Trw Automotive Gmbh

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Martin Burkhardtsmaier

Daniele Aranzulla

Kurt F Fischer

Douglas M Gould

Bernd Issler

Achim Hofmann

Angelo J Adler

Alexandra E Schroeder

Simon Schmid

Simon Kramer

Tomasz Pys

Nico Werner

Jochen Weiss

Lisa Stegmaier

Thomas Pys

A front head/torso airbag () of a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a cover surface () and a baffle surface () forming a contact face for the vehicle occupant () which merges Into the cover surface (). In the inflated state of the airbag () being in the mounted position, the baffle surface () includes a central surface portion and laterally adjacent thereto at feast one bulge () projecting from the central surface portion for laterally protecting the head ().

Front-head/chest airbag

The invention relates to an inflator holder () for an airbag module () comprising a holder bottom part () in which an inflator receiving hole () is formed and comprising a holder sidewall part () which delimits, together with the holder bottom part (), a receiving compartment () for an inflator () open on a discharge side () opposed to the holder bottom part (). The inflator holder () includes a filter grid () for exhausting gas fastened on the inflator holder () which filter grid at least partially delimits the receiving compartment () on the discharge side (). In addition, the invention relates to an airbag module () comprising an airbag (), an inflator () and said inflator holder ().

Gas generator container and airbag module

A frontal airbag for vehicle occupants comprises a contact panel () facing the vehicle occupant in the inflated state and including upper and lower edges () as well as two lateral edges (). In the interior of the airbag, tension means () that withhold portions of the contact panel () in the inflated state are arranged at the contact panel () so that the contact panel has plural indentations. The contact panel () is composed of plural interconnected cut parts ().

Frontal airbag

The invention relates to an inflatable airbag () for protecting a person (), comprising a flexible cover () which includes at least two finger-type extensions (), wherein the flexible cover () delimits a closed gas expansion compartment () by the finger-type extensions (). The invention excels by the fact that the finger-type extensions () are arranged relative to each other such that in an inflated state the airbag () takes a three-dimensional shape and in the inflated state the finger-type extensions () at least in portions delimit a clearance (), wherein the cover () is deferrable for absorbing impact energy while deforming, especially reducing, the clearance ().

Inflatable airbag for protecting a person, airbag module, vehicle occupant restraining system comprising such an airbag, and method for producing an inflatable airbag

A front airbag comprises a front wall () facing an associated occupant in the inflated state which front wall serves for cushioning the vehicle occupant and is secured to a peripheral wall of the front airbag (). The front wall () is composed of at least two cut parts () so that it is curved toward the vehicle occupant and is not adapted to be flatly spread.

Front airbag

In an airbag comprising at least one aperture () which is provided in an airbag shell () and to which a closure element () is attached a tether () via which the closure element () can be maintained in a closed position acts on the closure element (). The invention moreover relates to a method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system.

Airbag and method for operating a vehicle occupant protection system

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () for being inflated between an instrument panel () and a seat () of the vehicle () is provided. The protection device () includes a front portion () that has a panel () presented towards the vehicle seat (), a rear portion () adjacent the instrument panel (), and top and bottom portions () interconnecting the front portion () and the rear portion () to define an inflatable volume (). A pocket () defines an uninflated volume () outside of the inflatable volume (). The pocket () is defined by a single panel () of the protection device (). The panel () extends along a centerline () and includes an extension () of material on each side of the centerline (). The extensions () overly one another and are interconnected along a seam () to form the pocket ().

Air bag with uninflated pocket

An airbag, especially a passenger airbag, comprises a rear injection orifice, a front wall () for the impact of the occupant as well as two opposed sidewalls () and an upper wall and a lower wall. Each of the upper and lower walls is split and consists of side portions () which are juxtaposed and are connected to each other along opposite margins ().

Airbag

An apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant () of a vehicle () comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () inflatable between a vehicle surface () and the vehicle occupant. A vent () releases inflation fluid from the protection device (). The vent () includes a vent opening with a flow area that can be adjusted to throttle inflation fluid flow through the vent. A tether () has a first connection with the vent () and a second connection with the protection device (). Tension on the tether () throttles the vent (). The second connection of the tether is positioned on the protection device () such that deployment of the protection device throttles the vent () toward an actuated condition, and occupant () penetration into the protection device throttles the vent toward a non-actuated condition.

Air bag with variable venting

An apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant () of a vehicle () comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () inflatable between a vehicle surface () and the vehicle occupant. A vent () releases inflation fluid from the protection device (). The vent () has an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition. A tether () has a first connection with the vent () and a second connection with the protection device (). Tension on the tether () actuates the vent (). The vent () is initially in the non-actuated condition upon initial deployment of the protection device (). Further deployment of the protection device () causes the tether () to place the vent () in the actuated condition. Occupant penetration into the protection device () causes the tether () to place the vent () in the non-actuated condition.

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () includes a front panel () and a rear panel () that are interconnected to at least partially define an inflatable volume () of the protection device. The rear panel () has a conical configuration resulting from portions of the rear panel being interconnected with each other.

Air bag with conical portion

An air bag module () includes an air bag () having a deflated condition and an inflated condition and a structure () for supporting the air bag. A first tether () has a first end connected to the structure via an actuatable fastener () and an opposite second end connected to the air bag (). A second tether () having a first end secured to the first tether () by a releasable connection () at a location between the first and second ends of the first tether. The second tether has a second end connected to a deployable portion of the air bag ().

Growing community of inventors

Schwaebisch Gmund, Germany

Martin Burkhardtsmaier