Gas bag module

• US 20060273561A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Britz, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/004 actuated by piezoelectric means

Abstract

A gas bag module for a vehicle occupant restraint device comprises a gas bag and a discharge arrangement in fluid connection with said gas bag. The discharge arrangement has a discharge opening, through which gas can escape from the gas bag, and at least one element made of an electrically activatable polymer actuator to expose and/or alter the discharge opening upon activation of said polymer actuator.

Claims

1. A gas bag module for a vehicle occupant restraint device comprising a gas bag (12) and a discharge arrangement (18) in fluid connection with the gas bag, the discharge arrangement (18) including a discharge opening through which gas can escape from the gas bag (12), characterized in that the discharge arrangement (18) has at least one element made of an electrically activatable polymer actuator (22), to expose and/or alter the discharge opening through activation of the polymer actuator.

2. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge opening is provided in a wall part of the gas bag (12).

3. The gas bag module according to claim 2, characterized in that the polymer actuator (22) is integrated into the wall part with the discharge opening.

4. The gas bag module according to claim 2, characterized in that the polymer actuator is part of a covering which is arranged over the discharge opening formed in the wall part.

5. The gas bag module according to any of claim 1, characterized in that the discharge opening comprises a predetermined breaking point (24) on which the polymer actuator (22) acts.

6. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge opening is provided on a fixed component of the gas bag module.

7. The gas bag module according to claim 6, characterized in that the polymer actuator is arranged on a pivotable flap associated with the discharge opening.

8. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymer actuator is arranged on a pivotable flap associated with the discharge opening.

9. The gas bag module according to claim 1, wherein the discharge opening includes a silicone membrane, and the polymer actuator acts together with the silicone membrane by tearing open said silicone membrane when the polymer actuator is activated.

10. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymer actuator (22) comprises a carrier layer and an active layer made of a polymer, and the polymer changes its volume with a variation in voltage.

11. The gas bag module according to claim 10, characterized in that the polymer is selected from the group of piezoelectric polymers, electrostrictive polymers, polymer gels, carbon nano-capillaries, conductive conjugate polymers and ion-conducting polymers.

12. The gas bag module according to claim 10, characterized in that the carrier layer is part of a wall part of the gas bag (12) in the region of the discharge arrangement (18).