U.S. patent application number 09/772836 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-30 for vehicle occupant restraint system.
This patent application is currently assigned to TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Fischer, Anton.
Application Number | 20010017459 09/772836 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7936832 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010017459 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fischer, Anton |
August 30, 2001 |
Vehicle occupant restraint system
Abstract
The invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint system
comprising an inflatable gas bag, a gas-carrying distributor pipe
projecting into the gas bag and a piston housed displaceably in the
distributor pipe. The restraint system further comprises a power
transmission means which connects the piston and the gas bag with
each other and via which a force for tensioning the gas bag is
transferred onto said gas bag. A deflection member for the power
transmission means is provided in the distributor pipe. The power
transmission means is constructed as a traction means.
Inventors: |
Fischer, Anton; (Leinweiler,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TAROLLI, SUNDHEIM, COVELL, TUMMINO & SZABO L.L.P.
1111 LEADER BLDG.
526 SUPERIOR AVENUE
CLEVELAND
OH
44114-1400
US
|
Assignee: |
TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
& Co. KG
|
Family ID: |
7936832 |
Appl. No.: |
09/772836 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/730.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 21/232 20130101;
B60R 22/1952 20130101; B60R 21/2338 20130101; B60R 2021/23386
20130101; B60R 2021/2617 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/730.2 |
International
Class: |
B60R 021/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 4, 2000 |
DE |
200 01 960.0 |
Claims
1. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising an inflatable
gas bag, a gas-carrying distributor pipe projecting into said gas
bag, a piston housed displaceably in said distributor pipe, a power
transmission means, which connects said piston and said gas bag
with each other, which is constructed as a traction means and via
which a force for tensioning said gas bag is transferred onto said
gas bag, and a deflection member for said power transmission means
in said distributor pipe.
2. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,
wherein said deflection member deflects said traction means through
approximately 180.degree..
3. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,
wherein at least one gas generator is provided which is connected
with an interior of said distributor pipe such that it inflates
said gas bag and leads to a displacement of said piston.
4. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 3,
wherein said piston is provided with an opening, said traction
means extending through said opening in said piston.
5. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,
wherein at least one traction means guide is provided in said
distributor pipe.
6. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 5,
wherein said traction means guide is formed in one piece on said
distributor pipe.
7. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,
wherein said deflection member is a deflection sheave.
8. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,
wherein it is a side restraint system comprising a head gas bag
having a large area and partially covering at least one side window
of a vehicle, and wherein said distributor pipe extends along a
roof frame of said vehicle.
9. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 8,
wherein in a region of a vehicle column a further deflection member
is provided for said traction means, from which deflection member
said traction means extends to said gas bag.
10. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 9,
wherein said gas bag extends between two of said vehicle columns
and said traction means tensions said gas bag when unfolded between
two fastening points provided at opposite ends of said gas bag.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint
system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] An occupant restraint system known from DE 298 06 200
comprises a piston housed in the distributor pipe, which piston is
displaced by the gas generator which also serves for inflating the
gas bag. A rod mounted to the piston projects out from the
distributor pipe and in the case of restraint is pressed out from
the distributor pipe still further, whereby a gas bag, which is
fastened to the rod, is tensioned.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention provides a vehicle occupant restraint system
in which a rod, stressed with regard to thrust and bending, can be
avoided as power transmission means. This is achieved in a vehicle
occupant restraint system which comprises an inflatable gas bag, a
gas-carrying distributor pipe projecting into the gas bag and a
piston housed displaceably in the distributor pipe. The restraint
system further comprises a power transmission means which connects
the piston and the gas bag with each other, which is constructed as
a traction means, and via which a force for tensioning the gas bag
is transferred onto the latter. Further, a deflection member for
the power transmission means is provided in the distributor pipe.
Through the provision of an integrated deflection member, it is
possible to use a flexible traction means and to draw it by means
of the expanding gas further into the distributor pipe, although
the moving piston moves outwards. In the process, advantageously a
tensioning cable can be used as traction means.
