Patents Assigned to TRW Automotive GmbH
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Patent number: 9834174Abstract: A tensioner (10) for a vehicle safety device is provided with a tubular casing (12) in which a piston (18) is movably supported as well as with a closure member (26) closing the tubular casing (12) on the front face and forming a cable guide (38) for a tensioning cable (28) which may be connected to a belt buckle or an end fitting (34) and in which cable guide the tensioning cable (28) is deflected in arc shape. Further, the tensioner (10) comprises an inflator (24) accommodated in the closure member (26), wherein the tubular casing (12) includes a receiving area (14) for receiving the closure member (26) as well as a fastening portion (16) serving for fastening the tensioner (10) to a vehicle frame.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Michal Kacprzak
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Patent number: 9815489Abstract: A device for pressing a rack against a pinion, comprises a housing, a thrust piece which is shiftably guided in the housing along a pressing axis, a bearing element which can axially be fixed at the housing, an axially pressurized force introduction member, and wedge members which each support on the thrust piece, on the bearing element and on the force introduction member, wherein at least three wedge members uniformly distributed in circumferential direction are provided, and wherein the force introduction member urges the wedge members radially to the outside and the thrust piece axially away from the bearing element.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Markus Lingemann
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Publication number: 20170320516Abstract: A steering device for a motor vehicle is described, the steering device comprising a steering element for steering the motor vehicle, and an actuating element by means of which wheels of the motor vehicle are adjusted as a function of an actuation of the steering element. The steering element has a steering assist unit associated with it, in particular an electronic steering assist unit for active return of the steering element, the steering assist unit comprising a motor and an open- and closed-loop control unit which drives the motor for generating an assist torque. The open- and closed-loop control unit receives data from a first sensor which directly senses the position of the actuating element, and drives the motor as a function of the position of the actuating element. Further described is a method of controlling a steering device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2015Publication date: November 9, 2017Applicant: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Keiwan Kashi, Catharina Burdessa
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Patent number: 9796356Abstract: A belt retractor (10) for a seat belt comprising a belt reel (20), a belt tensioner (44) adapted to drive the belt reel (20) in a winding direction and an extension limiter (16) adapted to restrict the number of revolutions of the belt reel (20) in an unwinding direction in the activated state. The extension limiter (16) is communicated with the belt tensioner (44) so that the extension limiter (16) can only be activated after the belt tensioner (44) has been activated.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2013Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Beate Hertäg, Steffen Dambacher, Adrian Landbeck
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Publication number: 20170297608Abstract: A rack-and-pinion steering for a motor vehicle, having a rack which has a longitudinal axis, a rack housing in which the rack is guided for axial displacement, and at least one end stop damping assembly for the rack, the end stop damping assembly being received in the rack housing, the end stop damping assembly including a compression body for damping an end stop and a stop member which is mounted to the rack housing for limited displacement in the axial direction, the stop member resting against a first supporting surface of the rack housing at least partly by means of the compression body in a first axial direction and resting against a second supporting surface of the rack housing in an opposite, second axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2015Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Eduard Span, Robert Kolloch, Nadja Nilgen, Rolf von Laar
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Patent number: 9751494Abstract: A force limiting device for a belt retractor is reversible from a higher restraining force level to a lower restraining force level by means of a reversing means during a force limiting phase, wherein the second restraining force level is largely determined by a performance of at least one force limiting element. The reversing means is arranged so that it accomplishes a significant work share upon reversing which is added to the performance of the force limiting element and thus temporarily increases the restraining force of the force limiting device. In this manner undershooting of the characteristic line of the force limiting device upon reversing to the lower restraining force level is compensated.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2011Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Martin Roehrle
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Patent number: 9751496Abstract: A belt tensioner (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a tube (12) containing gas in the trigger case and an igniter unit (14) arranged in the tube (12) which igniter unit is inserted in an open end face (16) of the tube (12) and includes a base (18) and a cap (20) fastened to the base (18) for accommodating a propelling charge, wherein the cap (20) is arranged at least pertly inside the tube. The igniter unit (14) is welded to the tube (12).Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Simon Schreiber, Thomas Moedinger, Alex Waidmann, Karl-Heinz Köeppel, Markus Peters
