Audi Ag

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh

Silke Leger

Simon Kramer

Martin Seyffert

Marco Wahl

Simon Schmid

Markus Schlipf

Andreas Geist

Jochen Dünnebier

An airbag of a vehicle occupant restraint system has an actively releasable tether element () disposed in an interior () of the airbag () which is connected, at an airbag-side fixation (), permanently to the airbag () in the region of a contact zone () for the occupant, and which comprises a detachable fixing point () for the release. The airbag () can take up a smaller first filled volume (V) in which the tether element () and the detachable fixing point () are not released, and a larger second filled volume (V) in which the tether element () is released at the actively detachable fixing point (). In addition to the tether element (), a tether element restrainer () disposed in the interior () of the airbag () is provided which acts upon a point of action () on a vehicle-side portion () of the tether element () distant from the airbag-side permanent fixation () of the tether element () and which is permanently fixed to a coupling point () distant from the contact zone () so that the vehicle-side portion () of the released tether element () remains connected fixedly to the vehicle via the tether element restrainer ().

Airbag of a vehicle occupant restraint system

A vehicle occupant restraint device comprises a control unit and a group of at least two matched airbags () for the protection of a vehicle occupant () on a particular vehicle seat (). The control unit is arranged and the airbags () are disposed and designed so that, in a collision case, the control unit differentiates between a first situation in which the vehicle occupant () is located in a standard distance area relative to a first airbag () and a second situation in which the vehicle occupant () is located in a rear area which is further distant from the first airbag () than the standard distance area. When the first situation is given, the control unit activates the first airbag () only. In contrast, when the second situation is given, the control unit activates the first airbag () and additionally at least a second airbag () of the group, with the first airbag () backing the second airbag ().

Vehicle occupant restraint device and method for operating a vehicle occupant restraint device

Growing community of inventors

Alfdorf, Germany

Silke Leger