Vehicle occupant restraint system

• US 6,012,738 A
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Beisswenger, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/026,979
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/741, 280/736
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a gas bag and a gas generator for filling the gas bag. To seal the gas bag dynamically during the insufflation process and to substantially increase the pressure keeping duration of the gas bag, compressed gases which are produced by the gas generator are provided with a sealing compound. The sealing compound is distributed on the inner side of the bas bag during the insufflation process thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

a gas bag,

a gas generator producing compressed gases for filling said gas bag,

a sealing compound and means for providing said compressed gases with said sealing compound,

said sealing compound being distributed on an inner side of said gas bag during an insufflation process thereof.

2. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein said means for providing said compressed gases with said sealing compound are provided with a storage vessel with an outflow opening containing said sealing compound, said storage vessel being able to be acted upon by said compressed gases produced by said gas generator and said outflow opening of said storage vessel being in flow connection with said gas bag, so that said sealing compound is conveyed from said storage vessel to said gas bag during said insufflation process of said gas bag and is distributed on its inner side.

3. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, further comprising a connecting line between said gas generator and said gas bag, said storage vessel being arranged in said connecting line between said gas generator and said gas bag.

4. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein said storage vessel is arranged within said gas bag.

5. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein a distributor nozzle, provided with several outflow openings, is provided at an orifice opening into said gas bag, at which said sealing compound, conveyed from said storage vessel to said gas bag, enters into said gas bag.

6. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein said gas generator and said storage vessel are integrated in a common housing.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein a bursting diaphragm is arranged in the path of said compressed gases produced by said gas generator and acting upon said storage vessel, between said gas generator and said storage vessel.

8. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2 wherein said flow connection from said storage vessel to said gas bag in the inactive state is interrupted by a bursting diaphragm.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein a dividing wall, provided with a valve, is arranged in the path of said compressed gases produced by said gas generator and acting upon said storage vessel, between said gas generator and said storage vessel.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein a dividing wall, provided with a valve, is arranged in said flow connection from said storage vessel to said gas bag.