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: 20030172748
    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: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6612326
    Abstract: An inflator for inflating an airbag has a vessel for containing compressed gas. The vessel has a gas outlet aperture. A support element is located in the gas outlet aperture with a sealing element next to the side of the support element that faces the interior of the vessel. A locking element is disposed in a locking position between a side of the support element that faces away from the interior of the vessel and a first abutment that is rigid with respect to the vessel. The support element is further supported by a second abutment that is rigid with respect to the vessel. A gas releasing device moves the locking element from the locking position to open the gas outlet aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Florian Sachsenhauser, Thomas Heckmayer, Rudolf Meyer, Joachim Verheugen
  • Patent number: 6598821
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a winding reel rotatably mounted in a frame, an electric motor and a switching mechanism, with which varying torques can be transmitted to the winding reel to adjust the comfort of a wearer of the seat belt or to tighten the seat belt. The switching mechanism is automatically directed into a switch position set for the comfort perceived by the wearer of the seat belt and into a switch position for belt tightening, in which if necessary an adjustable load limitation is also achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6572140
    Abstract: A device for regulating the amount of inflation gas supplied to an airbag of a motor vehicle has a cylindrical member with at least one inflation aperture therethrough. An adjustable annular shutter with at least one shutter aperture is rotatably mounted around the axis of the cylindrical member. The amount of inflation gas which is supplied via the inflation aperture is adjustable through alignment of the shutter aperture with the inflation aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Rudolf Meyer
  • Publication number: 20030094327
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20030094326
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20030094533
    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: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Publication number: 20030052479
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Heckmayr
  • Patent number: 6527299
    Abstract: A device for tightening a three-point seat belt is located in the rear of a vehicle. A linear belt tightener is located in the region of the vehicle door sill aligned essentially parallel to the vehicle door sill. The linear belt tightener acts via a pulling element on the belt webbing of a seat belt. The belt webbing is guided through a belt guide anchored to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Andreas Knych
  • Publication number: 20030038473
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Stephan Schwald
  • Patent number: 6516726
    Abstract: A device for releasing gas from a vessel drives a piston with a propellant charge that can be ignited by an ignition device. A housing accommodates the piston, the propellant charge and the ignition device. The housing is formed from at least two housing half shells made of plastic material and a load-absorbing sleeve enclosing the housing half shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6502861
    Abstract: A seat belt guide has a metallic body for mounting on a vehicle structure. A flexing bar has a low-friction belt webbing guide face around which webbing of a seat belt is guided. The flexing bar and two flexing bar carriers define a webbing guide aperture. A belt webbing guide face is formed by a sliding shell that is clipped on with an interlocking fit in the region of the flexing bar and the flexing bar carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6485052
    Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag has a gas generator. A gas generator housing can be anchored to a vehicle body. An end of an inflation tube is connected to a gas discharge socket fastened to the gas generator housing in an axially aligned and gas-tight manner. The tube end and the gas discharge socket are connected via a covering sleeve that bridges a gas-tight connection between the inflation tube and the gas generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20020166914
    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: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6474142
    Abstract: A device for testing the inflation state of an cold gas inflator for an airbag has a gas reservoir that is filled with gas at a high pressure, in particular an inert gas. Oscillations of frequencies varying within a particular frequency range are generated at the filled gas reservoir and the resonance frequency is measured. The measured resonance frequency is compared by a comparator with a resonance frequency which was determined at the gas reservoir filled with the desired pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Kilian
  • Publication number: 20020158459
    Abstract: A seat belt guide has a metallic body for mounting on a vehicle structure. A flexing bar has a low-friction belt webbing guide face around which webbing of a seat belt is guided. The flexing bar and two flexing bar carriers define a webbing guide aperture. A belt webbing guide face is formed by a sliding shell that is clipped on with an interlocking fit in the region of the flexing bar and the flexing bar carriers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6470788
    Abstract: An apparatus for moving an operating element has a guide surface along which the operating element may be guided. A drive means provides a driving pulse exerted on the operating element for the movement of the operating element along the guide surface. A gap between the guide surface and the outer surface of the operating element is filled by a layer of a material that acts as an adhesive layer when the operating element is at rest and as a lubricating layer when the operating element is in motion. The outside of the operating element may have a conical profile and the guide surface may have a cylindrical profile, with the gap between the guide surface and the outer surface of the operating element becoming progressively larger in the direction of movement of the operating element. The layer of material in the gap may be a dry or solid lubricant, comprising material such as MoS2 or polytetrafluoroethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20020145068
    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: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Thomas Kilian
  • Publication number: 20020130499
    Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag comprising a container for a compressed gas of a sealing device, which closes the container during normal operation and is provided in a gas release nozzle connected to the container in a gas tight manner, and a throttle opening, via which the released gas flows in a throttled manner out of the container via an emission opening and the gas release nozzle, whereby the throttle opening is formed through reshaping of a container wall part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Rudolf Meyer
  • Publication number: 20020130500
    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: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventor: Martin Specht