Non return valve for an airbag

• US 6,402,190 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata (Europe) Vehicle Safety Technology GmbH
• Original Assignee: Takata (Europe) Vehicle Safety Technology GmbH
• Inventors: David, Patrick, Heudorfer, Benedikt, Maidel, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn
• Application Number:
  US09/608,435
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/739, 280/742, 280/728.1, 137/846
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7882 Having exit lip

Abstract

The invention relates to a non return valve for an airbag of a vehicle passenger retention system, which is provided with a connection hose between two chambers of the airbag, wherein in the connector hose a fabric inlay is accommodated. The fabric inlay subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage between the first and the second chamber and a pressure chamber which is in connection with the second chamber. As soon as the internal pressure in the first chamber is greater than that in the second chamber the fabric inlay opens the flow passage. If on the contrary the internal pressure in the second chamber is greater than that in the first chamber the fabric inlay closes off the flow passage by means of the internal pressure which acts in the pressure chamber.

Claims

1. A non return valve for an airbag of a vehicle passenger retention system, which is adapted to form a flow connection between a first and a second airbag chamber, the non return valve comprising:

a connection hose which is adapted to be connected to the first and the second airbag chambers, said connection hose having a foldable fabric inlay that subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage which is adapted to connect the first and the second airbag chambers and a pressure chamber

which is adapted to be connected with the second airbag chamber, wherein the fabric inlay is adapted to open the flow passage when the internal pressure in the second airbag chamber is lower compared to the internal pressure in the first airbag chamber, and wherein when the internal pressure is higher in the second airbag chamber, the fabric inlay is adapted to close the flow passage by means of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber.

2. Non return valve in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that

the fabric inlay (22) is folded back to form a funnel-shaped hose; in that the fabric inlay (22) is connected to an inner wall of the connection hose (12) near a peripheral edge of its funnel opening (24) of larger flow cross-section; and

in that the fabric inlay (22) is only partly connected to the inner wall of the connection hose (12) near the peripheral edge of its funnel opening (28) of smaller flow cross-section which protrudes into the connection hose (12) in the direction of the second chamber.

3. The non return valve in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a second fabric inlay which is connected to the first fabric inlay to form a second hose with an approximately uniform flow cross-section,

wherein the second hose is connected to an inner wall of the connection hose near an inlet opening of the second hose which faces the first chamber, and wherein the second hose is freely movably accommodated in the connection hose.

4. Non return valve in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that

the fabric inlay (92) is connected to a part of an inner wall of the connection hose (82) near its one side edge facing the first chamber in such a manner that an inlet opening (96) is formed which is bounded by the fabric inlay (92) and the inner wall of the connection hose (82);

and in that the fabric inlay (92) extends diametrically through the connection hose (82) and is connected near its other side edge facing the second chamber at the surface of the inner wall of the connection hose (82) to form an outlet opening (102), with the flow cross-section of the outlet opening (102) being smaller than that of the inlet opening (96).

7. Non return valve in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that

for forming the funnel-shaped hose the fabric inlay (22) with its superposed surfaces is accommodated between two fabric partial pieces (14, 16) and is sewn to the latter;

and in that the hose is sewn to both fabric partial pieces (14, 16) near the peripheral edge of its funnel opening (24) of larger flow cross-section.

9. Non return valve in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that

the fabric inlay (92) is sewn to one fabric partial piece (84) near its side edge facing the first chamber and to the other fabric partial piece (86) near its side edge facing the second chamber.

5. A non return valve for an airbag of a vehicle passenger retention system, which is adapted to form a flow connection between a first and a second airbag chamber, the non return valve comprising:

a connection hose which is adapted to be connected to the first and the second airbag chambers, said connection hose having a fabric inlay that subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage which is adapted to connect the first and the second airbag chambers and a pressure chamber which is adapted to be connected with the second airbag chamber,

wherein the fabric inlay is adapted to open the flow passage when the internal pressure in the second airbag chamber is lower compared to the internal pressure in the first airbag chamber, wherein when the internal pressure is higher in the second airbag chamber, the fabric inlay is adapted to close the flow passage by means of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber, wherein the fabric inlay is sewn, with a gas-tight seam, to the connection hose or to a second fabric inlay or to both the connection hose and the second fabric inlay.

6. A non return valve for an airbag of a vehicle passenger retention system, which is adapted to form a flow connection between a first and a second airbag chamber, the non return valve comprising:

a connection hose which is adapted to be connected to the first and the second airbag chambers, said connection hose having a fabric inlay that subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage which is adapted to connect the first and the second airbag chambers and a pressure chamber which is adapted to be connected with the second airbag chamber,

wherein the fabric inlay is adapted to open the flow passage when the internal pressure in the second airbag chamber is lower compared to the internal pressure in the first airbag chamber,

wherein when the internal pressure is higher in the second airbag chamber, the fabric inlay is adapted to close the flow passage by means of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber,

wherein the connection hose is formed by two fabric pieces which comprise pieces of the airbag, and

wherein the connection hose is sealed at edges by a seam.

8. A non return valve for an airbag of a vehicle passenger retention system, which is adapted to form a flow connection between a first and a second airbag chamber, the non return valve comprising:

a connection hose which is adapted to be connected to the first and the second airbag chambers, said connection hose having a fabric inlay that subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage which is adapted to connect the first and the second airbag chambers and a pressure chamber which is adapted to be connected with the second airbag chamber,

wherein the fabric inlay is adapted to open the flow passage when the internal pressure in the second airbag chamber is lower compared to the internal pressure in the first airbag chamber, wherein when the internal pressure is higher in the second airbag chamber, the fabric inlay is adapted to close the flow passage by means of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber, wherein a second fabric inlay is provided which is connected to the first fabric inlay and to form a second hose with an approximately uniform flow cross-section, wherein the second hose is connected to an inner wall of the connection hose near an inlet opening of the second hose which faces the first chamber, wherein the second hose is freely movably accommodated in the connection hose, and wherein the two fabric inlays are sewn to one another at their edges, wherein the connection hose is formed by two fabric pieces, wherein the two fabric inlays have near the inlet opening securing lugs which project to both sides, which are accommodated between the superposed surfaces of the fabric pieces, and which are sewn to the fabric pieces, and wherein near the inlet opening of the hose one fabric inlay is sewn to one fabric piece and the other fabric inlay is sewn to the other fabric piece.

10. An airbag for a vehicle passenger retention system, comprising:

a first chamber and a second chamber, and

a non return valve having a connection hose which is adapted to be connected to the first and the second airbag chambers, said connection hose having a foldable fabric inlay that subdivides the connection hose into a flow passage which is adapted to connect the first and the second airbag chambers and a pressure chamber which is adapted to be connected with the second airbag chamber,

wherein the fabric inlay is adapted to open the flow passage when the internal pressure in the second airbag chamber is lower compared to the internal pressure in the first airbag chamber, wherein when the internal pressure is higher in the second airbag chamber, the fabric inlay is adapted to close the flow passage by means of the internal pressure in the pressure chamber, and wherein the non return valve at least partly prevents a flowing back of gas from the second chamber into the first chamber.