Patents by Inventor Karl-Heinz Sommer
Karl-Heinz Sommer 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: 9469271Abstract: A knee airbag having an inlet opening (6) for deployment gas from a gas generator (4) for flowing into a first chamber (10), at least one second chamber (20, 30) adjacent to the first chamber (10), which second chamber (20, 30) is separated from the first chamber by at least one dividing wall (25), wherein between the first chamber (10) and the second chamber (20, 30) at least one closable overflow opening (40) is provided, through which deployment gas can flow from the first chamber (10) into the second chamber (20, 30), wherein at least one closing device (50 for the overflow opening (40), or the overflow opening (40), is associated with the penetration region of the knees (5).Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2014Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT ABInventors: Karl-Heinz Sommer, Marc Schock
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Publication number: 20160001734Abstract: A knee airbag having an inlet opening (6) for deployment gas from a gas generator (4) for flowing into a first chamber (10), at least one second chamber (20, 30) adjacent to the first chamber (10), which second chamber (20, 30) is separated from the first chamber by at least one dividing wall (25), wherein between the first chamber (10) and the second chamber (20, 30) at least one closable overflow opening (40) is provided, through which deployment gas can flow from the first chamber (10) into the second chamber (20, 30), wherein at least one closing device (50 for the overflow opening (40), or the overflow opening (40), is associated with the penetration region of the knees (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Inventors: Karl-Heinz Sommer, Marc Schock
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Patent number: 8276939Abstract: An airbag for a vehicle occupant protective system comprises an inflatable cushion, a cinch tube circumventing a vent aperture disposed in the cushion, and a draw element guided in a circumventing channel of said cinch tube and being coupled to a surface of said cushion such that deployment of said cushion causes said draw element to contract said cinch tube. The airbag comprises a contraction limiting arrangement adapted to limit the contraction of said cinch tube by said draw element to a predetermined minimum free diameter d of at least 20% relative to the free diameter D of the open cinch tube.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Klaus-Peter Kühne, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Marcus Weber, Marc Schock, Jörg Albert, Tomas Ågren, David Jacobsson, Jonas H. Gustafsson, Ulrika Fredriksson
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Patent number: 7857346Abstract: A safety arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed which comprises an air-bag module (1) having an inflatable air-bag (5) in fluid communication with an inflator (4). An internal tether (14) is provided having a first end (15) and a second end (16). The first end (15) of the tether is connected to a restrainable part (13) of the air-bag, whilst the second end (16) of the tether is free from connection with the air-bag but is initially trapped between the folds or rolls of an initially folded or rolled part of the air-bag. The arrangement is such that, upon inflation of the air-bag, the tether serves to restrain the restrainable part (13) of the air-bag until such time as the folded or rolled part of the air-bag (9) becomes sufficiently unfolded or unrolled to release the second end (16) of the tether (14).Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2006Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Albert Jörg, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Klaus-Peter Kühne, Marc Schock, Marcus Weber
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Patent number: 7837227Abstract: An air-bag housing comprising a rectangular frame (1) defining an opening and having a mounting arrangement in the form of flanges (7) to mount the frame in position within a motor vehicle. The frame supports a housing-forming element (21) formed, for example, of fabric. This forms a housing having walls (71, 72) and a floor. The walls (71, 72) are formed seamlessly by folding the fabric in half about a fold-line, and tucking one end of the fold-line into the other end of the fold-line, and inserting the frame between the pieces of fabric to lie adjacent the fold-line. The floor is formed by a plurality of floor-forming tabs (25, 26, 35, 36 etc) carried by the fabric forming the side-walls of the housing. The tabs are folded inwardly to at least partly overlie each other and are secured in position to form the floor of the housing by studs (15, 16, 17, 18) provided on the inflator which pass through co-aligned apertures (27, 30, 38, 39) in the floor-forming tabs (25, 26, 35, 36 etc).Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: November 23, 2010Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Klaus-Peter Kühne, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Marcus Weber, Marc Schock, Jörg Albert
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Publication number: 20100264634Abstract: An airbag for a vehicle occupant protective system comprises an inflatable cushion, a cinch tube circumventing a vent aperture disposed in the cushion, and a draw element guided in a circumventing channel of said cinch tube and being coupled to a surface of said cushion such that deployment of said cushion causes said draw element to contract said cinch tube. The airbag comprises a contraction limiting arrangement adapted to limit the contraction of said cinch tube by said draw element to a predetermined minimum free diameter d of at least 20% relative to the free diameter D of the open cinch tube.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2009Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT ABInventors: Klaus-Peter Kühne, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Marcus Weber, Marc Schock, Jörg Albert, Tomas Agren, David Jacobsson, Jonas H. Gustafsson, Ulrika Fredriksson
