Airbag device

• US 20060267320A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lube, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/268 using instantaneous release of stored pressurised gas B60R21/26005 takes precedence
• 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 137/7925 Piston-type valves

Abstract

An airbag module for a motor vehicle comprises an inflatable gas bag; a gas generator for inflating the gas bag; a valve for letting gas out of the gas bag; a moveable actuating element for the valve, which can be actuated in order to open the valve; and a trigger mechanism which is used to actuate the actuating element by producing pressure. The trigger mechanism releases a compressed gas in order to actuate the actuating element, the gas directly acting upon a pressure attach surface of the actuating element.

Claims

1. An airbag device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable gas bag;

a gas generator for inflating the gas bag;

a valve through which gas is released out of the bag, wherein the valve includes a basic body and a moveable actuating element that can be actuated in order to open the valve; and

a triggering mechanism for actuating the actuating element by generating pressure, wherein the triggering mechanism includes a sensor-controlled, pyrotechnic unit that releases a compressed gas in order to actuate the actuating element;

wherein the device is configured so that the released compressed gas passes into a pressure space of the basic body of the valve to act directly on a pressure application surface of the actuating element;

wherein the pressure application surface of the actuating element forms at least part of a boundary wall of the pressure space.

2. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure space is closed on all sides in a gastight manner.

3. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basic body and the actuating element are each provided with through openings, and the actuating element can be positioned, by actuation of the triggering mechanism, relative to the basic body so that the through openings of the basic body and of the actuating element at least partially cover each other and the valve is opened in order to release gas from the bag.

4. The airbag device as claimed in claim 3, wherein before actuation of the actuating element by the triggering mechanism, the through openings of the basic body are covered by the actuating element, so that the valve is closed.

5. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basic body and the actuating element are disk-shaped.

6. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement of the actuating element relative to the basic body under the action of the gases released by the triggering mechanism is restricted by mutually assigned stops of the basic body and of the actuating element.

7. An airbag module comprising:

an inflatable gas bag;

a gas generator for inflating the gas bag;

a valve for allowing gas to escape out of the gas bag;

a moveable actuating element of the valve, which can be actuated in order to open the valve; and

a triggering mechanism for actuating the actuating element, wherein, in response to a sensed condition, the triggering mechanism releases a compressed gas which impacts the actuating element thereby causing the actuating element to move.

8. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the compressed gas which is released by the triggering mechanism passes into a pressure space in which a boundary wall is at least partially formed by the pressure application surface of the actuating element.

9. The airbag module as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pressure space is closed on all sides in a gastight manner.

10. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the valve comprises a basic body and an actuating element that is moveable with respect to the basic body in order to open the valve.

11. The airbag module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the basic body and the actuating element are each provided with through openings, and the actuating element can be positioned, by actuation of the triggering mechanism, relative to the basic body so that the through openings of the basic body and of the actuating element at least partially cover each other and the valve is opened in order to release gas from the bag.

12. The airbag module as claimed in claim 11, wherein before actuation of the actuating element by the triggering mechanism, the through openings of the basic body are covered by the actuating element, so that the valve is closed.

13. The airbag module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pressure space is formed on the basic body and is additionally partially bounded by the pressure application surface of the actuating element.

14. The airbag module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the basic body and the actuating element are disk-shaped.

15. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the actuating element is guided on the basic body and is held in a form-fitting manner on the basic body.

16. The airbag module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the basic body and the actuating element have mutually assigned projections and indentations which serve as an installation aid during the assembly of the valve from basic body and actuating element.

17. The airbag module as claimed in claim 15, wherein projections of the basic body serve to guide the actuating element on the basic body.

18. The airbag module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the movement of the actuating element relative to the basic body under the action of the gases released by the triggering mechanism is restricted by mutually assigned stops of the basic body and of the actuating element.

19. The airbag module as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a deformation element arranged in front of one of the stops in order to brake the actuating element before the actuating element meets the two stops, wherein the deformation element is configured to deform during braking of the actuating element.

20. The airbag module as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pressure space is formed on the basic body and is additionally partially bounded by the pressure application surface of the actuating element, and wherein the actuating element has an interruption which is bounded on one side by the actuating-element stop and on the other side by the pressure application surface, in order to permit a movement of the actuating element under the action of the triggering mechanism, wherein the module is configured so that the movement is ended by the actuating-element stop striking against the basic-body stop.

21. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pressure application surface of the actuating element extends essentially perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the actuating element under the action of the gases released by the triggering mechanism.

22. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the triggering mechanism is formed by a pyrotechnic unit for generating compressed gas.

23. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the airbag module includes a cover for an opening through which the gas bag can deploy upon inflation, and wherein the valve is arranged on an opposite side of the non-deployed airbag from the cover.

24. The airbag module as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a retaining ring for fastening the gas bag to a support element.

25. The airbag module as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a ring shaped reinforcing element that runs along the edge of a blow-in mouth of the gas bag in order to maintain the shape of the edge of the blow-in mouth, and wherein the retaining ring engages over the reinforcing element.

26. The airbag module as claimed in claim 24, wherein the retaining ring connects the valve to the support structure.

27. The airbag module as claimed in claim 24, wherein the cover is fixed to the retaining ring.

28. The airbag module as claimed in claim 27, wherein the cover is fixed to the retaining ring by interengaging form-fitting latching elements.