Patents Assigned to TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
  • Patent number: 7731228
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a motor vehicle has a gas bag module (12) including a covering cap (14) and a gas bag (22). At least one vent opening (18) for diverting the gas is provided in the covering cap (14), in a foam (16) surrounding the steering wheel skeleton or in the hub region (20) of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Mónica Schaetzmueller-Barajas
  • Patent number: 7685905
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a motor vehicle includes a skeleton (10) and a rear-side covering part. The skeleton forms a hub (12), at least one spoke (14) and an upper part (16) of a steering wheel rim. The steering wheel also includes a rear-side covering part (18) made of plastic, which at least partially covers a lower area of the central part of the steering wheel and also constitutes a lower part of the steering wheel rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Miltenberger, Stefan Faeth, Stefan Bachmann
  • Patent number: 7685906
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel (10) includes a hub (12) and an airbag module (26). The vehicle steering wheel (10) further includes a plurality of switches (18, 20, 22) being integrated in a common housing (16). The housing (16) is fitted on the airbag module (26) and includes at least one mount (32) cooperating with a cover (28) of the airbag module (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dominik Schütz
  • Patent number: 7661708
    Abstract: A gas bag module has a gas bag whose wall, in a first state of the gas bag, has at least one pleat that is formed in that opposite sections of the wall lie against each other. The gas bag module further has a holder that holds the opposite sections together and affixes the pleat. The holder can be actively released in response to a signal, as a result of which the gas bag reaches a second state in which the pleat is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Claudia Szidzek, Michael Schneider, Marcus Magoley, Ralph Frisch
  • Patent number: 7648165
    Abstract: A gas bag module for a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a housing and a gas bag (12) accommodated in the housing. The gas bag has a gas bag wall (16). The gas bag module further includes a discharge arrangement (18) having an energetic element (22) for the selective provision of a discharge opening. The energetic element (22) is able to be activated by a control unit (20). The discharge opening is provided by material conversion of the energetic element (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Keutz, Michael Deckenhoff, Matthias Helmstetter
  • Patent number: 7644948
    Abstract: In an assembly with a gas bag module at least one first detent element is designed for engagement into a second detent element, a load bearing fastening between the first and the second detent element fastening the gas bag module to a first vehicle-fixed component being closed by moving the gas bag module in an installation direction. An additional locking structure is provided which is separate from the first and second detent elements, and which connects the gas bag module with a second vehicle-fixed component. The additional locking structure exclusively determines in the installed state a final installation position of the gas bag module with respect to the second vehicle-fixed component, at least against the installation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Dominik Schuetz
  • Patent number: 7621199
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel comprises a steering wheel skeleton having a hub section, which has a bush extending around a central insertion opening and at least one separate reinforcement plate connected with the bush which is embedded into a die cast section of the steering wheel skeleton. The bush has a groove directed radially outwards, into which an edge of a recess in the reinforcement plate projects. The reinforcement plate is arranged on the bush through a joint connection by material conjunction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Eck, Jens Kayser
  • Patent number: 7597344
    Abstract: In an assembly with a gas bag module and a locking check arrangement, the gas bag module has a first detent element adapted for engagement with a second detent element to form a detent connection fastening the gas bag module to a vehicle-fixed component. The gas bag module can assume a not correctly locked state, in which the first detent element and the second detent element are in contact with each other but are not in correct engagement, and a correctly locked state, in which the first detent element is in correct engagement with the second detent element. The locking check arrangement has a movably arranged checking element for checking a locking status of the detent connection and indicating whether the gas bag module is in the not correctly locked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Dominik Schuetz
  • Patent number: 7591480
    Abstract: An airbag cover for a vehicle occupant restraint system has an outside that is visible in the installed state and an opposite inside, a plastic cap and a reinforcement insert that, during one of foaming and injection-molding of the plastic cap, is partially embedded therein and partially adjoins the plastic on an inner side and on an outer side of the reinforcement insert. At least a section of the reinforcement insert protrudes outwards through the plastic cap to the visible outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Kreuzer
  • Patent number: 7559574
    Abstract: A gas bag module (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint device includes a gas generator (14) for filling a gas bag (16), and a gas conduit device arranged inside the module. The gas conduit device forces a predetermined, uniform flow direction at least on a portion of the gas emerging from the gas generator (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Magoley, Michael Schneider
  • Patent number: 7540530
