Air bag arrangement and triggering process therefor

• US 5,899,488 A
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Inova GmbH - Technische Entwicklungen
• Inventors: Muller, Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US09/048,125
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 280/732, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21652 the tearing being done or assisted by cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26035 triggered by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26058 using a combination of inflators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2633 with a plurality of inflation levels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2648 comprising a plurality of combustion chambers or sub-chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2155 with complex motion of the cover; Retraction under the lining during opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to an air bag arrangement in a vehicle, having a gas bag device which can be inflated with a propellant by a gas generator 4 as the result of the triggering by a sensor and which, during the inflating, can be advanced into the occupant compartment of the vehicle, a covering device 10 being provided which is driven by a component 5; 5'"'"' of the air bag arrangement set in motion after the triggering by a sensor and which opens up an outlet opening 7 for a gas bag 8 and which moves essentially inside an outer contour 15 of the air bag arrangement or of a vehicle part containing the air bag arrangement. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for triggering an air bag arrangement, for example, in a vehicle, characterized in that, as the result of the triggering by a sensor, first a covering device is driven by a component 5'"'"' of he air bag arrangement set in motion after the triggering by a sensor, for opening up an outlet opening 7 for a gas bag 8, so that this covering device moves essentially within an outer contour 15 of the air bag arrangement or of a vehicle part containing the air bag arrangement, and then a gas bag device is inflated with propellant by a gas generator 4 for the advancing into an occupant compartment of the vehicle.

Claims

1. Air bag arrangement for a vehicle comprising:

a gas bag device which can be inflated by propellant gas,

a gas generator which generates the propellant gas,

a sensor which triggers the gas generator, said gas bag device, while inflating, advancing into an occupant compartment of the vehicle, and

a covering device which is driven by a component of the air bag arrangement which is set in motion after triggering by the sensor and which opens up an outlet opening for a gas bag and moves essentially within an outer contour of the air bag arrangement or a vehicle part containing the air bag arrangement.

2. Air bag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component is driven as a result of gas pressure generated by the gas generator, wherein the gas generator is a multi-stage gas generator which can be triggered by a driving device affecting the driven component, and wherein the covering device includes at least two covering flaps and/or, after opening-up of the outlet opening, is positioned within an air bag module housing wall, in a receiving space, in which the gas bag is situated in an inoperative position before triggering of the air bag arrangement, in which the air bag arrangement is guided on a guide and/or has elements which open in the manner of a screen and which carry out a swivelling movement.

3. Air bag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component, which is driven by a reaction force formed when gas flows out of the gas generator, is held in a movement end position by a blocking device,

wherein the movable component carries out a rotational and/or a translational movement for operating the covering device and the movable component is guided in a longitudinal guide in the air bag arrangement,

wherein the movable component contains a piston, a rotary slide and/or the gas generator which is disposed to be movable in the air bag arrangement, or is constructed as a casing which tightly encloses said gas generator, before being acted upon, and which can be driven by the gas pressure generated by the gas generator for a linear movement and is connected with the gas bag,

wherein the drivable component is constructed as at least one rotary wing or piston which can be caused to rotate about an axis of rotation and, on both sides of the gas generator, pressure chambers are provided, and in each pressure chamber said at least one rotary wing or piston is provided, or

wherein the drivable component is constructed as linearly drivable pistons guided in a cylinder, two pistons being provided which can be driven in opposite directions and which are guided in at least one cylinder or in separate cylinders, the pistons being drivable by a propellant which can be ignited on the pressure side of the respective piston.

4. Air bag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the covering device consists of a hard plastic material, which is formed in one piece with a dashboard body also made of a hard plastic material, and desired breaking points formed as a thinning of material, which are separated when the outlet opening is opened up, are provided between the covering device and the dashboard body.

5. Air bag arrangement according to claim 1, and further comprising control devices provided by which the gas pressure generated by the gas generator, after triggering by the sensor, is first used at least predominantly for driving the component and, only after a definable movement path or after a definable movement duration of the component, is provided completely for inflating the gas bag, and in that the control devices contain the component set in motion after the triggering by the sensor, which component is constructed and arranged such that, after the triggering by the sensor, it is first acted upon by the at least predominant part of the gas pressure generated by the generator and releases the latter only after a definable movement path or after a definable movement duration completely for inflating the gas bag,

wherein the component set in motion after the triggering by the sensor is further developed and displaceable with respect to the gas generator such that, after the triggering by the sensor, it absorbs the at least predominant part of the gas pressure generated by the gas generator, until the outlet opening for the gas bag is sufficiently opened up for an at least approximately unhindered advancing of the latter into the occupant compartment of the vehicle, and

wherein the component set in motion after the triggering by the sensor, for operating the covering device, contains an adjustable cap or trough which essentially tightly encloses the gas generator in the area of the gas outlet openings for receiving the gas pressure from the gas generator along its adjusting path until the outlet opening for the gas bag is sufficiently opened up for at least an approximately unhindered advancing of the latter into the occupant compartment of the vehicle and then releases the gas pressure completely for inflating the gas bag, and

wherein, in addition to the first gas generator, at least one additional gas generator and/or, in the gas generator, several gas generator stages are provided which can be triggered successively, and the control devices are designed such that gas pressure for moving the component is provided only by the first gas generator or by the first gas generator stage of the gas generator.

6. Process for triggering an air bag arrangement for a vehicle comprising the steps of:

triggering a sensor,

driving a covering device by a component set in motion after triggering the sensor, for opening up an outlet opening for a gas bag so that the covering device moves within an outer contour of the air bag arrangement or a vehicle part containing the air bag arrangement, and

inflating a gas bag device with a propellant by a gas generator for advancing into an occupant compartment of the vehicle.

7. Process for triggering an air bag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the gas pressure generated by the gas generator, after the triggering by the sensor, is first at least predominantly provided for driving the component and, only after a definable movement path or after a definable movement duration of the component, is provided completely for inflating the gas bag.

8. Process for triggering an air bag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein, after triggering by the sensor, the component is first acted upon by the at least predominant portion of the gas pressure generated by the gas generator and completely releases the latter only after a definable movement path or after a definable movement duration for inflating the gas bag.

9. Process for triggering an air bag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a pressure surge takes place from the gas generator for moving the component and then the built-up pressure is transmitted into the gas bag.

10. Process for triggering an air bag arrangement according to claim 6, wherein, for acting upon the component set in motion after triggering by the sensor, only a first generator and/or a first generator stage of the generator is used and, for later pressure build-up for the gas bag, at least one additional generator or at least one second generator stage is provided.