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Patent number: 9731762Abstract: A control device for a land vehicle is described. The control device is set up to control at least one actuator of the land vehicle on the basis of an avoidance trajectory calculated by the control device in order to support a driver of the land vehicle during an evasive maneuver. The control device is also set up to receive sensor signals of at least one sensor; to generate an environmental model from the received sensor signals; to determine the position of an object relative to a current position of the land vehicle in the generated environmental model; and to calculate a preliminary avoidance trajectory. In the calculation of the preliminary avoidance trajectory, the current position of the land vehicle in the generated environmental model constitutes the starting point of the preliminary avoidance trajectory. A preliminary end point of the preliminary avoidance trajectory is determined on the basis of the determined position of the object.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Carsten Hass, Torsten Bertram, Martin Keller
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Publication number: 20170225646Abstract: A belt buckle feeder comprises a stationary base (12) adapted to be fixedly mounted to the vehicle and a carriage (14) movable to a retracted position and to an extended position vis-à-vis the base (12), which carriage is connected to a belt buckle (20) via an intermediate plate (22) provided between the belt buckle (20) and the carriage (14). The intermediate plate (22) is tightly connected to the belt buckle (20) and there is provided a positive guidance by which the intermediate plate (22) is pivoted during traversing to the extended position by a predetermined degree vis-à-vis the carriage (14) so that in addition to the traversing movement of the carriage (14) along a tilting direction (N) the belt buckle (20) reversibly tilts from a home position to an inclined position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: August 10, 2017Applicant: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Jens Klaassen, David Reich, Karsten Kortschack, Karl Birk
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Patent number: 9707924Abstract: In the method for mounting an inflator (12) within a tube (14), especially of a belt tensioner, wherein an end portion (28) of the tube (14) is formed radially inwardly so that a first contact surface (30) directed to the interior of the tube (14) occurs, prior to forming an annular stabilizing disk (34) is arranged between the first contact surface (30) and a second contact surface (32) configured at the inflator (12).Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Thomas Modinger, Martin Nuding, Andreas Pregitzer, Bernd Gentner
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Publication number: 20170174173Abstract: The invention relates to a method of folding an airbag (10), especially an airbag (10) to be arranged beneath a vehicle roof (50), comprising an injection orifice (11), a guiding portion (13) arranged adjacent thereto in the longitudinal direction and an inflating portion (12) arranged adjacent to the guiding portion (13) in the longitudinal direction, the method including flatly spreading the airbag (10); laterally folding, especially zigzag folding, at least in portions at least one side part (30; 30?) of the airbag (10) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L) of the airbag (10); furling the inflating portion (12) at least in portions starting from a trailing edge (26) of the airbag (10) that is maximally spaced from the injection orifice (11) in a first furling direction (AR) in the direction to the injection orifice (11); and forming the guiding portion (13) by laying at least one folding including a first folding bend (14) against the first furling direction (AR) so that the deployment behavior ofType: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2015Publication date: June 22, 2017Applicant: TRW Automotive GMBHInventors: Jean-Christophe Peyre, Ramon Ramos
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Publication number: 20170163203Abstract: A method of controlling an electric motor of a drive device of a power steering system, in which a temperature sensor senses the temperature of the drive device and transmits information about the temperature of the drive device to an evaluation unit, the evaluation unit estimates the temperature of a gearbox based on the temperature of the drive device, and, based on the estimated temperature of the gearbox, the evaluation unit adjusts a requested torque of the electric motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2015Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicants: TRW Limited, TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Peter Hambloch, James Owen Patrick Farrelly
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Patent number: 9650008Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint device having a knee airbag deployable between an instrument panel and the legs of a vehicle occupant and including an airbag sheath and at least one exhaust orifice formed therein. The vehicle occupant restraint device further has features for qualifying the build of the vehicle occupant, an activating unit for selectively releasing the exhaust orifice and a control which actuates the activating unit depending on the qualification of the build of the vehicle occupant.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2013Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Timo Abele, Werner Freisler, Sven Oliver Tamme
