Patents Assigned to Autoliv Developments AB
  • Seat belt retractor and pretensioner combination
    Patent number: 7735871
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seat belt retractor including a pretensioner especially for use in motor vehicles. The seat belt retractor includes a spool belt which supports belt webbing of the seat belt and rotates in the take-up direction of the safety belt when the pretensioning drive coupled to the belt spool is activated. The belt spool is associated with a drivewheel with recesses on the periphery thereof for accepting mass bodies acting as drive means for pretensioning the seat belt. The mass bodies are stored in a tube, which tangentially flows into the drivewheel, and the mass bodies are accelerated in the tube by means of a gas generator arranged at one end of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Martin Schmidt, Stefan Bösch, Thomas Schneider, Stefan Suhr, Erne Frey
  • Air-bag
    Patent number: 7735856
    Abstract: A side air-bag for use in a motor vehicle is disclosed. The side air-bag is formed from two superimposed layers (1) of a laminar material such as fabric. Each layer (1) has a leading edge (3) and a trailing edge (4). The air-bag includes at least one internal tether (8) which extends from the leading edges (3) to the trailing edges (4), with the length d of the tether being less than the width D of the elements (1) forming the airbag between the leading edge (3) and a trailing edge (4) at a point where the tether (8) is positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Jutta Schlosser, Ernst Wittmann
  • Hybrid type gas generator containing a metal charge
    Patent number: 7735861
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas generator for a motor vehicle safety device. The generator includes at least a combustion chamber and a gas tank. The combustion chamber contains a pyrotechnic initiator and pyrotechnic charge for generating gas and including at least one oxidizing material. Combustion of the charge is triggered by the initiator. The gas tank is closed towards the combustion chamber by a capsule. The capsule is suitable for giving way during combustion of the charge in order to release the gas from the tank and exhaust it towards the outside. The combustion chamber contains a metal charge of at least one metal. The metal charge is distinct from the pyrotechnic charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Cyrille Poindron, Laurent Costecalde, Catherine Luquet, Ludovic Lageat
  • Safety arrangement for use in a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 7735859
    Abstract: A safety arrangement to provide protection for an occupant in a motor vehicle includes a seat-belt provided with a measuring device to measure energy absorbed by the seat-belt. The measuring device may determine the length of safety-belt paid-out after a retractor locks, the belt being paid-out against a force provided by a force-limiter. The energy absorbed is calculated and is used to control the vents of a ventable air-bag. The air-bag is vented if a substantial part of the energy of the occupant is absorbed by the seat-belt, but is not vented if a large proportion of the energy has not been absorbed by the seat-belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Anders Lenning, Mikael Dahlgren
  • SIDE AIRBAG APPARATUS FOR A VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20100140907
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a seat with a back rest part and a hinge mechanism. The side airbag includes a separation means defining a front airbag chamber and a rear airbag chamber within the side airbag. A connecting passage connects the front and a rear airbag chambers adjacent a lower extremity of the separation means. An attaching portion provided on the rear portion of the rear airbag chamber attaches the side airbag to the backrest part. An inflator proximate said attaching portion injects gas into the rear airbag chamber which flows through the connecting passage into the front airbag chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Shimono
  • Initiator including a zone of weakness
    Patent number: 7730837
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electropyrotechnic initiator comprising: an ignition support (10); an electrical initiation system (11) connecting the ignition support (10) to a source of electricity; and a cap (2) containing at least one explosive composition, the cap being of generally cylindrical shape presenting an open first end (20) connected to the ignition support (10), an opposite second end that is closed by an end wall (21), and a peripheral side wall (22) which presents at least one zone of weakness (3). This initiator is essentially remarkable in that at least one of the zones of weakness extends along a non-closed trace and over a portion only of the side wall (22), i.e. without reaching its opposite ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Stéphane Lahitte, Yann Decaesteker, Adélino Carrol
  • AIR-BAG WITH GAS DEFLECTOR
    Publication number: 20100133792
    Abstract: A safety airbag arrangement for a vehicle comprises a main airbag having an inlet for connection with an inflator and a gas deflector bag secured within the main airbag, having an inlet in register with the inlet of the main airbag, for connection with the inflator, the gas deflector bag having ventilator holes and the arrangement being such that gas supplied to the airbag arrangement via the inlets by the inflator must first pass into the gas deflector bag, to pass subsequently from the gas deflector bag through the ventilation holes. The wall of the gas deflector bag is secured to the main wall of the main airbag by a plurality of arcuate seams spaced progressively from inlets, to maintain the gas deflector bag in a predetermined position relative to the main airbag when the airbag arrangement is activated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Tomas Agren