    Abstract: A gas bag module (10) comprises a gas generator (16) and a generator carrier (12), to which the gas generator (16) is fastened and via which the gas generator (16) can be fastened directly or indirectly to a vehicle steering wheel (100). The generator carrier (12) consists at least partially of a multiple-component plastic (30, 32). There is further proposed a vehicle steering wheel (100) including such gas bag module (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Helmstetter
  • Patent number: 7524558
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas bag for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system, having at least one wall or a wall part made of a fabric which is formed from fibres, and which is characterized in that the fibres comprise a polymer matrix with exfoliated layered silicate particles dispersed therein, the exfoliated layered silicate particles having a thickness of 0.5 to 2 nm and a surface diameter of up to 10 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Deckenhoff
  • Patent number: 7516982
    Abstract: A gas bag module for a vehicle occupant restraint device comprises a gas bag and a discharge arrangement in fluid connection with said gas bag. The discharge arrangement has a discharge opening, through which gas can escape from the gas bag, and at least one element made of an electrically activatable polymer actuator to expose and/or alter the discharge opening upon activation of said polymer actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Britz
  • Patent number: 7481450
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel (20) includes a movable airbag module (24) which can be depressed by a limited axial stroke for generating a horn signal. The vehicle steering wheel (20) further includes a sensor system (22a, 22b) operating in a contactless manner for determining the stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Guido Hirzmann, Lars Wuschik, Heinz Lefringhausen, Norbert Staudt, Klaus Weigand
  • Patent number: 7469921
    Abstract: A gas bag restraint system has a gas bag module and a fastening device for said gas bag module. The fastening device has at least one spring that during assembly comes into latching engagement with the hook. The spring has a mounting section and a hook-side latching section as well as at least one wound section provided between the mounting section and the latching section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Burgard, Jupp Fleckenstein, Michael Fuchs, Bernd Stransfeld
  • Patent number: 7431334
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint device having a gas bag module includes a gas generator for inflating a gas bag, at least one discharge opening that is formed in a rigid component of the gas bag module, through which gas that is produced by the gas generator and conveyed into the gas bag can be discharged, and at least one closing device for the discharge opening. The closing device has an adjusting device and a plurality of covers of different pressure sensitivities. A specific one of said covers is placed in front of the discharge opening by the adjusting device even before the gas bag module is activated, so as to close the discharge opening until a pre-established gas bag interior pressure is reached that is associated with the specific cover, and, when this interior pressure is exceeded, to at least partially release the discharge opening through bursting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Britz
  • Patent number: 7374203
    Abstract: A vehicle steering wheel includes a steering wheel body having a hub, a separate functional unit fastened to the hub, in particular a gas bag module, and a microphone. The microphone is arranged in a lateral gap between the steering wheel body and the functional unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Guido Hirzmann
  • Patent number: 7364193
    Abstract: A gas bag module includes a gas bag, a gas generator, a first and a second fastening element, a section of the gas bag being fastened between the first and the second fastening elements, and a discharge opening for diverting gas generated by the gas generator and introduced into the gas bag. The discharge opening can be brought from a closed state into an opened state and comprises at least one opening in the first and in the second fastening elements. A section of the gas bag extends over the discharge opening in the closed state and the gas bag is exposed towards an interior of the gas bag in a region of the discharge opening. Means are provided which partially destroy the gas bag in the region of the discharge opening, in order to uncover the discharge opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Deckenhoff, Michael Schneider, Klaus Freudenberger
  • Patent number: 7357409
    Abstract: A gas bag module (10) includes a gas bag (20) having a front wall. A center portion (24) of the front wall is fastened to the gas bag module (10) and prevented from a free movement in the case of deployment of the gas bag (20). The gas bag module further includes a covering cap (28) having a central portion (34), which is fastened by at least one fastening means to the gas bag module (10) so that the central portion (34) is prevented from a free movement upon deployment of the gas bag (20). The gas bag module (10) further includes at least first and second horn contacts (46, 48). The fastening means are designed so that the central portion (34) of the covering cap (28) can be moved by a predetermined first path (d1) in a first direction (A1) into the interior of the gas bag module (10), in order to form a contact between the first and second horn contacts (46, 48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Ralph Frisch
  • Patent number: 7293799
    Abstract: A gas bag module (10) includes a gas bag (12), the gas bag having a front wall (14) facing an occupant (16) in an inflated state of said gas bag (12) and being engaged by a first end (18) of a destructible retaining element (20), the retaining element (20) at least partially preventing an unhindered motion of the front wall (14) when the gas bag (12) is inflated. The gas bag module further includes a gas generator (22) for filling the gas bag (12), the gas generator (22) having a first discharge section (24) for a through flow of a first quantity of gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Fellhauer, Markus Keutz, Martin Kreuzer, Michael Lehmann, Marcus Magoley, Michael Schneider