Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/20—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
  • B60R21/203—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components in steering wheels or steering columns
  • B60R21/2035—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components in steering wheels or steering columns using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/01—Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents

Definitions

• the invention relates to a safety device for motor vehicles in the form of an impact protection arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.
• air-bag Such devices have become known in a wide variety of embodiments and are generally referred to as "air-bag”.
• This is a gas cushion device in which a gas generator abruptly inflates a folded cushion fastened to the steering wheel of the vehicle, the ignition device of the gas generator being activated by a sensor.
• this sensor is now arranged on the gas generator housing, within the gas generator or within the gas cushion device, mechanical or mechanical-electrical sensors being predominantly used up to now.
• a safety air cushion is known which is combined with a solid gas generator to form a preassembled unit in which the sensor or sensors and an energy store are integrated.
• the gas generator housing requires a special design due to the integration and securing of the enclosed or directly connected sensor, which must not be burdened by the gas pressure that arises. This inevitably leads to an increased dimensioning of the housing and thus to an increased weight.
• the reliability is not optimal since, due to the interface problems, a check can only be carried out after the final assembly in the vehicle.
• Another disadvantage is that the entire unit must always be replaced in the event of errors in the system.
• the present invention has for its object to provide a safety device of the type mentioned, which not only eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art, but also forms an easily attachable unit formed from the main components, which has a simple detonator connection and an effective one Has interference shielding.
• FIG. 3 shows a partial section of the junction of the gas generator and sensor housing and the carrier element on the steering wheel
• Fig. 4 shows a partial section of the igniter and its sensor contact in one embodiment.
• Gas cushion safety device 1 is composed in the usual way of the folded gas cushion 2, the gas generator 7 and the sensor 12 for "triggering the ignition” or for activating the gas generator.
• the gas cushion 2 is fastened to the base body of the vehicle steering wheel 5 with a carrier element 3 - for example a sheet metal ring or sheet metal webs - and screws 4.
• the carrier plate is shaped so that it has a circular opening, which has a pressed edge reinforcement 6, to which a pyrotechnic gas generator 7 is connected by means of a circumferential connecting flange 8 of the gas generator housing 9 and fastening screw 10.
• An electronic sensor 12 is also connected to this edge reinforcement 6 by means of the fastening screws 10 and with the aid of a fastening flange 11.
• the sensor 12 - preferably an electronic sensor - for activating the ignition device 18 can thus be attached to the housing 9 of the gas generator 7 via the sensor housing flange 11, the latter with the connecting flange 8 of the gas generator housing 9 via fastening elements 10 - in the present case these are screws and Nuts - held with the support element 3 on the steering or steering wheel 5 of the motor vehicle and fixed in position.
• the flanges 8 and 11 are of the same design, taking into account the outer diameter 23 (FIG. 2), the identical bores for the fastening screws 10 and the edge reinforcement 6.
• the gas generator flange 8 and the sensor housing flange 11 are each integrated with the housing 9 and 13, of the same shape, the exact position of which is fixed to one another via screw connections 10.
• the flange 11 is integrated in the sensor housing 13 and forms a "pot-like" housing extension which receives the correspondingly shaped lower part 14 of the gas generator in such a way that an electromagnetically shielded air gap 15 of the sensor 12 and the igniter 18 is formed.
• Within the shield 15 there is a two-part electrical contact 16 between the sensor 12 and an electronic sensor 18 arranged in the area of the combustion chamber 17 of the gas generator 7.
• the contact means 16 is formed by a two-part plug contact, the one contact part 19 being arranged in the sensor 12 or its housing 13 and the other contact part 20 in the terminal 18.
• the two contact parts 19, 20 arranged and designed so that they automatically mesh when the sensor and generator are assembled.
• the required ignition energy is supplied by the vehicle electrics - the vehicle electrical system - via the plug coupling 21 of the sensor 12 or by a battery power source.
• the igniter 18 is activated.
• the pyrotechnic, ' gas-generating material 21 of the gas generator 7 is ignited.
• the sensor 12 and the contact means 16 corresponding to it can consist of any sensor type - electronic, mechanical or hybrid of both.
• the proposed measures create a structural system unit that can be easily replaced as a whole unit or as unit parts (sensor, scale, generator, air cushion) as required.
• Each element is easy and easy to check and the simple scale connection ensures a problem-free connection but also a problem-free decoupling.
• the minimization of the interference on the electronic sensor and the igniter is particularly advantageous.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=6354945

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (34)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1988
  • 1988-05-21 DE DE3817481A patent/DE3817481C1/de not_active Expired
• 1989
  • 1989-06-16 US US07/458,730 patent/US5011181A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1989-06-16 WO PCT/EP1989/000680 patent/WO1990015732A1/de not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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