  • Reversible safety padding or plate
    Patent number: 7726733
    Abstract: The invention relates to a safety apparatus in a motor vehicle having a sensor device in communication with an evaluation unit within which sensor data are evaluated. The evaluation unit is in communication with at least one drive device that can move at least one energy-absorbing element from a rest position to a working position next to the seat or next to an occupant and back again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Werner Balser, Sylvain Langlet, Thierry Hondier, Gilles Garret, Pierre Untersinger, Nicolas Eon
  • Airbag arrangement
    Patent number: 7717459
    Abstract: An air-bag arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed to provide protection for the occupants (1, 2) of two adjacent seats (11, 12). Each seat is associated with two air-bag units (15, 16, 20, 21), one of which contains an air-bag to be deployed so as to occupy a space on the inboard side of the seat, and the other of which contains an air-bag to be deployed so as to occupy a space on the outboard side of the seat. There is a sensor and control arrangement (23) to sense impact and to determine which side of the vehicle has been impacted. The sensor and control arrangement (23) generates actuation signals capable of actuating the air-bag unit (15) associated with the first seat (11) closest to the point of impact I, and the air-bag unit (21) of the second seat (12) closest to the point of impact I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Ola Bostrom, Yngve Haland
  • Belt latch for a safety belt
    Patent number: 7712194
    Abstract: A belt tongue for a safety belt having a connecting plate for connecting the belt tongue with a buckle, a tongue main body being rigidly connected to the belt tongue and a clamping element with a bending edge. The clamping element is mounted in the tongue main body in such a way that it rotates in relation to the tongue main body if the force in the belt exceeds a defined force. The clamping element forms a concave outer surface. In order to be able to achieve a low weight of the belt tongue and in particular of the bending element, the clamping element is supported on the tongue main body by means of its outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Fredrik Fyhr
  • Side curtain air bag
    Patent number: 7712768
    Abstract: The present invention provides a side curtain air bag facilitating the control of tension with the airbag. The side curtain air bag includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants. The side curtain air bag includes primary chambers which expand to form the side curtain air bag, and a secondary chamber which expands after the primary chambers to apply additional tension across the expanded side curtain air bag. The secondary chamber includes an opening communicating with the primary chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Masataka Fukuda, Takayuki Makioka, Makoto Higano
  • Inflator for an air-bag
    Patent number: 7695009
    Abstract: An inflator for an air-bag comprises a single gas bottle (1) containing the pressurised gas. The pressurised gas is a mixture including at least one oxidisable gas and at least one oxidising gas. The inflator incorporates a mechanism (20) to open the gas bottle to enable gas to flow from the gas bottle to the interior of an air-bag (13). There is an initiating device (30) within the air-bag in the form of a spark generator which generates a spark across electrodes (31) to ignite the mixture of gas from the gas bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Mats Johanson, Bjön Svärd, Peter Qvint
  • Airbag module
    Patent number: 7694999
    Abstract: An airbag module with an airbag and a fastening system for fastening the airbag to the interior structure of a motor vehicle. The fastening system includes at least one connecting element comprising of at least one fastening section for fastening the airbag module and at least one locking section (25b) for locking the connection element into an aperture in the interior structure. To prevent assembly errors, the fastening system furthermore includes a retention element (30), which has an assembly position and a retention position and is arranged to move on the connecting element, wherein the connecting element can be locked to the interior structure only when the retention element is in its assembly position, and wherein the connecting element is fixed to the interior structure when the retention element is in its retention position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Thomas Siewiera, Felix Massot, Gilles Garret
  • Safety belt retractor with a selectively activatable shock absorber
    Patent number: 7694908