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Patent number: 9643569Abstract: A locking mechanism (18) for a belt reel (10) of a belt retractor in a vehicle, including a carrier (22) coupled to the belt reel (10) of the belt retractor, an inertia mass (24) which is pivoting to a limited extent relative to the carrier (22) and a leaf spring (28) applying the inertia mass (24) in a home position, includes at each of the carrier (22) and the inertia mass (24) a seat (34, 36) for the spring ends (30, 32) of the leaf spring (28) in which the spring ends (30, 32) of the leaf spring (28) are pivoted to a limited extent.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Thomas Kielwein, Elmar Koch
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Publication number: 20170120862Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure unit (64) for pressurizing a belt shaft (12) in a seat belt system comprising a screw (66) for fastening the pressure unit (64) to a frame (18) of the seat belt system, the screw (66) including a screw head (68) and a screw shank (70), wherein the pressure unit (64) comprises a fastening portion (72) having a screw hole (74) for inserting the screw shank (70), wherein radial play is provided between the screw hole (74) and the screw shank (70) and the fastening portion (72) on the screw head side includes mounting arms (76) for axially fixing the screw (66) in a pre-assembly position. Moreover, the invention also comprises an end fitting (11) of a seat belt system comprising such pressure unit (64).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicant: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Dominik Seitzer, Pawel Gorecki, Michal Kacprzak
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Patent number: 9630588Abstract: The invention relates to a belt tensioner (10) for a seat belt system comprising a belt shaft housing (18) and a belt shaft (12) pivoted in the belt shaft housing (18) about an axis (A), wherein prior to activation of the belt tensioner (10) the belt shaft (12) is retained in a torsionally fixed manner relative to the belt shaft housing (18) in at least one direction of rotation.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2012Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Dominik Seitzer, Ruediger Karl
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Patent number: 9630646Abstract: An apparatus for pressing a rack against a pinion of a steering gear assembly includes a housing, a support yoke slidably guided in the housing along an axis, a bearing element that is fixed to the housing in an axial direction, a first elastic element providing an axial load acting upon the support yoke and the bearing element to urge the support yoke against the rack, a wear-compensating abutment member coacting with the bearing element such that a relative rotation about the axis generates an axial displacement of the abutment member relative to the bearing element, and a separate, second elastic element providing a load acting upon the abutment member in a circumferential direction to urge the abutment member against the support yoke.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2013Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Marco Lucchi, Luca Tabaglio, Enrico Sarioli
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Patent number: 9630587Abstract: A belt buckle feeder (10) comprises a belt buckle (18), a stationary base member (12) to be mounted fixedly on the vehicle and a motor-driven slide (16) movably supported on the base member (12) to which the belt buckle (18) is coupled, wherein the slide (16) encloses the base member (12) at least in portions.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2014Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Wolfgang Holbein, Jens Klaassen
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Patent number: 9616838Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag module (10) for being arranged on an instrument panel (5) comprising a fastening portion (22) provided for being arranged on the instrument panel (5), an inflator (16), an airbag (12), a receiving portion (26) for the airbag (12) extending from the inflator (16) to the fastening portion (22) and a retaining portion (24) which is accessible from outside of the receiving portion (26) and serves for retaining the inflator (16). The invention also relates to a subassembly comprising an instrument panel (5) and an airbag module (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, the fastening portion (22) of the airbag module (10) being connected to the instrument panel (5) and a retainer (28) formed separately from the airbag module (10) being provided which is connected to the retaining portion (24) of the airbag module (10).Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2013Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventor: Juergen Schmid
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Patent number: 9611902Abstract: A controllable clutch (18) for a belt tensioner (16) comprises a drive member (32), a driven element (24) and a clutch pawl (40) that is movably supported on the input side (30) between a home position and an engaged position and in the engaged position couples the drive member (32) to the driven element (24), wherein the clutch pawl (40) is tension-loaded in the engaged position.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbHInventors: Martin Nuding, Wolfgang Holbein