Gas bag module

• US 7,516,982 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Britz, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich; George D.
• Application Number:
  US11/445,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/736, 280/739, 280/740, 280/742, 280/743.1
• 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),

the discharge arrangement (18) having at least one element made of an electrically activatable polymer actuator (22), to expose and/or alter the discharge opening,

the polymer actuator (22) being integrated into a wall part with the discharge opening,

the polymer actuator (22) comprising a carrier layer and an active layer made of a polymer, and

the polymer changing its volume with a variation in voltage and being selected from the group of electrostrictive polymers, polymer gels, carbon nano-capillaries, conductive conjugate polymers and ion-conducting polymers.

2. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the polymer actuator is part of a covering which is arranged over the discharge opening formed in the wall part.

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. The gas bag module according to claim 1, 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).