Patents by Inventor Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel
Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6679518Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag module for motor vehicles, comprising a housing for an inflatable airbag and a gas generator, with the gas generator being coupled to the housing without securing means via at least one elastic and/or oscillation damping coupling member.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2001Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Johannes-Alexander Varcus, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Erika Helbig
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Patent number: 6361064Abstract: This present invention provides a device for retaining an inflator within an air bag module housing in a sealing manner. In a first embodiment, the device comprises an inflator seal member and an inflator seal retainer. The inflator seal member is disposed about an outer surface of the inflator by disposing the inflator through a central opening formed in the inflator seal member. The inflator seal member further has a flange which is received within a retaining groove formed in the module housing for partially locating the inflator within an internal cavity formed in the module housing. The inflator seal retainer is designed to provide high quality seal retention between the inflator and the module housing. In a broad sense, the inflator seal retainer comprises a symmetric star shaped member having spring-like properties. The inflator seal retainer is formed so that it includes a plurality of peaks radially disposed about an opening defined by the inflator seal retainer.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 1999Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Philip Wendel Hopf, Maria V. Villegas, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, William Thomas Shaw
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Patent number: 6361067Abstract: An airbag which is provided with an airbag mouth (16) for connection to a gas generator has in the interior of the airbag a deflection device (18) in the region of the airbag mouth (16) which at least partly laterally deflects a gas flow which emerges from the airbag mouth (16).Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1999Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Johannes-Alexander Varcus, Hans Gert Nilson, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, James Kent Conlee
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Patent number: 6354621Abstract: A housing (10) is provided for a folded together inflatable airbag and a holder element (12) which can be locked at the housing, with the housing and the holder element bounding a reception region for a gas generator (14) in the locked state. In addition to an airbag and a gas generator, with the housing and the holder element, only two components are required in accordance with the invention, through which the manufacture may be simplified and manufacturing cost reductions may occur. For the assembly of the airbag module, the gas generator (14) is first arranged either at the housing (10) or at the holder element (12) and then the holder element is locked at the housing. The gas generator (14) is then already located in its final position in the airbag module. Through this the subsequent attachment of the folded together airbag in the housing is simplified since more than two parts which are to be connected together need never be brought into the correct relative position.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1999Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Jens Hannemann
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Publication number: 20020005631Abstract: An airbag module (10) for a motor vehicle comprising a housing (12); a door (14) having a pivot axis (22) and a tear line (20), and normally closing the housing; an inflatable airbag cushion (16) positioned in the housing; and an inflator (18) for inflating the airbag cushion; wherein the pivot axis extends around at least a portion of the outer circumference of the door; wherein the door comprises at least three portions (26) which are defined by the tear line; and wherein the tear line comprises at least three lines (32) each of which extend radially outwards from substantially the center of the door. Reduces the risk of the door encountering an obstruction on actuation of the airbag module.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2001Publication date: January 17, 2002Inventors: Johannes-Alexander Varcus, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel
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Publication number: 20010048216Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag module for motor vehicles, comprising a housing for an inflatable airbag and a gas generator, with the gas generator being coupled to the housing without securing means via at least one elastic and/or oscillation damping coupling member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2001Publication date: December 6, 2001Inventors: Johannes-Alexander Varcus, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Erika Helbig
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Patent number: 6283497Abstract: An airbag module for motor vehicles includes a housing for a folded together inflatable airbag and a holder element that can be locked at the housing. The holder element has at least one locking section, which in the locked state extends along the housing wall and latches with a holder section of the housing at its side which faces away from the housing wall.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1999Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Ralf Trimborn, Jens Hannemann, Abelardo Fernandez
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Patent number: 6135492Abstract: An air bag module (10) for attachment to the roof of a motor vehicle comprising a longitudinally extending air bag (12) which is securable to the roof; an inflator (14) which is securable to the roof adjacent the air bag; and a longitudinally extending conduit (16) positioned inside the air bag, extending through an opening (26) in the air bag, and attached at one end (28,48) to the inflator, the conduit having a number of apertures (42) formed therein at predetermined positions along its length for the discharge of inflator gas from the inflator into the air bag.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1999Date of Patent: October 24, 2000Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Ludger B. Meyenbrock, Michael Heinz Jokuszies
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Patent number: 6042141Abstract: A restraint assembly includes an inflator for generating inflation gas and a restraint cushion including an inflatable transfer portion in fluid communication with the inflator for initial inflation by the inflation gas. The cushion further includes an inflatable bladder portion in fluid communication with the transfer portion for extended inflation by transfer of inflation gas from the transfer portion into the bladder portion. The bladder portion has a fully inflated condition in which the bladder portion is filled with inflation gas from the transfer portion and in which the bladder portion engages the transfer portion to limit the amount of gas further transferred into the bladder portion and to seal the bladder portion such that inflation gas is held in the bladder portion for lengthened and extended inflation of the bladder portion even after deflation of the transfer portion for extended coverage of a preselected vehicle location.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1997Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Jeffrey Allen Welch, Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Kenneth Henry DeSaele