Patents by Inventor Martin Specht

Martin Specht 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).

  • Publication number: 20050284977
    Abstract: A retractor for a seat belt of a vehicle has a winding shaft for winding up a seat belt. A motive spring biases the winding shaft in the winding direction of the seat belt. An electric motor produces torque can be transmitted to the motive spring to change the spring force. A switch coupling transmits the torque of the electric motor to the winding shaft to wind up the seat belt. A gear transmits the torque of the electric motor to the winding shaft or the motive spring. The motive spring, the coupling and the gear are provided on one side of the seat belt retractor. The gear comprises a drive wheel which is rotatably mounted on a shaft rotationally and coaxially connected to a winding shaft, and which is rotationally connected to an outer spring end of the motive spring by a rigid rotary connection. A first active surface of the coupling is movably mounted against a restoring force on a component securely connected to the rigid rotary connection and is able to rotate around the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Mark Seer, Thomas Heckmayr, Thomas Kilian
  • Publication number: 20050217413
    Abstract: A steering wheel skeleton is made of a high-strength polyphase fine sheet steel and has a rim, spokes and a plane support plate that extends perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the steering wheel and onto which the hub is secured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Publication number: 20050083000
    Abstract: A method and a device for adjusting a supply current, which feeds an electric motor, the torque of which is transferred to a belt reel of a seat belt retractor of a motor vehicle, whereby the motor current of the electric motor is measured during the torque generation and compared as a controlled variable with a command variable, which is adjusted depending on at least one driving situation or at least one driving condition of the vehicle, for controlling the supply current for the electric motor situated in the control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Alexander Heckmayr, Christian Liedl
  • Patent number: 6857326
    Abstract: A device for measuring a belt force acting upon a vehicle seat belt has at least one spring that is connected indirectly to a bearing member of the belt buckle that can be secured to the vehicle structure. A measuring element is connected to the spring, and can be connected to the seat belt and is movably mounted against a bias of the at least one spring proportionally to the belt force, whereby the measuring element is guided by means of a low friction guide means in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Publication number: 20050033529
    Abstract: A measuring device for measuring a pulling force acting on a belt webbing of a seat belt of a motor vehicle is located between an anchoring point of the seat belt on the vehicle and a connection device which is to be connected to the seat belt. The connection device, in relation to the anchoring point, can be moved against a spring bias. The measuring device is a magnetic field sensor that is arranged between two analogous poles of two permanent magnets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Stefan Schwald, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Publication number: 20040245361
    Abstract: A rotary drive device for a winding shaft of a seat belt retractor has preformed drive bodies arranged one behind the other, which are guided and can be driven in a guide path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20040232671
    Abstract: The inflation of an airbag is controlled by an apparatus using inflation gas for the protection of a vehicle occupant in a crash. The movement of the vehicle occupant as well as the movement of the airbag toward a vehicle occupant is detected by a sensor device. The supply of inflation gas from an inflator to the airbag is controlled in dependence on corresponding sensor signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6786294
    Abstract: A method and vehicle occupant restraint system for a motor vehicle, in which the webbing movement of a seat belt wound on a belt reel 1 caused by the body of the belted-in vehicle occupant is scanned and corresponding measurement data are fed to an evaluating device 3, wherein measurement data relating to the rotating movement of a rotor 2, in particular the electric motor rotor, which serves in tightening the seat belt webbing, may additionally be fed to this evaluating device 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6736424
    Abstract: An airbag system for a motor vehicle has an airbag that is deployed upon inflation with a gas from a folded state into the vehicle interior. An inflation device supplies gas for inflating the airbag. A sensing device senses deployment of the airbag to the effect that the temporal and spatial sequence involved in opening the folds of the airbag is detected. A control device controls the inflation process as a function of deployment sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Patent number: 6722212
    Abstract: A device for measuring tensile stress acting on a vehicle seat belt has two components. A first component is connected with a seat belt and a second component is fixed to a vehicle part a spring arranged between the two components, against whose force the two components may be moved relative to one another. A transducer has transducer elements that are attached to the two components and produces an electrical signal as a function of the positions of the two components relative to one another. The transducer produces a switching signal when the components are in a first positional zone. In a second positional zone, in which the two components may be moved relative to one another against the force of the spring, the transducer produces measuring signals proportional to the movement of the two components relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6719233
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel for seat belt webbing and a load limiter that has a flowable load-limiter medium which is transported through a flow channel, by a displacement device. The displacement device is drivable by the belt reel, at an energy consumption related to a crash, in which the flow resistance of the transported load-limiter medium in the flow channel or the volume of the load-limiter medium transported in the flow channel per unit time is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Patent number: 6705558
