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: 20020008373
    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: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6340173
    Abstract: A three-point seat belt comprising an inflatable chest/shoulder belt part and pelvic restraint part. In a transitional area between these two parts, a continuously open gas channel is embodied inside the belt, which channel communicates with the belt interior of both the pelvic restraint part and the chest/shoulder belt part in such a way that a gas is able to circulate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20010054839
    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: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6331034
    Abstract: An apparatus adjusts the inclination of a back rest of a vehicle seat with an electric motor and a hand wheel as adjusting drives which act on the adjustable back rest frame via an adjusting gear. The hand wheel is arranged coaxial with the rotor of the electric motor and accommodates the motor components as a hood-shaped housing in its interior. The hand wheel and the electric motor have a common output shaft connected to the adjusting gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6328242
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for a vehicle with a rotatably mounted belt reel on which a seat belt can be wound and unwound has a biased motive spring that acts on the belt reel to produce a pulling force which acts on the seat belt, and during winding and unwinding follows a characteristic curve which is dependent on the extracted length of belt webbing. An electric motor drive adjusts the bias of the motive spring in such a way that the pulling force follows a characteristic curve corresponding to room temperature, which is approximately 20° C., at any temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6311918
    Abstract: A device for winding and unwinding a seat belt has an electric drive which supplies a torque to a belt reel that is loaded in the belt winding direction by a motive spring. The motive spring can be wound to a blocking configuration by the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Publication number: 20010032902
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel that is rotatably mounted on a frame and on which a seat belt can be wound and unwound. A motive spring biases the belt reel in the winding direction. An electric motor adjusts the spring force of the motive spring can be adjusted and/or a torque produced for tightening the seat belt. The torque can be transmitted to the belt reel by a clutch. The deformation of a deformable spring element brings the clutch into an engaged state. The spring element is held on one end of the spring by a holding device actuated by inertial force, at least for initiating its deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6299090
    Abstract: A restraint device for a seat belt that can be wound on a belt reel has a belt tightener adapted to be driven by a propellant gas. The ignition of the propellant gas increases the working pressure in the pressure chamber so that the driving part of the belt tightener is moved in the driving direction. A load limiter cooperates with the belt reel and, after blocking of the belt reel, allows extraction of belt webbing with energy consumption. The working pressure in the pressure chamber can be reduced by a gas blowout passageway and, when the load limiter is actuated, the driving part remaining in a driving connection with the belt reel can be moved counter to the driving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Steve Marshall
  • Patent number: 6296306
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has an adjustable backrest connected to a driving device that can be activated in the event of a rear end collision. The backrest is inclined forwardly during the rear end collision and then performs an opposing rearward movement decelerated by an energy absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Rudolf Meyer
  • Patent number: 6290159
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor has a belt reel for the seat belt webbing. A load limiter allows limited extraction of the belt webbing with energy absorption when the belt reel is blocked. The absorption of energy is adjustable as a function of crash-related data and the rotating movement of the belt reel is scanned for this purpose when the extraction of the belt webbing is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Kilian, Walter Krauss
  • Patent number: 6283398
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seat belt retractor comprising a seat belt spool (2) rotationally mounted on a frame (1) for winding and unwinding the seat belt, a blocking means (5) for blocking the rotation of the seat belt spool, a control element (6) by means of which the blocking means (5) can be actuated, a seat belt sensor mass (4) movably mounted on a support element (3) which rotates with the seat belt spool (2), a vehicle sensor mass (35) and a coupling device (14, 34) by means of which a moving connection can be established between the support element (3) and the control element (6) via the seat belt sensor mass (4) and/or the vehicle sensor mass (35). Said connection assures the transmission of a rotation of the seat belt spool in the direction of unwinding for actuating the blocking means. The support element (3) together with the seat belt sensor mass (4) positioned thereon and the control element (6) constitute a pre-assembled component unit (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6266855
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a guide channel formed in a buckle frame into which a tongue connected to a seat belt can be inserted. An ejector, located in the guide channel acts, as an ejector spring in the ejection direction opposite to the insertion direction of the tongue. A locking element is mounted on the buckle frame and can be moved out of an unlocking position into a locking position in order to lock the tongue in the guide channel. A securing element is movable between a securing position for holding the locking element in the locking position and a release position for releasing the locking element. A blocking device is mounted on the securing element and is moved into a blocking position when the locking element is in the locking position. The securing element is held in the securing position against a movement into the release position, whereby the blocking device is held in the blocking position by the ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 6241282
    Abstract: An airbag, in particular a passenger airbag, is folded in the resting state and is fastened on a fixing device. The airbag is folded double with crossover folds so that a passage for one or more substantially rectilinearly extending measuring elements is formed in the interior of the folded airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6240848
    Abstract: A device for firing a pyrotechnic propellent composition having a sensor mass (3) which for firing purposes releases a locking lever (4) which in the rest position bears lockingly against a ring (9) of the firing pin (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Thomas Ludwig
  • Patent number: 6206419
    Abstract: A device for inflating an airbag has a gas generator that produces an inflation gas. A valve control adjusts the cross-section of a flow channel through which the inflation gas is supplied to the interior of the airbag by means of valve elements. The valve elements are held in an unactivated position by holding elements with a holding force that is lower than the actuating force used to actuate the valve elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6202269
    Abstract: A buckle for a seat belt has an interlock that provides impact resistance between an ejector and a support for a securing element for securing the locked state, the interlock being maintained during the retensioning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Walter Krauss, Stephan Schwald, Thomas Schrott
  • Patent number: 6204569
    Abstract: A controller for a seatbelt tightener puts on standby an electric igniter of a tightener drive, with a first electric circuit that includes the electric igniter and is closed upon buckling of the belt buckle. Monitoring of seatbelt usage is achieved by a first test signal proportional to the electric internal resistance of the igniter that is scanned using a second circuit which comprises a test resistance and is closed on unbuckling the belt buckle, a second test signal proportional to the test resistance being scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Specht
  • Patent number: 6196487
    Abstract: A coupling device transmits a torque from a rotatable driving member to a driven member connected to a belt reel of a seat belt retractor for driving the belt reel in the belt winding direction. The coupling device is held in a disengaged state by a spring force in a rest position. The coupling device is mounted on a driving member and can be engaged in the driven member during rotation of the driving member as a result of its inert mass and of guide means acting between the driving member and the coupling element. In particular, tightening of the seat belt is achieved in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Andreas Knych
  • Patent number: 6186549
    Abstract: A seat belt tensioner has two traction strands which transmit a tensioner drive movement to a seat belt. A block-shaped deflection device, which is anchored on the vehicle body has a guide channel. The block-shaped deflection device is fixed in an interlocking manner in a fastening sleeve anchored to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Stephan Schwald, Michael Bär
  • Patent number: 6178846
    Abstract: A vehicle for separating a pedal lever (14) pivotable about a spindle (5) from the structure of a motor vehicle, in which the support (21) acting especially as a pressure pipe between the pedal lever (14) and a braking force amplifier (3) has a deformable rod section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Rainer Schröter, Walter Krauss