Motor vehicle occupant protective device

• US 5,301,978 A
• Filed: 02/24/1992
• Issued: 04/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Delonge-Immik, Gudrun, Peitsmeier, Karl, Patzelt, Helmut, Henseler, Wolfgang, Knoll, Heinz, Munzel, Wolf-Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOGE, GARY CHAPMAN
• Application Number:
  US07/839,550
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 280/737, 280/731, 280/732, 280/736, 280/743, 137/68.2
• US Class Current: 280/737
• 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: F17C 13/04 Arrangement or mounting of valves valves per se F16K ; snap-coupling of nipples F16L37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0104 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/058 portable (<30 l)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0646 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0663 in form of fibers or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/069 Break point in the wall
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0385 in blocks or units
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/2154 Winding
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0181 Airbags

Abstract

A protective device for motor vehicle airbag systems to protect the vehicle occupants utilizes a vessel whose wall piece, which can break out, is configured as part of the wall of a hollow valve block provided with the outflow orifice. The wall piece is equipped with an extension projecting into the interior of a valve block. The piston rod is guided displaceably, transversely relative to the extension in the valve block, and moved by a pyrotechnic propellent charge. The rod serves to break out the wall part and is provided with a collar which, in the event of ignition, strikes against the extension and thus leads not to a violent breaking-out, but to a pivoting of the wall piece before the final breaking-out.

Claims

1. A protective device for occupants of a motor vehicle usable with a gas inflatable bag, comprising a pressure vessel for storage of a pressurized gas with an outflow orifice provided in a wall of the pressure-vessel, a closed tripping cylinder filled with a pyrotechnic medium, at least one valve having a pressure-vessel wall piece surrounded by a predetermined breaking point and a piston rod associated operatively with the wall piece and projecting on one side thereof from the closed tripping cylinder for closing the outflow orifice, the piston rod being axially displaceable out of a first end position into a second end position by a piston arranged in the tripping cylinder when the pyrotechnic medium is ignited, wherein the wall piece comprises a wall of a hollow valve block provided with the outflow orifice and an extension projecting into the interior of the valve block, the piston rod having means for impacting the extension and being displaceable in the valve block transversely relative to the extension, and the extension is located in the path of movement of the means for impacting, whereby when the piston is displaced from said first end position to said second end position, said means for impacting impacts said extension, causing said predetermined breaking point to be exceeded.

2. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the outflow orifice is covered by a cap-like cover provided with outlet orifices, and the piston rod has, at its end facing away from the piston, the cap-like cover projecting radially therefrom.

3. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the piston is connected to the piston rod and, in the second end position of the piston rod, bears against an end face of a cylindrical space of the tripping cylinder.

4. The protective device according to claim 3, wherein the outflow orifice is covered by a cap-like cover provided with outlet orifices, and the piston rod has, at its end facing away from the piston, the cap-like cover projecting radially therefrom.

5. The protective device according to claim 2, wherein the cover has an edge extending parallel to the axis of the piston rod and is held sealingly in a piston-like manner in a cylindrical recess of the valve block at the first end position of the piston rod.

6. The protective device according to claim 5, wherein the piston is connected to the piston rod and, in the second end position of the piston rod, bears against an end face of a cylindrical space of the tripping cylinder.

7. The protective device according to claim 5, wherein the outlet orifices of the cover are provided solely in the edge.

8. The protective device according to claim 7, wherein the outlet orifices are configured as slits which extend from a free end of the edge towards the cover.

9. The protective device according to claim 8, wherein the slits have a circular rounding on a closed side thereof.

10. The protective device according to claim 5, wherein a perforated plate having a central recess for the piston rod is operatively associated with a free continuous end face of the edge.

11. The protective device according to claim 5, wherein the edge has a length measured parallel to the piston rod to correspond to the displacement travel of the piston rod out of the first end position into the second end position.

12. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein two diametrically opposed wall pieces with extensions arranged in alignment with one another are provided in the valve block and the free end faces thereof are spaced from one another at a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the piston rod.

13. The protective device according to claim 12, wherein the pressure vessel is sleeve-shaped and is closed off by the wall of the valve block adjacent to each wall piece.

14. The protective device according to claim 13, wherein the pressure vessel has a cylindrical-like shape and is oriented with a longitudinal mid-axis thereof in alignment with another pressure vessel.

15. The protective device according to claim 12, wherein the valve block is surrounded by a tire-shaped pressure vessel arranged concentrically relative to the valve block and is closed on its open inside by a cylindrical wall of the valve block.

16. The protective device according to claim 13, wherein at least the pressure vessel attached to the valve block comprises a thin-walled material reinforced externally by an enveloping composite fiber winding.

17. The protective device according to claim 15, wherein at least the pressure vessel attached to the valve block comprises a thin-walled material reinforced externally by an enveloping composite fiber winding.

18. The protective device according to claim 13, wherein the valve block is a forged hollow section with a greater wall thickness than the pressure-vessel wall thickness.

19. The protective device according to claim 15, wherein the valve block is a forged hollow section with a greater wall thickness than the pressure-vessel wall thickness.

20. The protective device according to claim 16, wherein the valve block is a forged hollow section with a greater wall thickness than the pressure-vessel wall thickness.

21. The protective device according to claim 18, wherein at least one of a filling orifice closeable in a pressure-tight and gas-tight manner and a safety valve for at least one pressure vessel is provided in the valve block.

22. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor is assigned to a respective pressure vessel for continuous detection of pressure prevailing in the associated pressure vessel.

23. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod includes a collar, and the extension is located in the path of movement of the collar.

24. The protective device according to claim 12, wherein the piston rod includes a collar, and the extensions are located in the path of movement of the collar.