the connecting element () extends with a section spaced from the first end (). This bearing has at least two bearing surfaces () separated differently from the fastening section and arranged on different sides of the connecting element, so that the separated section of the connecting element () can tilt in the bearing after the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge.

Fastening device for detachably fastening an element to a component fixed to a vehicle

An airbag module for installation in a motor vehicle has an airbag made of an airbag fabric and folded up before being triggered by an inflation device. The airbag fabric has at least one slit forming an adaptive ventilation opening and a retaining strap, which at one end is held releasably on a retainer on the airbag module and at the other end is connected fixedly to the airbag. The slit () is cut into the airbag fabric and has two ends configured to prevent the slit () from tearing when pressure is applied. The retaining strap is arranged on the inside of the airbag and is guided through a securing loop () attached to the airbag fabric opposite the fixed end () of the retaining strap across the slit () toward the retainer.

Airbag module having an airbag with an adaptive ventilation opening

A depth to which an inflatable airbag can deploy may varied by internal tethers. If the tethers are coupled to a release assembly, then in an unreleased state, the tethers can limit the depth of airbag deployment; however, if the tethers are released, the airbag can deploy of a full depth.

Pyrotechnic tether release assembly for inflatable airbags

A depth to which an inflatable airbag can deploy may be varied by internal tethers. If the tethers are coupled to a release assembly, then in an unreleased state, the tethers can limit the depth of airbag deployment; however, if the tethers are released, the airbag can deploy of a full depth.

Pyrotechnic tether release assembly with a break-away piston for inflatable airbags

An airbag for a vehicle occupant protective system comprises an inflatable cushion, a cinch tube circumventing a vent aperture disposed in the cushion, and a draw element guided in a circumventing channel of said cinch tube and being coupled to a surface of said cushion such that deployment of said cushion causes said draw element to contract said cinch tube. The airbag comprises a contraction limiting arrangement adapted to limit the contraction of said cinch tube by said draw element to a predetermined minimum free diameter d of at least 20% relative to the free diameter D of the open cinch tube.

Airbag for a vehicle occupant protective system

A safety arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed which comprises an air-bag module () having an inflatable air-bag () in fluid communication with an inflator (). An internal tether () is provided having a first end () and a second end (). The first end () of the tether is connected to a restrainable part () of the air-bag, whilst the second end () of the tether is free from connection with the air-bag but is initially trapped between the folds or rolls of an initially folded or rolled part of the air-bag. The arrangement is such that, upon inflation of the air-bag, the tether serves to restrain the restrainable part () of the air-bag until such time as the folded or rolled part of the air-bag () becomes sufficiently unfolded or unrolled to release the second end () of the tether ().

Safety arrangement

An air-bag housing comprising a rectangular frame () defining an opening and having a mounting arrangement in the form of flanges () to mount the frame in position within a motor vehicle. The frame supports a housing-forming element () formed, for example, of fabric. This forms a housing having walls () and a floor. The walls () are formed seamlessly by folding the fabric in half about a fold-line, and tucking one end of the fold-line into the other end of the fold-line, and inserting the frame between the pieces of fabric to lie adjacent the fold-line. The floor is formed by a plurality of floor-forming tabs (etc) carried by the fabric forming the side-walls of the housing. The tabs are folded inwardly to at least partly overlie each other and are secured in position to form the floor of the housing by studs () provided on the inflator which pass through co-aligned apertures () in the floor-forming tabs (etc).

Air-bag housing

Growing community of inventors

Untertheres, Germany

Marcus Weber