Patents by Inventor Frank Wollny

Frank Wollny 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).

  • Patent number: 8899618
    Abstract: A gasbag arrangement for a steering wheel of a motor vehicle is provided. The gasbag arrangement includes a gasbag which can be inflated for protecting a vehicle occupant. The gasbag, when inflated and mounted in the vehicle, includes an indentation in a portion that points towards the vehicle floor in the straight-ahead position of the steering wheel for reducing the expansion of a gasbag in the direction of a body region extending below the thorax region of the vehicle occupant such that a load on that body region during an impact of the vehicle occupant on the gasbag is minimized. According to another aspect a gasbag arrangement includes a gasbag which, when inflated and mounted in the vehicle, includes a side facing towards the vehicle floor and extending essentially parallel to a plane spanned by the longitudinal vehicle direction and the transverse vehicle direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
    Inventors: Nick Eckert, Frank Wollny, Wolfgang Thonhauser
  • Patent number: 8608197
    Abstract: An airbag module for a motor vehicle is provided. The airbag module comprising a gas bag, which is inflatable by means of a gas generator for the protection of a person, and a vent opening through which gas originating from the airbag module can escape, and a device for controlling the outlet cross-section of the vent opening, which comprises at least one covering member with which the vent opening can be covered, in order to at least partly close the same, and which furthermore comprises an actuating mechanism which cooperates with the covering member, in order to vary the outlet cross-section of the vent opening. The actuating mechanism includes a gas source and an element inflatable by means of the gas source, which during inflation cooperates with the covering member such that it effects a change in the outlet cross-section of the vent opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Takata AG
    Inventors: Nick Eckert, Frank Wollny, Andre Buchholz, Axel Heym, Matthias Böse, Rolf Lazar, Marc Prost-Fin, Thomas Hofmann, Tobias Fechner
  • Publication number: 20130093171
    Abstract: A gasbag arrangement for a steering wheel of a motor vehicle is provided. The gasbag arrangement includes a gasbag which can be inflated for protecting a vehicle occupant. The gasbag, when inflated and mounted in the vehicle, includes an indentation in a portion that points towards the vehicle floor in the straight-ahead position of the steering wheel for reducing the expansion of a gasbag in the direction of a body region extending below the thorax region of the vehicle occupant such that a load on that body region during an impact of the vehicle occupant on the gasbag is minimized. According to another aspect a gasbag arrangement includes a gasbag which, when inflated and mounted in the vehicle, includes a side facing towards the vehicle floor and extending essentially parallel to a plane spanned by the longitudinal vehicle direction and the transverse vehicle direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Nick Eckert, Frank Wollny, Wolfgang Thonhauser
  • Patent number: 7874580
    Abstract: An airbag device for a vehicle, including an airbag package, a receptacle, and a flexible protective covering for the airbag. The flexible protective covering includes at least two flexible, sheet-like protective elements secured to the receptacle. The flexible, sheet-like protective elements are connected to one another via at least one separable tearing line. The flexible, sheet-like protective elements flank the airbag during initial inflation and expansion of the airbag. A flexible guide layer is arranged between the protective covering and the airbag package. The flexible guide layer is permanently connected to a first of the sheet-like protective elements, such that the first sheet-like protective element, together with the guide layer, forms a composite layer flanking the airbag during inflation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
    Inventors: Henning Wigger, Michael Debes, Frank Wollny, Andre Buchholz, Wolfgang Kampfmann
  • Publication number: 20090146401
    Abstract: An airbag device for a vehicle, including an airbag package, a receptacle, and a flexible protective covering for the airbag. The flexible protective covering includes at least two flexible, sheet-like protective elements secured to the receptacle. The flexible, sheet-like protective elements are connected to one another via at least one separable tearing line. The flexible, sheet-like protective elements flank the airbag during initial inflation and expansion of the airbag. A flexible guide layer is arranged between the protective covering and the airbag package. The flexible guide layer is permanently connected to a first of the sheet-like protective elements, such that the first sheet-like protective element, together with the guide layer, forms a composite layer flanking the airbag during inflation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Henning Wigger, Michael Debes, Frank Wollny, Andre Buchholz, Wolfgang Kampfmann
  • Publication number: 20090102164
    Abstract: An apparatus for an airbag module, in particular for a motor vehicle, including a flexible airbag and a sleeve. The flexible airbag may be arranged in a multi-layered manner by folding and may be inflated with gas to protect a person. Before inflation, the airbag is arranged in a planar spread-out state such that the airbag extends along a predefinable surface. Further, the airbag is surrounded by an evacuated sleeve before inflation, such that the planar spread-out state of the airbag is dimensionally stable. In the evacuated state, the sleeve together with the airbag is configured to be mechanically deformable. Thus, a spatial shape produced by deformation of an airbag package including the sleeve and the airbag located therein is dimensionally stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventors: Nick Eckert, Rafael Fagir, Frank Wollny