[0004] The deflection member deflects the traction means through
approximately 180.degree. and advantageously extends through an
opening in the piston in which it is displaceable. The traction
means leaves the distributor pipe preferably at one of its ends, so
that no additional openings which are to be sealed have to be
provided in the distributor pipe.
[0005] So that the traction means is positioned exactly in the
distributor pipe and also remains there during the tensioning
process, one or more traction means guides can be provided in the
distributor pipe, which can be formed for example in one piece on
the distributor pipe.
[0006] Preferably, a deflection sheave comes to be used as
deflection member, so that as few friction losses occur as
possible.
[0007] According to the preferred embodiment, the occupant
restraint system is a side occupant restraint system with a
head-side gas bag having a large area, which serves for the at
least partial covering of a side window of a vehicle. The
distributor pipe extends along the roof frame of the vehicle.
[0008] In the region of a vehicle column, according to the
preferred embodiment a further deflection member is provided for
the traction means, from which deflection member the traction means
extends to the gas bag. The gas bag is tensioned between fastening
points, preferably at its opposite ends, at least one of the
fastening points being formed by the traction means.
[0009] By the invention it is possible to hold the head gas bag,
which has a large area, tensioned over several seconds, for example
during an overturn of the vehicle, if a portion of the gas has
already escaped from the gas bag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the
vehicle occupant restraint system according to the invention, with
the gas bag unfolded, and
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view through the end of
the distributor pipe, framed with broken lines in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] In FIG. 1 a side vehicle occupant restraint system is
illustrated, which has an inflated head gas bag 3 having a large
area, which covers the side windows 5, 7 of a vehicle to a large
part and extends from the A-column 9 to the C-column 11 of the
vehicle. The restraint system has in addition a distributor pipe 13
and also a gas generator 15 which is arranged in the region of the
C-column. The distributor pipe extends from the gas generator 15
into the interior of the gas bag 3 and along the roof frame 17 of
the vehicle up to the A-column 9, where it ends. The gas bag 3 has
so-called tensioning bands 21 in the region of its opposite ends
and in the region of its lower edge 19, which serve for anchoring
the gas bag in the vehicle and which belong to the gas bag 3. The
outer ends of the tensioning bands 21 are fastening points of the
gas bag 3.
[0013] The rear tensioning band 21 is fastened by its rear free end
to the C-column 11. On the front tensioning band 21 a traction
means in the form of a traction cable 23 is fastened, which extends
horizontally up to a first deflection sheave 25 as deflection
member. The first deflection sheave 25 is arranged in the lower
region of the A-column. From the deflection sheave 25, the traction
cable 23 runs along the A-column 9 upwards and at the front, open
end of the distributor pipe 13 on the end face into this pipe 13,
as FIG. 2 shows. Only a section of gas bag 3 is illustrated in FIG.
2.
[0014] In the region of the open end of the distributor pipe 13, a
traction means guide 27 is provided in the form of a pin formed in
one piece on the distributor pipe 13 and having a passage opening
for the traction cable 23. The traction cable 23 extends deeper
into the interior of the distributor pipe 13 and through a passage
opening in a piston 29, displaceably mounted in the distributor
pipe 13, up to a rotatably mounted second deflection sheave 31
arranged stationary in the distributor pipe, which sheave 31 forms
a deflection member for the traction cable 23. Through the
deflection sheave 31, the traction cable is deflected through
180.degree.. The deflected end 33 of the traction cable is then
fastened to the piston.
[0015] In the case of restraint, the gas generator 15 generates gas
which flows into the distributor pipe 13 and from there via
openings in the distributor pipe 13 into the gas bag. A portion of
the gas arrives up to the piston 29 and displaces the latter
according to FIG. 2 to the left in the direction of arrow A. The
traction cable 23 is thereby drawn from the deflection sheave 31 in
the direction of arrow B and the tensioning band 21 is drawn in the
direction of arrow C in FIG. 1 and tensioned. Thereby, the gas bag
3 is tensioned in the region of its lower edge 19 between its
fastening points. It remains stable over several seconds and can
thereby also still develop a sufficient protective effect in the
case of an overturn of the vehicle.
* * * * *