Patents Assigned to TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
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Patent number: 5931401Abstract: A belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprises a belt reel rotatably mounted in a housing, a webbing reeled on the belt reel, a locking mechanism for blocking belt reel rotation, a planetary gearing including a sun gear connected non-rotatably to the belt reel, a ring gear secured to the housing, and at least one planet gear having an outer toothing, as well as a switch unit for determining the buckled-up condition on the basis of the length of the unwound webbing. The switch unit may be electrically coupled to a control unit for activating a gas generator and includes a switch lever actuatable by the movement of the planet gear. The switch lever is configured as a switch rocker pivotable between a first and a second position. The planet gear comprises at least one switch cam directly engaging the switch rocker and moving the switch rocker from the first position into the second position when a predetermined length of unwound webbing is reached.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1998Date of Patent: August 3, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Jurgen Rink
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Patent number: 5931497Abstract: A gas bag for a vehicle occupant restraining system is inflatable from a folded to an inflated state in case of an accident. The gas bag includes a gas bag wall which is defined by several fabric layers being superposed in the inflated state. The gas bag has at least one discharge opening with a cross section. The fabric layers have openings which overlap each other to define the discharge opening and can be displaced relative to each other dependent on the internal gas bag pressure to vary the cross section of the discharge opening.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1997Date of Patent: August 3, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Anton Fischer
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Patent number: 5931402Abstract: A belt winder with a locking toothing and a locking catch provided with at least one locking tooth. The locking catch is able to be moved into the locking toothing in order to lock the belt spool against rotation in a direction of unwinding the safety belt. The belt winder further comprises a control ring rotatable relatively to the belt spool. The control ring is provided with a coupling toothing and engages at the locking catch. The belt winder further comprises a coupling catch rotatably mounted on the belt spool, and a control disc which is non-rotatable relatively to the belt spool and at which an inertial disk is rotatably mounted which on rotation relatively to the control disk brings the coupling catch into engagement with the coupling toothing of the control ring.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 1998Date of Patent: August 3, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Hermann-Karl Weller
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Patent number: 5928591Abstract: The invention relates to a cover for a gas bag of an occupant restraining system in vehicles which is provided with an emblem, obtainable by direct printing of a predetermined surface of the cover made of plastic with one or more printing inks and/or by stamping an embossing foil on the predetermined surface of the cover.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1996Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventors: Oliver Blumenschein, Anton Fischer, Bernd Nusshor
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Patent number: 5927756Abstract: A safety belt system comprises a belt buckle and a belt tightening device adapted to act on the belt buckle via a traction cable. The belt tightening device includes a piston/cylinder unit to be operated by a gas generator and secured to the vehicle body or to a vehicle seat. The directions of movement of the belt buckle and of the piston are the same when the belt tightening device is activated.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1997Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Franz Wier
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Patent number: 5918902Abstract: A gas bag is provided, which has an inflation opening and a fabric part. The gas bag comprises a wall with an interior surface defining the interior of the gas bag. The fabric part is arranged in the interior of the gas bag opposite to the inflation opening. The fabric part, together with a part of the interior surface of the gas bag, defining a flow duct for compressed gas entering the gas bag through the inflation opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1997Date of Patent: July 6, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventors: Dominque Acker, Thomas Richter
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Patent number: 5915633Abstract: A safety belt buckle based on the well accepted pivotal latch design has simple measures for adaptation for use with a belt pretensioner. The pivotal latch (16) is secured in a fastened position by a locking plate (20). The locking plate (20) is for its part held in position by two locking balls (36), which are retained between a recess (28) in the locking plate and an arrest plate (30) adapted to shift in parallelism to the locking plate. For unfastening the buckle it is firstly necessary for such arrest plate (30) to be actuated by way of an inertial mass-compensated system.The buckle is furthermore made proof against extremely high levels of acceleration in all directions.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1997Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Joachim Biller
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Patent number: 5913634Abstract: The invention relates to an attachment device for connecting a steering wheel to a steering shaft. The steering wheel comprises a hub and the steering shaft comprises an end to be associated with the hub and provided with a circumferential groove. The attachment device comprises a locking element which is rotatably mounted on the hub. The locking element is movable between a locking position, in which it engages in the circumferential groove and forms an interlocking connection between the hub and the steering shaft, this interlocking connection being effective in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the steering shaft, and a release position where the end assigned to the hub can be withdrawn from the latter.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1996Date of Patent: June 22, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Alexander Heilig
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Patent number: 5913538Abstract: A force limiter for a safety belt system is provided, which allows relative rotation-between a shaft and an anchoring part in a first direction when a predetermined torque acts between the shaft and the anchoring part. The force limiter comprises at least one deformable element which, in an initial condition thereof, extends from the anchoring part to the shaft and is at least in part trained about the shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1997Date of Patent: June 22, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Thomas Herpich
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Patent number: 5911436Abstract: A gas bag for a vehicular occupant restraint system comprises a wall defining an interior space of the gas bag intended to be filled with pressurized gas. A plurality of curved nicks is provided in the wall of the gas bag. Each of the curved nicks determines an emission orifice for the pressurized gas.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1997Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Jurgen Berger
