Airbag arrangement

• US 20040232675A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Marotzke, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,055,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/024 mounted on dash-board
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• 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

Abstract

An airbag arrangement including an airbag, a gas generator and a housing. The housing includes an outlet for letting gas out of the airbag arrangement and a passage for allowing gas from the gas generator into the housing. A closing device is provided. The closing device can be adjusted between an open position, in which the outlet is open and the passage is at least partially closed, and a closed position, in which the outlet opening is closed and the passage opening is open. A releasable lock is provided for locking the closing device in the open position.

Claims

1. An airbag arrangement, including an airbag;

a gas generator for producing gas to inflate the airbag;

a housing for accommodating the airbag and/or at least part of the gas generator;

at least one outlet opening in the housing for letting gas out of the airbag arrangement;

at least one passage opening in the housing, through which gas produced by the gas generator can pass into the airbag;

a closing device which can be adjusted between an open position, in which the outlet opening is open and the passage opening is at least partially closed, and

a closed position, in which the outlet opening is closed and the passage opening is open, and

a releasable lock which locks the closing device in the open position in the inoperative state, the releasable lock being coupled to a release device which releases the lock when the airbag arrangement is activated in an accident in the absence of an OOP situation, and the closing device transferring into the closed position.

2. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, wherein the release device is configured to receive a release signal from a sensor for detecting an OOP situation, which sensor produces said signal when the airbag arrangement is activated in the absence of an OOP situation.

3. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, wherein the release device includes a tension strap which, when the airbag is deployed correctly, exerts a tensile force on the releasable lock, which brings about a release of the lock.

4. The airbag arrangement of one of claim 1, wherein the releasable lock is configured to oppose a prestressing force which acts on the closing device and moves the closing device after release from the open position into the closed position.

5. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, wherein the lock includes a deformation element, the deformation of which can be electrically controlled and which is configured to receive a control signal from a control unit which produces said signal when the airbag arrangement is activated in the absence of an OOP situation, and the deformation element, after receiving the control signal, permitting or bringing about a movement of the closing device from the open position into the closed position by being deformed.

6. The airbag arrangement of claim 5, wherein the deformation element includes a bending plate.

7. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, wherein the closing device includes a control slide which can be displaced along a longitudinal axis of the housing between the open position and the closed position and the wall of which has a first cutout which, in the open position, comes to lie over the outlet opening, so that, when the airbag arrangement is activated and there is an OOP situation, gas produced by the gas generator exits from the airbag arrangement via the first cutout and the outlet opening.

8. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an antechamber, for at least partially accommodating the gas generator, and an airbag chamber for accommodating the airbag in the folded-up state, the antechamber and the airbag chamber being connected by the passage opening through which gas produced by the gas generator can pass from the antechamber into the airbag chamber.

9. The airbag arrangement of claim 7, wherein the control slide includes a second cutout which comes to lie over the passage opening in the closed position, so that, when the airbag arrangement is activated and an OOP situation is absent, gas produced by the gas generator enters into the airbag chamber via the second cutout and the passage opening and the airbag is correctly inflated.

10. The airbag arrangement of claim 9, the outlet opening and the passage opening and also the first and second cutouts lying opposite each other in each case.

11. The airbag arrangement of claim 9, the outlet opening and the passage opening and also the first and second cutouts being offset with respect to each other in each case along the axis of displacement of the control slide.

12. The airbag arrangement of claim 7, the control slide including a projection which runs essentially perpendicularly with respect to its displacement direction and forms an application surface for gas produced by the gas generator, as a result of which, when the airbag arrangement is activated, a displacement force in the direction of the closed position is exerted on the control slide.

13. The airbag arrangement of claim 7, the antechamber being essentially cylindrical, and the control slide being formed by a cylindrical piston which is guided in a sliding manner through the antechamber along its longitudinal axis.

14. The airbag arrangement of claim 13, the projection being annular and pointing into the interior of the piston.

15. The airbag arrangement of claim 7, the control slide being coupled to a deformation element which becomes deformed during displacement of the control slide in order thereby to control the displacement speed and/or the displacement acceleration of the control slide.

16. The airbag arrangement of claim 7, the releasable lock being formed by a pin which runs through the outer walls of the antechamber and the control slide and fixes the control slide relative to the antechamber in the open position.

17. The airbag arrangement of claim 1, the closing device being coupled to a tension strap which is connected to the airbag, the tension strap being tightened, when the airbag is correctly inflated, and the tension strap exerting a tensile force on the closing device thereby moving the closing device from the open position into the closed position.

18. The airbag arrangement of claim 17, wherein the housing includes an antechamber, for accommodating at least part of the gas generator, and an airbag chamber, which is connected to the antechamber and is used for accommodating the folded airbag, and the closing device being configured as a sliding element which is guided displaceably in the antechamber in the direction of the tensile force.

19. The airbag arrangement of claim 18, wherein the antechamber is box-shaped and the outlet opening being formed in a wall of the antechamber running parallel to the direction of tensile force, and the sliding element including a covering plate which covers the outlet opening in the closed position.

20. The airbag arrangement of claim 19, wherein the sliding element includes two covering plates which run parallel to each other and are connected to each other via two clips, and wherein the tension cable is fastened to the clips.

21. The airbag arrangement of claim 17, further comprising a diffuser being provided at the connecting point of the antechamber and the airbag chamber and deflecting air which is flowing from the antechamber into the airbag chamber laterally into the airbag.

22. The airbag arrangement of claim 21, wherein the diffuser includes retaining plates by which the airbag is fastened to the housing.

23. The airbag arrangement of claim 22, wherein the diffuser includes a diffuser plate which runs essentially parallel to the retaining plates and is offset with respect to them along the direction of the tensile force.

24. The airbag arrangement of claim 17, wherein the housing includes an antechamber, for accommodating at least part of the gas generator, and an airbag chamber, which is connected to the antechamber and accommodates the folded airbag, and wherein the closing device comprises a foldable fabric hose, which is folded up in the open position and which can be deployed by the tensile force in order to transfer into the closed position.

25. The airbag arrangement of claim 24, wherein the fabric hose and the antechamber are cylindrical.

26. The airbag arrangement of claim 24, wherein the fabric hose is maintained in the folded state by one or more rip cords, and, when the tensile force exceeds a predetermined value, the rip cords ripping and opening up the fabric hose for deployment.

27. The airbag arrangement of claim 24, wherein the outlet opening extends in the outer wall of the antechamber parallel to the direction of deployment of the fabric hose and being covered by deployment of the fabric hose.

28. An airbag module comprising:

an airbag, a gas generator and a housing containing the airbag, the housing including an outlet for letting gas out of the airbag arrangement and an inlet for allowing gas from the gas generator into the housing;

a closing device having an open position in which in which the outlet is open and the inlet is at least partially closed, and a closed position, in which the outlet opening is closed; and

a releasable lock configured to lock the closing device in the open position.