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Publication number: 20090250909Abstract: An air-bag housing comprising a rectangular frame (1) defining an opening and having a mounting arrangement in the form of flanges (7) to mount the frame in position within a motor vehicle. The frame supports a housing-forming element (21) formed, for example, of fabric. This forms a housing having walls (71, 72) and a floor. The walls (71, 72) are formed seamlessly by folding the fabric in half about a fold-line, and tucking one end of the fold-line into the other end of the fold-line, and inserting the frame between the pieces of fabric to lie adjacent the fold-line. The floor is formed by a plurality of floor-forming tabs (25, 26, 35, 36 etc) carried by the fabric forming the side-walls of the housing. The tabs are folded inwardly to at least partly overlie each other and are secured in position to form the floor of the housing by studs (15, 16, 17, 18) provided on the inflator which pass through co-aligned apertures (27, 30, 38, 39) in the floor-forming tabs (25, 26, 35, 36 etc).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2006Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT ABInventors: Klaus-Peter Kühne, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Marcus Weber, Marc Schock, Jörg Albert
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Publication number: 20090115176Abstract: A safety arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed which comprises an air-bag module (1) having an inflatable air-bag (5) in fluid communication with an inflator (4). An internal tether (14) is provided having a first end (15) and a second end (16). The first end (15) of the tether is connected to a restrainable part (13) of the air-bag, whilst the second end (16) of the tether is free from connection with the air-bag but is initially trapped between the folds or rolls of an initially folded or rolled part of the air-bag. The arrangement is such that, upon inflation of the air-bag, the tether serves to restrain the restrainable part (13) of the air-bag until such time as the folded or rolled part of the air-bag (9) becomes sufficiently unfolded or unrolled to release the second end (16) of the tether (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2006Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVLOPMENT ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Albert Jorg, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Klaus-Peter Kuhne, Marc Schock, Marcus Weber
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Instrument panel for a motor vehicle having an airbag device integrated in a ventilation arrangement
Patent number: 7325827Abstract: An airbag module and instrument panel assembly for a motor vehicle having at least one ventilation outlet and a ventilation duct attached thereto and arranged behind an instrument panel. The airbag module is fastened behind the instrument patent and has a gas generator and a folded airbag arranged within its housing wherein a ventilation outlet is closed by a grid that opens when the airbag module is triggered and is provided within the instrument panel for the unfolding airbag. The airbag module is arranged adjacent to the ventilation duct in such a manner that when the airbag module is triggered, the airbag unfolds into the ventilation duct and from there unfolds out of the instrument panel through the ventilation outlet. The pressure of the unfolding airbag moves away from the ventilation outlet which is arranged within the instrument panel.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2003Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Jörg Albert, Mathias Köppl -
Instrument panel for a motor vehicle having an airbag device integrated in a ventilation arrangement
Publication number: 20070018440Abstract: An airbag module and instrument panel assembly for a motor vehicle having at least one ventilation outlet and a ventilation duct attached thereto and arranged behind an instrument panel. The airbag module is fastened behind the instrument patent and has a gas generator and a folded airbag arranged within its housing wherein a ventilation outlet is closed by a grid that opens when the airbag module is triggered and is provided within the instrument panel for the unfolding airbag. The airbag module is arranged adjacent to the ventilation duct in such a manner that when the airbag module is triggered, the airbag unfolds into the ventilation duct and from there unfolds out of the instrument panel through the ventilation outlet. The pressure of the unfolding airbag moves away from the ventilation outlet which is arranged within the instrument panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2003Publication date: January 25, 2007Inventors: Thomas Reiter, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Jorg Albert, Mathias Koppl -
Patent number: 7159900Abstract: An airbag module in a motor vehicle having a modular casing installed behind at least one opening flap built into the instrument panel is characterized in that the disk-shaped gas generator, including the modular casing surrounding it, is arranged on-edge at an angle to the plane of the instrument panel, its narrow side being defined by the gas-discharge openings arranged on its perimeter, and the folded airbag is arranged at least partially between the narrow side of the gas generator and the opening flap.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2004Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Karl Heinz Sommer, Jörg Albert
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Patent number: 7093846Abstract: An airbag system for jointly supporting at least two vehicle occupants inside a motor vehicle in case of an accident with at least two separate airbags inflatable with a gas supplied by a gas generator. The airbag system has at least two airbags (14, 15) folded into a common housing (10) to be arranged in the dashboard of the motor vehicle. The airbags are connected to a common gas generator (11) having at least two outflow areas (13, 18, 19) assigned to the at least two airbags (14, 15). Each airbag (14, 15) is sealed by a deflector (16, 17) inserted therein against the respectively other airbag (14, 15), and the airbags are fixed inside the housing (10).Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2003Date of Patent: August 22, 2006Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Jörg Albert
