Patents by Inventor Tobias Voss

Tobias Voss 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: 9114780
    Abstract: A piston for a pretensioner device (10) for a motor vehicle seat belt system of a type having a gas generator (17) with the piston (21) guided in a tube (16) that closes a pressure space (20) in the tube (16). The pressure space (20) can be pressurized by the gas generator (17), driving the piston (21) to undergo pretensioning operation transmitted to the seat belt system by a force transmission means. The piston has a dome shaped front side adapted to engage a force transmission element and a skirt forming a sealing lip oriented toward the pressure space. At least one slot is formed in the outer surface of the piston extending axially from the sealing lip. The slot can be enlarged by the material erosion caused by the pressure and/or pressure conditions in the pressure space produced by gas from the gas generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Christian Fischer, Martin Schmidt, Matthias Steinberg, Michael Pech, Tobias Voss, Thomas Schmidt, Simone Mesecke-Rischmann
  • Patent number: 9050941
    Abstract: A tensioning device (10) for a seat belt, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a gas generator (17) and a piston (21) guided in a tube (16) that closes a pressure space (20) in the tube (16), whereas the pressure space (20) can be pressurized by the gas generator (17), as a result of which the piston (21) can be driven to perform a tensioning operation which can be transmitted to the seat belt by means of the force transmission means. The piston (21) having a closed or constricted opening (1, 1a), and the opening (1, 1a) can be enlarged and/or opened by the material erosion caused by the pressure and/or pressure conditions in the pressure space (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Christian Fischer, Martin Schmidt, Matthias Steinberg, Michael Pech, Tobias Voss, Thomas Schmidt, Simone Mesecke-Rischmann
  • Patent number: 8684413
    Abstract: A pretensioning device (10) for a safety belt, of a motor vehicle, having a gas generator (17), a piston (21) guided in a tube (16), which closes a pressure area (20) in the tube (16) that is pressurized by the gas generator (17) whereupon the piston (21) is able to move in a pretensioning movement which is able to be conveyed to the safety belt by means of an inertia body (19a) resting on a front face (9) of the piston (21). The piston (21) forms a pass-through opening (1) releasable upon exceeding of a predetermined pressure and a recess (26) is provided in the front face (9) with an inertia body (19a) resting thereon, so that a flow connection is created from the pass-through opening (1) to the area (25) located behind the piston (21) in the direction of the pretensioning movement (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Thomas Schmidt, Martin Schmidt, Christian Fischer, Michael Pech, Matthias Steinberg, Tobias Voss
  • Publication number: 20130038047
    Abstract: A pretensioning device (10) for a safety belt, of a motor vehicle, having a gas generator (17), a piston (21) guided in a tube (16), which closes a pressure area (20) in the tube (16) that is pressurized by the gas generator (17) whereupon the piston (21) is able to move in a pretensioning movement which is able to be conveyed to the safety belt by means of an inertia body (19a) resting on a front face (9) of the piston (21). The piston (21) forms a pass-through opening (1) releasable upon exceeding of a predetermined pressure and a recess (26) is provided in the front face (9) with an inertia body (19a) resting thereon, so that a flow connection is created from the pass-through opening (1) to the area (25) located behind the piston (21) in the direction of the pretensioning movement (S).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Thomas Schmidt, Martin Schmidt, Christian Fischer, Michael Pech, Matthias Steinberg, Tobias Voss
  • Publication number: 20120211578
    Abstract: A tensioning device (10) for a seat belt, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a gas generator (17) and a piston (21) guided in a tube (16) that closes a pressure space (20) in the tube (16), whereas the pressure space (20) can be pressurized by the gas generator (17), as a result of which the piston (21) can be driven to perform a tensioning operation which can be transmitted to the seat belt by means of the force transmission means. The piston (21) having a closed or constricted opening (1, 1a), and the opening (1, 1a) can be enlarged and/or opened by the material erosion caused by the pressure and/or pressure conditions in the pressure space (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Christian Fischer, Martin Schmidt, Matthias Steinberg, Michael Pech, Tobias Voss, Thomas Schmidt, Simone Mesecke-Rischmann