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a seat belt system in a motor vehicle has a belt reel for the winding and unwinding of seat belt webbing. At least one locking element can lock the belt reel against further rotation. Forces exerted by the seat belt webbing can be introduced into a frame connected to the vehicle. The locking device has at least one gear that can be locked by at least one lock operating device and also has at least one energy absorbing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Thomas Kilian
  • Publication number: 20040040393
    Abstract: A device for measuring a belt force acting upon a vehicle seat belt has at least one spring that is connected indirectly to a bearing member of the belt buckle that can be secured to the vehicle structure. A measuring element is connected to the spring, and can be connected to the seat belt and is movably mounted against a bias of the at least one spring proportionally to the belt force, whereby the measuring element is guided by means of a low friction guide means in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Patent number: 6695243
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel rotatably mounted in a frame. A blocking means blocks rotation of a blockable part of the belt reel and a belt webbing carrier on the belt reel that is substantially drum-shaped. The belt webbing carrier is associated with a rotor that is in rotary drive connection with the belt webbing carrier. Upon rotation of the rotor the volumes of at least two chambers filled with a free-flowing medium are varied, and the chambers rotate about the axis of rotation of the belt reels. The free-flowing medium flows in each case from a chamber diminishing in volume into a chamber increasing in volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6688646
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt system, in particular a three-point seat belt system, has belt webbing and an end fitting by which an end of the belt webbing is secured to a vehicle. A belt tensioner acts with a pulling eyebolt through which the belt webbing is guided by a webbing guide in the vicinity of the end fitting to transmit a tensioning movement to the belt webbing. The pulling eyebolt has a substantially straight pulling rod by which a pulling movement generated by the tensioning drive is transmitted to the belt webbing during tensioning and during tensioning the pulling rod acts as a webbing deflection rod for the belt webbing guided through the webbing guide. The webbing guide has two deflection points about which the belt webbing is guided during tensioning and the pulling rod acts on a section of the belt webbing guided between these two deflection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Stephan Schwald
  • Patent number: 6682098
    Abstract: The load acting on the body of a belted-in vehicle occupant restrained by a seat belt is determined by providing electrical signals from occupant restraint device sensors. The electrical signals are then evaluated with an evaluating device, wherein the movement of a seat belt webbing influenced by the body of the belted-in vehicle occupant is scanned and a corresponding signal is fed to the evaluating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6669232
    Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag has a compressed gas container in which an inflation gas is held in readiness under high pressure. An inflation tube projects into the airbag that is to be inflated. A gas release nozzle is connected at one end with the compressed gas container and at another end with the inflation tube. A gas tight sealing device is released for the introduction of the inflation gas into the inflation tube. A throttle device throttles the inflation gas flow into the inflation tube and is arranged in the flow direction of the inflation gas behind the sealing device in the gas release nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6641222
    Abstract: A seat belt guide has a bearing axis for the pivotal mounting of a guide body on a vehicle structure. The guide body has a flexing bar around which the seat belt webbing is guided. A fixing plate can be fixed on the vehicle structure pivotally around the bearing axis with a fixing bolt. Two flexing bar carriers rigidly connect the flexing bar is to the fixing plate at its two ends. The guide body is deformable when a specific load originates from the seat belt webbing, the flexing bar bending substantially symmetrically with respect to the fixing bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6641075
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a two-piece belt reel rotatably mounted on a seat belt retractor frame. The two pieces of the belt reel are a spool and a spool insert. A tightening drive creates a torque. A force transmission device transmits torque to the belt reel for winding the belt webbing onto the spool. A load limiter connects the spool and spool insert for to limit force on a seat belt-wearing vehicle occupant during the accelerated forward displacement of the seat belt-wearing vehicle occupant. During effective force limitation, when exceeding a preselected force threshold resulting from the belt force limitation effect and the torque of the tightening drive, in the force transmission device the torque transmission from the tightening drive to the belt reel is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Brees Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20030192977
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel rotatably mounted in a frame. A blocking means blocks rotation of a blockable part of the belt reel and a belt webbing carrier on the belt reel that is substantially drum-shaped. The belt webbing carrier is associated with a rotor that is in rotary drive connection with the belt webbing carrier. Upon rotation of the rotor the volumes of at least two chambers filled with a free-flowing medium are varied, and the chambers rotate about the axis of rotation of the belt reels. The free-flowing medium flows in each case from a chamber diminishing in volume into a chamber increasing in volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Martin Specht