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Patent number: 7011336Abstract: An airbag module with a gas generator, a gas bag, a housing containing an exit opening for the deploying gas bag, and a holder. The gas generator and holder are located inside the gas bag, and the gas generator is fixed to the housing. The holder (19) has a support area (20) and at least one deflector segment (21, 22) directed toward the exit opening (13). The holder is placed between the gas generator (14) and the housing (10). The deflector segment at least partially surrounds the gas generator (14) and directs the gas generated by the gas generator (14) into at least one of a plurality of fold packets (16, 17, 18) of the gas bag (15) placed on both sides of the deflector segment (21, 22).Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Peter Kleeberger, Jörg Albert
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Patent number: 6938916Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle with an airbag device covered by part of an interior fitting, comprising an airbag disposed behind the interior fitting part and a gas generator which is pyrotechnically connected to the airbag. A cord-type gas generator (20) is used as a gas generator and is disposed inside the airbag (18). The cord-type gas generator (20) is placed lengthways within a U-shaped recess in the interior fitting which opens upon inflation of the airbag device.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2003Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Rene Rade, Peter Tiefenthaler, Manfred Veigl, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Rudiger Lang
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Patent number: 6877767Abstract: An airbag module having a gas generator (14), an airbag (13), a housing (10), and a retaining part (20) for fixing the airbag fabric against the housing (10), whereby the gas generator (14), which is positionally fixed to the housing (10), and the retaining part (20) are arranged inside the airbag (13). The retaining part (20) is arranged without a force-absorbing fixation between the gas generator (14) and the housing (10) and, during deployment of the airbag (13), is pressed against the gas generator (14) by the airbag fabric extending between the retaining part (20) and the housing (10).Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2001Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: Autoliv Development ABInventors: Thomas Reiter, Thilo Brade, Hans Michael Kirr, Muhammed-Ali Narin, Karl-Heinz Sommer
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Publication number: 20040245754Abstract: An airbag module in a motor vehicle having a modular casing installed behind at least one opening flap built into the instrument panel is characterized in that the disk-shaped gas generator, including the modular casing surrounding it, is arranged on-edge at an angle to the plane of the instrument panel, its narrow side being defined by the gas-discharge openings arranged on its perimeter, and the folded airbag is arranged at least partially between the narrow side of the gas generator and the opening flap.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2004Publication date: December 9, 2004Inventors: Thomas Reiter, Karl Heinz Sommer, Jorg Albert
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Publication number: 20040155437Abstract: An airbag module having a gas generator (14), an airbag (13), a housing (10), and a retaining part (20) for fixing the airbag fabric against the housing (10), whereby the gas generator (14), which is positionally fixed to the housing (10), and the retaining part (20) are arranged inside the airbag (13). The retaining part (20) is arranged without a force-absorbing fixation between the gas generator (14) and the housing (10) and, during deployment of the airbag (13), is pressed against the gas generator (14) by the airbag fabric extending between the retaining part (20) and the housing (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2003Publication date: August 12, 2004Inventors: Thomas Reiter, Thilo Brade, Hans Michael Kirr, Muhammed-Ali Narin, Karl-Heinz Sommer
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Publication number: 20040119272Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle with an airbag device covered by part of an interior fitting, comprising an airbag disposed behind the interior fitting part and a gas generator which is pyrotechnically connected to the airbag. A cord-type gas generator (20) is used as a gas generator and is disposed inside the airbag (18). The cord-type gas generator (20) is placed lengthways within a U-shaped recess in the interior fitting which opens upon inflation of the airbag device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2003Publication date: June 24, 2004Inventors: Rene Rade, Peter Tiefenthaler, Manfred Viegl, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Rudiger Lang
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Publication number: 20030141704Abstract: An airbag module with a gas generator, a gas bag, a housing containing an exit opening for the deploying gas bag, and a holder. The gas generator and holder are located inside the gas bag, and the gas generator is fixed to the housing. The holder (19) has a support area (20) and at least one deflector segment (21, 22) directed toward the exit opening (13). The holder is placed between the gas generator (14) and the housing (10). The deflector segment at least partially surrounds the gas generator (14) and directs the gas generated by the gas generator (14) into at least one of a plurality of fold packets (16, 17, 18) of the gas bag (15) placed on both sides of the deflector segment (21, 22).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2002Publication date: July 31, 2003Inventors: Karl-Heinz Sommer, Thomas Reiter, Peter Kleeberger, Jorg Albert
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Patent number: 6547278Abstract: A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system has a combustion chamber delimited by a combustion chamber wall and filled with propellant granules. A structure is arranged in the combustion chamber for holding down the propellant granule, which has a disc-shaped holding face with grid holes, wherein the holding face is pressed into the combustion chamber and is connected in a form- and force-fitting manner with the combustion chamber wall. The structure for holding down the propellant granules is prestressed and presses elastically onto the propellant granules thereby arresting the propellant granules at a preselected filling level and at a variable distance from the combustion chamber cover.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2001Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: TRW Airbag Systems GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Karl Unterforsthuber, Karl-Heinz Sommer, Ingrid Hofbauer, Georg Schönhuber