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Patent number: 5910457Abstract: Belt webbing designed for a vehicle occupant restraining system, which is to replace conventional force limiting means leading to added structural complexity and additional costs and which may be possibly incorrectly fitted in place, is characterized in that the warp threads (7) possess lengths differing with each length unit of the belt webbing, that is to say in the form of short warp threads (10) to bear the tensile load acting in the belt webbing (1) up to a first stretch of the belt webbing (1) without loading the longer warp threads and in the form of longer warp threads, which after the first stretch of the belt webbing (1) take part in withstanding the tensile load acting in the belt webbing (1) in a manner dependent on the ratio of the length thereof to the length of the short warp threads (10).Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 1996Date of Patent: June 8, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Andreas Kolb
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Patent number: 5908222Abstract: A vehicle seat with an integrated belt tensioner secured thereto comprises a seat part, a seat frame and a connection element to connect the piston of the belt tensioner to the safety belt. The tube of the belt tensioner is curved transversely to its longitudinal extent and is substantially adapted to the outer contour of the side wall in the region of the side wall of the seat part so that the belt tensioner only slightly projects from the side of the vehicle seat. In addition, due to the curved tube a relatively long tensioning path results.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1997Date of Patent: June 1, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Franz Wier
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Patent number: 5908219Abstract: A restraining system for vehicle occupants, the vehicle occupant moving forwardly in case of a head-on impact and, subsequently, rebounds and moves backwardly, comprises a vehicle seat with a seat area and a squab, each of the seat area and the squab being slanted at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The restraining system further includes a restraining belt, a belt buckle anchored to the vehicle seat by which the restraining belt is coupled with the vehicle seat so that tension load exerted by the forward movement of the occupant to the restraining belt is transferred to the vehicle seat via the belt buckle in a restraining situation, and a setting device. The setting device is adapted to convert the tension load into a displacing movement of at least a portion of at least one of the seat area and the squab to amend its angle of slant.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 1997Date of Patent: June 1, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Klaus Bohmler
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Patent number: 5906396Abstract: A vertical adjuster for a deflection fitting of a vehicle safety belt includes a rail with a base part. The rail has at least one fastening screw for being fastened to a vehicle body. The rail further includes a deformation element allowing a displacement of said rail relative to the fastening screw. The deformation element is arranged on a side of the base part which is facing away from the vehicle body when the rail is mounted thereon.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1998Date of Patent: May 25, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Dieter Biller
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Patent number: 5906389Abstract: A gas bag module for a vehicle occupant restraint system includes an inflator, a gas bag and at least two fastener bolts. Each of the fastener bolts comprises a fastening projection protruding from the gas bag module for fastening the gas bag module to a vehicle part.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1997Date of Patent: May 25, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Anton Fischer
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Patent number: 5904311Abstract: A control disk for a belt retractor comprises an inertial disk and an actuating projection. The inertial disk is rotatable relative to the control disk and connected. thereto by a slipping clutch.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1997Date of Patent: May 18, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventors: Thomas Kielwein, Andreas Hermanni
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Patent number: 5899493Abstract: A gas bag for a vehicle occupant restraining system, which is adapted to be unfolded from a folded state into a deployed state by gases led into the interior of the gas bag, comprises at least one fabric part having edges which are connected together along at least a part of their length by a seam. This seam is formed by a plurality of stitches and at least one thread. The length of the stitches and the tension of the thread is so set that, in the deployed state of the gas bag, a plurality of discharge openings are formed between respectively adjacent stitches between two edges sewn together. A controlled discharge of the gases takes place through the discharge openings.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1997Date of Patent: May 4, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Jurgen Berger
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Patent number: 5899487Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a gas bag cover on a part of a vehicle is provided, which comprises an attachment rib on the gas bag cover and an interlocking snap connection adapted to act on the attachment rib. The interlocking snap connection includes a locking element which is movably mounted on the vehicle part and is acted on by a spring element adapted to displace the locking element from an initial position into a locking position. The interlocking snap connection further comprises a detent mechanism which prevents the spring element from displacing the locking element when the latter is in its initial position. The detent mechanism is adapted to release the locking element during mounting the gas bag cover at the vehicle part.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1997Date of Patent: May 4, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Anton Fischer
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Patent number: 5897140Abstract: A belt pretensioner for a vehicular occupant restraint system comprises a piston/cylinder unit having a piston and a cylinder, a belt deflection member, a connecting part arranged between the piston and the belt deflection member and a ring-shaped seal. The cylinder has a cylinder wall with an end face and an opening in the end face through which the connecting part extends. The piston, the connecting part and the belt deflection member are displaced in a longitudinal direction upon actuation of the belt pretensioner to a tensioning path. The ring-shaped seal is arranged between the opening and the connecting part and uniformly engages the connecting part about its periphery so that any longitudinal displacement of the connecting part is counteracted by a force of more than 100 N as a result of which leakage gas flows are almost completely avoided.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1997Date of Patent: April 27, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Franz Wier
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Patent number: 5895003Abstract: A coupling disk comprises a control pawl mounted swivably about a swivel axis for swiveling from a resting position into a engagement position in which the coupling disk is coupled to a functional part of the belt retractor. The control pawl has a mount which is configured yielding transversely to the swivel axis. The control disk comprises an abutment on which the control pawl is supported when the mount yields.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1997Date of Patent: April 20, 1999Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbHInventor: Thomas Kielwein