Discharge valves for airbags and airbags including the same

• US 20030075223A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., DuVall, Wilbur E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,899,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/625.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86743 Rotary

Abstract

Discharge valve for an airbag including a fixed member adapted to be arranged in connection with or associated with the airbag and having a pattern of openings and a movable member having a pattern of openings substantially identical to the pattern of openings of the fixed member. The movable member is movable relative to and alongside the fixed member to vary the correspondence between the openings on the movable member and the openings in the fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by the fixed member and the movable member. Variation in the valve openings results in control and/or regulation of the outflow of gas from the airbag through the discharge valve. The members may be plates, cylinders or cones.

Claims

1. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a fixed member adapted to be arranged in connection with or associated with the airbag and having a pattern of openings; and

a movable member having a pattern of openings substantially identical to the pattern of openings of said fixed member,

said movable member being movable relative to and alongside said fixed member to vary the correspondence between said openings on said movable member and said openings in said fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed member and said movable member.

2. The discharge valve of claim 1, further comprising a spring connected to said movable member for allowing movement of said movable member.

3. The discharge valve of claim 1, wherein said fixed member is adapted to be arranged on an outer layer of the material of the airbag.

4. The discharge valve of claim 1, further comprising a movement mechanism for moving said movable member relative to said fixed member.

5. The discharge valve of claim 4, wherein said movement mechanism comprises a piezo-electric bi-morph crystal arrangement arranged in connection with said movable member for shaking said movable member to thereby modulate the valve openings.

6. The discharge valve of claim 5, wherein said piezo-electric crystal arrangement is structured and arranged to be driven by a drive signal and associated electronics.

7. The discharge valve of claim 5, further comprising a spring connected to said movable member for allowing movement of said movable member, said spring being connected to an opposite side of said movable member from said piezo-electric crystal arrangement.

8. The discharge valve of claim 4, wherein said movement mechanism comprises an inductive motion or motor arrangement with a cam offset.

9. The discharge valve of claim 1, wherein said movable member and said fixed member are plates.

10. The discharge valve of claim 1, wherein said movable member and said fixed member are cylinders with one of said cylinders being positionable within the other of said cylinders to thereby bring the openings into alignment.

11. The discharge valve of claim 1, wherein said movable member and said fixed member are cones with one of said cones being positionable within the other of said cones to thereby being the openings into alignment.

12. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a diaphragm composed of foil and including concentric grooves; and

means for weakening at least one of said grooves whereby said diaphragm is severable along said at least one groove upon exertion of pressure.

13. The discharge valve of claim 12, wherein said foil is metallic.

14. The discharge valve of claim 13, wherein weakening means comprise circuit means for creating an impedance effective to melt foil in said at least one groove.

15. The discharge valve of claim 14, wherein said circuit means comprises a plurality of circuits each associated with individual single ones of said grooves or pairs of said grooves.

16. The discharge valve of claim 15, wherein a logic circuit is provided to determine to which of said circuits a signal is fed to cause weakening of the associated single one of said grooves or pair of said grooves.

17. The discharge valve of claim 16, wherein said logic circuit is structured and arranged to consider properties of an occupant to be protected by the airbag.

18. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a flexible diaphragm adapted to be fixed to the airbag and having apertures therein.

19. The discharge valve of claim 18, wherein said diaphragm is made of one or more elastomers.

20. The discharge valve of claim 18, wherein said diaphragm is adapted to be fixed by its edges to the airbag.

21. The discharge valve of claim 18, wherein said diaphragm is circular.

22. The discharge valve of claim 18, wherein said diaphragm is made of a pre-stretched material which is die cut after stretching.

23. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a fixed disk adapted to be arranged in connection with or associated with the airbag and including apertures;

a movable disk mounted over said fixed disk and including solid sections and open sections; and

an arm connected to said movable disk, said arm being movable to vary correspondence between said apertures in said movable disk and said apertures in said fixed disk to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed disk and said movable disk.

24. The discharge valve of claim 23, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably mounting said movable disk to said fixed disk.

25. The discharge valve of claim 23, further comprising a movement mechanism for moving said arm.

26. The discharge valve of claim 25, wherein said movement mechanism comprises a solenoid, bi-morph piezo-electric element, ferro-magnetic arrangement or drive or a thermal-based arrangement such as a phase change metal.

27. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a valve seat adapted to be arranged in connection with the airbag;

a valve member engaging with said valve seat to selectively close at least one passage defined between said valve seat and said valve member; and

a valve spring arranged to provide a biasing force to press said valve member against said valve seat to close said at least one passage.

28. The discharge valve of claim 27, wherein said valve seat is circular.

29. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a substrate having at least three spiral cuts arranged to form cantilevered arms capable of deflecting under pressure.

30. The discharge valve of claim 29, wherein said spiral cuts extend from a peripheral edge of said substrate to an interior region of said substrate.

31. A discharge valve for an airbag, comprising:

a substrate having cuts defining cantilevered arms capable of deflecting under pressure.

32. The discharge valve of claim 31, wherein said substrate includes cuts defining four cantilevered arms.

33. The discharge valve of claim 31, wherein said substrate includes cuts defining a a central region and a plurality of cantilevered arms connecting said central region to a peripheral edge of said substrate, said central region being deflected from a plane of remaining portions of said substrate upon deflection under pressure.