Patents Assigned to Autoliv Development AB
  • Patent number: 7425019
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an airbag and a process for manufacturing an airbag. The airbag includes a distribution element for the gas of a gas generator, to which at least one multi-layer chamber is fluidly connected through outflow openings of the distribution element. The distribution element includes an acceptance device for the gas generator and is cut out of an airbag material and is sewn to form a hollow body At least two connecting seams are provided to connect the layers of the chambers separately with one layer each of the distribution element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Ian Taylor, Yves Puccetti, Marc Phillips
  • Patent number: 7424984
    Abstract: Disclosed is a self-locking safety belt retractor comprising a blocking element which can be triggered in a belt band-sensitive and/or vehicle-sensitive manner and blocks the rotation of the belt shaft in the unwinding direction of the belt, and a tensioning drive which acts upon the belt shaft and rotates said belt shaft in the winding direction of the safety belt when being triggered. The inventive safety belt retractor is characterized by the fact that the tensioning drive which is provided with two parts (14, 15; 26, 32) that move relative to each other when said tensioning drive is triggered, is disposed on the belt shaft without being connected to the housing (10) of the belt retractor and rotates along with the belt shaft before being triggered. Furthermore, one part of the tensioning drive is fixed by means of the blocking element (17) as an abutment for the tensioning movement of the second part of the tensioning drive when the tensioning drive is triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Ronald Jabusch
  • Patent number: 7422234
    Abstract: An airbag for use in motor vehicles having two or more chambers, which is simple to manufacture, low-cost and not susceptible to disturbances. The airbag is configured such that the chambers can have different internal pressures in case of airbag activation since a dividing seam between the chambers of the airbag is configured to act as a gas stream divider and direct differing quantities of gas into the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Joachim Huber, Ernst Wittmann
  • Patent number: 7422233
    Abstract: An air-bag (10) is disclosed which defines at least one inflatable region (14). The air-bag (10) is provided with a gas supply duct (22) which extends into the air-bag (10). The gas supply duct (22) is formed of fabric and is provided with at least one outlet aperture (24) therein through which gas may flow into the said at least one inflatable region (14) of the air-bag (10). The outlet aperture (24) is provided with a reinforcement to reinforce the periphery of the aperture (24) in order to prevent undesirable fraying of the fabric around the periphery of the aperture (24), or undesirable deformation characteristics of the fabric around the periphery of the aperture (24), as the air-bag (10) is inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Alan Bradbum
  • Patent number: 7422231
    Abstract: An air-bag comprising an inflatable element having an inflatable region and a gas inlet throat extending from the inflatable region, a gusset of excess fabric being present in the region proximate to the junction between the gas inlet throat and the inflatable region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Altay Kismir, Simon Valkenburg
  • Patent number: 7422235
    Abstract: An air-bag (1) having an inflatable region forming two chambers (3,4) divided by a seam (5). The seam extends towards a back part (6) of the air-bag. A gas generator unit (14,15) is located between the end of the seam (5) and the back part (6) of the air-bag. A strap (21) passes through an aperture (8) formed in a terminal part of the seam (5) to draw the terminal part of the seam to the gas generator unit (14,15) thus effectively sealing the two chambers (3,4). The chambers (3,4) may be inflated to different pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Séverine Wollin, Emma Svenbrant
  • Publication number: 20080215211
    Abstract: An arrangement is provided for triggering a vehicle safety device. A proximity sensor (1) provides an output related to a distance to an object and/or the relative speed between the object and the sensor. A main accelerometer (2) is sensitive to acceleration in a predetermined direction. A supplementary accelerometer (3) is also provided. A first processing arrangement (4) performs an algorithm with the main algorithm, and is connected to receive an input from the proximity sensor and from the main accelerometer and to provide an output to a triggering signal generator (5). There is a second processing arrangement (7) which receives a signal from the main accelerometer (2) and also from the supplementary accelerometer (3). The second processing arrangement also provides an output connected to the said signal generator (5) to generate the triggering signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Mark Willerton, Erb Yannick
  • Patent number: 7419026
    Abstract: A seat belt for constraining an occupant to a seat is provided with both a tension varying means 16 allowing for providing a tension to the seat belt to vary, and a tension detecting means for detecting an actual tension on the seat belt. There is provided failure detecting means, which detects failures of at least one of the tension varying means and the tension detecting means by comparing the tension provided by the tension varying means to the actual tension detected by the tension detecting means the difference in tensions thereof exceeding a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Yukinori Midorikawa
  • Publication number: 20080203714
    Abstract: A method of making an air-bag is disclosed in which a selected plastics material is blow moulded within an appropriate mould to form a blow moulded air-bag. The mould is such that the blow moulded air-bag (1) has at least one indented region, such as a central oval region (10) of the upper part (7) of the air-bag, which, on inflation of the air-bag, becomes outwardly extending.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Pierre Untersinger, Dominique Dufaut, Charles Fouret, Alexandre Peron
  • Patent number: 7416043
    Abstract: A safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle comprises at least one plastically-deformable element, defining an interior chamber, which will deform only when subjected to at least a first predetermined force. A source of gas is connected to inject gas into the chamber and a signal generator is provided to generate a signal representative of crash severity which is to be applied to the element during a crash situation or in an anticipated crash situation. The signal generator is connected to a control unit so as to provide the control unit with the signal. The control unit is connected to the source of gas in order to control the source of gas and to inject gas into the interior chamber of the deformable element so as to increase the gas pressure in the chamber when the crash severity signal is substantially in excess of a predetermined threshold. The arrangement provides a structure whose energy absorption characteristics can be varied according to the severity of a crash situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Developments AB
