Discharge valves for airbags and airbags including the same

• US 6,899,134 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., DuVall, Wilbur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US10/278,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20030075223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.31, 280/739
• US Class Current: 137/625.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• 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: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86743 Rotary

Abstract

Discharge valve for an airbag including a fixed member adapted to be arranged in connection with or associated with the airbag and having a pattern of openings and a movable member having a pattern of openings substantially identical to the pattern of openings of the fixed member. The movable member is movable relative to and alongside the fixed member to vary the correspondence between the openings on the movable member and the openings in the fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by the fixed member and the movable member. Variation in the valve openings results in control and/or regulation of the outflow of gas from the airbag through the discharge valve. The members may be plates, cylinders or cones.

Claims

1. In an airbag system including an airbag having an inlet opening and an inflator for inflating the airbag by directing fluid into an interior of the airbag through the inlet opening, the improvement comprising:

a discharge valve arranged apart from the inflator and including

a fixed member arranged against an outer layer of said sheet of material and having apertures communicating with said interior; and

a movable member having open sections and solid sections,

said movable member being movable relative to and alongside said fixed member to vary the correspondence between said apertures in said movable member and said open sections in said fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed member and said movable member.

2. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a movement mechanism for moving said movable member relative to said fixed member.

3. The airbag system of claim 2, wherein said movement mechanism comprises a piezo-electric bi-morph crystal arrangement arranged in connection with said movable member for shaking said movable member to thereby modulate the valve openings.

4. The airbag system of claim 3, wherein said piezo-electric crystal arrangement is structured and arranged to be driven by a drive signal and associated electronics.

5. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said movable member and said fixed member are plates.

6. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said fixed member is a substantially circular disk and said movable member is a substantially circular disk.

7. The airbag system of claim 6, further comprising an arm connected to said movable disk, said arm being movable to vary the correspondence between said opening in said movable disk and said apertures in said fixed disk.

8. The airbag system of claim 7, further comprising a movement mechanism for moving said arm.

9. The airbag system of claim 6, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably mounting said movable disk to said fixed disk.

10. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said fixed member is attached around its periphery to said outer layer of said sheet of material.

17. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably connecting said movable member to said fixed member and retaining said movable member in connection with said fixed member.

18. The airbag system of claim 17, wherein said mounting pin extends through a center of said movable member.

11. In an airbag system including an airbag having an inlet opening and an inflator for inflating the airbag by directing fluid into an interior of the airbag through the inlet opening, the improvement comprising:

a discharge valve arranged apart from the inflator and including

a fixed disk arranged against an outer layer of said sheet of material and including apertures communicating with said interior;

a movable disk mounted over said fixed disk and including solid sections and open sections; and

an arm connected to said movable disk, said arm being movable to vary correspondence between said apertures in said movable disk and said open sections of said fixed disk to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed disk and said movable disk.

12. The airbag system of claim 11, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably mounting said movable disk to said fixed disk.

13. The airbag system of claim 11, further comprising a movement mechanism for moving said arm.

14. The airbag system of claim 13, wherein said movement mechanism comprises a solenoid, bi-morph piezo-electric element, ferro-magnetic arrangement or drive or a thermal-based arrangement.

15. The airbag system of claim 11, wherein said fixed disk is attached around its periphery to said outer layer of said sheet of material.

19. The airbag system of claim 11, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably connecting said movable disk to said fixed disk and retaining said movable disk in connection with said fixed disk.

20. The airbag system of claim 19, wherein said mounting pin extends through a center of said movable disk.

16. An airbag arranged to be coupled to an inflator which inflates the airbag, comprising:

a sheet of material defining an interior and having a pre-deployment, folded configuration and a deployment, unfolded configuration in which said interior is filled with fluid, said sheet of material defining an inlet opening through which fluid generated by the inflator is passed into said interior and a separate discharge opening spaced from said inlet opening; and

a discharge valve adapted to be arranged apart from the inflator and including

a fixed member arranged over said discharge opening and attached to said sheet of material, said fixed member having apertures communicating with said interior via said discharge opening; and

a movable member having open sections and solid sections,

said movable member being movable relative to and alongside said fixed member to vary the correspondence between said apertures in said movable member and said open sections in said fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed member and said movable member.

21. The airbag of claim 16, further comprising a mounting pin for rotatably connecting said movable member to said fixed member and retaining said movable member in connection with said fixed member.

22. The airbag of claim 21, wherein said mounting pin extends through a center of said movable member.

23. In an airbag system including an airbag having an inlet opening and an inflator for inflating the airbag by directing fluid into an interior of the airbag through the inlet opening, the improvement comprising:

the airbag comprising a sheet of material defining an interior and having a pre-deployment, folded configuration and a deployment, unfolded configuration in which said interior is filled with fluid, said sheet of material defining the inlet opening and a separate discharge opening spaced from said inlet opening; and

a discharge valve arranged apart from the inflator and including

a fixed member arranged over said discharge opening and attached to said sheet of material, said fixed member having apertures communicating with said interior via said discharge opening; and

a movable member having open sections and solid sections,

said movable member being movable relative to and alongside said fixed member to vary the correspondence between said apertures in said movable member and said open sections in said fixed member to thereby vary valve openings defined by said fixed member and said movable member.