    Abstract: A safety belt retractor, especially in vehicles, is provided that includes a belt shaft as a carrier for a belt that is wound thereon and a vehicle sensitive and/or belt sensitive controllable block device for the belt shaft. The block device includes a force limiting device, effective in the event of a block event, the force limiting device having a viscous medium-filled housing with at least one fixedly positioned contour and a counter-contour that is rotatably displaceable in response to a block event, so that the relative movement between the contour and the counter-contour forces the viscous medium between the surfaces arranged for this purpose. The level of the force limitation applied by the force limitation device is adjustably settable as a function of the parameters associated with the buckled-in passengers via a variation of the inner pressure in the viscous medium-filled housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Andreas Lucht, Geert Helge Wittenburg, Frank Matzen, Erik Ziel
  • Air bag device
    Patent number: 7690678
    Abstract: A floating type air bag device able to prevent backlash of a module cover and easily position the module cover with respect to a steering wheel without dispersion and a sacrifice of an operation feeling of horn sounding is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Keiichiro Fujita, Tsutomu Koizumi, Takayuki Hisajima
  • Safety belt roll-up mechanism having a force limitation device actuatable as a function of the length of belt strap withdrawn
    Patent number: 7690688
    Abstract: A safety belt roll-up mechanism is provided, and includes a force limitation device that operates in a multi-stage manner and has a two-stage torque rod and a pyrotechnically operating switching device that couples the torque rod, in various clamping lengths, with a belt shaft. The extent of the belt strap unwound from the belt shaft is utilized for actuation of the force limitation device. A ratchet wheel is connected to the belt shaft via a reduction gear mechanism. A portion of the periphery of the ratchet wheel has a toothing for engaging the reduction gear mechanism. A further portion of the periphery of the ratchet wheel has a switching contour that rests against a contact pin of an electric switch. The switching contour has a profile that effects the connection or disconnection of the switching device for the torque rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Günter Clute
  • PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20100078924
    Abstract: A passenger seat airbag apparatus includes: an airbag which is housed in a folded state inside an instrument panel, and which inflates toward a passenger with a supply of gas during a frontal collision of a vehicle, and which has a vent hole that can be opened and closed; a tether whose first end is linked to a periphery of the vent hole in the airbag, and which closes the vent hole due to tension that is caused when the airbag inflates; an actuator which has a first hole that a second end of the tether is passed through, and which discontinues a linked state of the tether by cutting the tether if a predetermined condition is satisfied; and a protective member that is attached to the actuator so as to cover at least an edge portion of the first hole, and that is interposed between the edge portion and the tether.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Tetsu Mitsuo, Akiyoshi Sanada, Naoki Tamura, Hideaki Tanaka
  • Safety arrangement
    Patent number: 7686117
    Abstract: A safety arrangement incorporates a seat-belt (3) to protect an occupant (2) of a vehicle seat (1). A control unit (11) incorporates a calculator (18) to calculate the weight of the occupant (2) of the seat occupant, by comparing the force (6) applied to the seat-belt by the seat occupant with the acceleration (14) of the compartment. A controller (19) controls a restraining force applied to the seat occupant by the safety-belt and, possibly, additional force limiting or energy absorbing devices such as an air-bag (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Anders Lenning, Peter Hardå, Andreas Sandahl, Jörgen Persson
  • Self-locking seat belt retractor
    Patent number: 7686243
    Abstract: A self-locking belt retainer with a vehicle-sensitive and/or seatbelt-sensitive actuatable locking device for the belt spool shaft, with a profile head as carrier of a locking element arranged so as to be movable with the retractor housing for locking of the belt spool shaft. A force limiting device in the form of a torsion bar is connected at its one end with the belt spool shaft and at its other end with the profile head is At least one axially projecting projection (14) is provided on the one of the components which are joined to one another (10,11), which engages in at least one recess formed on the front side of the other component (10,11) and that in the annular space formed between the projection (14) and the inner walls (21) of the recess (20), a clamping ring (16,17,18) is located between projection (14) and inner walls (21) of recess (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Ronald Jabusch, Volkmar Heine
  • Vehicle seats
    Patent number: 7681907
    Abstract: An air-bag unit for a vehicle seat including a squab (2) and a back-rest (5). The back-rest (5) includes a frame which is covered with upholstery (7). An air-bag unit (22) has an inflatable air-bag (28) connected to an inflator (23) to inflate the air-bag 28. The air-bag unit 22 is mounted to the back-rest frame (6) so as to be located inboard of part of the frame (10) with the inflator (23) being located adjacent the rearmost region of the frame (6) and positioned to direct gas into the air-bag (28) in a generally forward direction. The arrangement is such that actuation of the air-bag unit (22) will cause the air-bag (28) to inflate so that at least part of the air-bag (28) lies between the frame (6) and the occupant (16) of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Emma Svenbrant, Séverine Wollin, Håkan Sundmark, Stephane Pretot, Gilles Garret