    Inventors: Bengt Pipkorn, Yngve Haland
  • Patent number: 7416217
    Abstract: A guide loop for a safety belt on motor vehicles, including a guide element provided with a guide slit for the safety belt, which is fixed to a vehicle by means of a fixing screw, and an adapter with a displacement body for limiting the slit width of the guide slit. The adapter is coupled to the inside of the fixing hole of the guide element and includes an opening penetrated by the fixing screw inserted through the fixing hole. The fixing hole of is formed by a boring, with a cross-section slightly larger than the external diameter of the screw in order to maximize the overlap between a bearing surface of the guide element and a head of the fixing screw. In addition, a number of grooves are distributed around the boring's circumference. When the adapter is mounted, the grooves accept fixing arms of the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Hans-Jörg Cord, Knut Janzen
  • Patent number: 7413218
    Abstract: An air-bag is provided with a controllable vent, for example a tube, which is normally maintained in a closed condition by being retained by a clamp. The clamp is opened in response to a signal from a sensor. The clamp may be opened when it is desired for the air-bag to have a “soft” inflation, thus permitting a relatively high rate of flow of gas exiting from the air-bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Kalle Ekdahl
  • Publication number: 20080191453
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an air bag system comprises an air bag having an impact surface which in a non-inflated state is arranged in a housing located below the upper edge of a windowsill of a vehicle door. In an inflated state, at least part of the impact surface is positioned above the windowsill. There is a supporting surface for the air bag below the upper edge of the windowsill. The air bag defines a main chamber and a supporting chamber. The impact surface forms part of the main chamber. The supporting chamber, in an inflated state, is situated between the main chamber and the supporting surface and is supported at least in part by the supporting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Johan Mansson, Fredrik Kjell, Henrik Ohrvall, Anders Palo
  • Publication number: 20080191458
    Abstract: A seat belt apparatus is provided which includes a retractor having an electric motor to retract or draw out a seat belt, a motor information detecting means to detect an amount of rotation and a current value of the electric motor, a first condition detecting means to detect that an ignition switch is in an OFF state, a second condition detecting to detect that a getting on/off door located nearest to a seat to which a seat belt is attached is opened, a failure diagnosis timing judging means to start a failure diagnosing operation when a detecting signal is output from both the condition detecting means, and a failure diagnosing means to apply a driving current to the electric motor when the failure diagnosing operation is stated and to carry out a failure diagnosis of a driving system including a electric motor based on an output, in response to the application of a current, from the motor information detecting means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventor: Yukinori Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 7407181
    Abstract: An air bag formed from two layers of fabric using a one-piece weaving technique has a peripheral seam at the edge of a region adapted to be inflated. Beyond the seam there are a plurality of chambers and gas escaping from the inflated region through the seam must inflate these chambers thus creating a back pressure to reduce the flow of escaping gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: David Stow, Simon Valkenburg, Altay Kismir, Anorin Shaker
  • Publication number: 20080174148
    Abstract: The present invention provides in particular a device for reinforcing a hollow motor vehicle bodywork element (1) of closed right section, the device being characterized by the fact that said element (1) has means (2; 3; 5) suitable for subjecting its inside space (E) to a shock wave or pressure wave on detecting an impact, such that the energy generated by said wave is sufficient to deform the element by increasing its section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Christian Perotto, Francaise Perotto, Nicolas Dubois
  • Publication number: 20080163468
    Abstract: A buckle device includes a switch having a Hall element which outputs a signal in accordance with a magnitude of a magnetic flux density, a magnet which applies a magnetic field to the Hall element, and a shielding plate which is attached to an ejector so as to change the magnitude of the magnetic flux density transmitted from the magnet to the Hall element in accordance with a position of the ejector. The Hall element and the magnet are magnetically shielded by at least a frame and a latch member which are formed of a magnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Toru Nakamura, Ayaki Oyamada, Yukinori Midorikawa
  • Publication number: 20080164680
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the present invention an airbag device is provided. The airbag device comprises an airbag having at least one chamber, which can be filled with gas by a gas generator, and a ventilation opening in fluid communication with the chamber. The ventilation opening is sealed by an airbag section, which is detachably mounted to a fastening member, and is configured as an insertion opening for the gas generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Nicolas Langue
  • Patent number: 7393006
    Abstract: An airbag device for protecting motor vehicle occupants is disclosed. The airbag device comprises an airbag, which is accommodated folded-up in the roof area of the vehicle prior to inflation. The airbag unfolds downwards curtain-like when triggered, with a first section of the folded-up airbag extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle from its roof frame. A second airbag section is arranged within the roof strut above the windshield, which runs at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The second section of the airbag is bent inwards around a folding point and disposed above the windshield. A fastening means arranged in the vicinity of the folding point fastens the first section of the folded airbag running along the roof frame to the roof frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Henrik Ohrvall, Andreas Melander
  • Publication number: 20080136149
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the present invention, an airbag unit is provided. The airbag unit comprises an airbag made of fabric. The unit has fastening devices for attaching the airbag to a motor vehicle. A cover section is proximate to the fastening devices and is fastened to the airbag. The cover section is configured to not completely cover the airbag when the airbag is in an unrolled state and forms a wrapping of the airbag when the airbag is rolled-up with the cover section to define rolled-up state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Börje Jacobsson, Mats Berntsson, Fredrik Kjell