Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-29
2003-06-24
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581959
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates in general to an airbag arrangement and an operating method for it and to a vehicle interior paneling.
The earlier German patent applications 197 12 782.7, 197 26 878.1 and 197 33 896.8, European patent application 98 10 55 51.0, international patent application PCT/DE 99/01564 and also utility model applications 298 08 317.5, 298 09 554.8, 298 19 165.2, 298 20 722.2, 299 05 000.9, 299 05 919.7, 299 07 102.2, 299 08 946.0, 299 10 059.6, 299 13 628.0 and 299 21 247.5 originating from the present inventor are concerned in general with an airbag arrangement and with a triggering method for it. The present invention relates to improvements in all of the techniques dealt with in the earlier application and to exemplary embodiments, in particular in respect of the construction of the airbag arrangement and triggering control, and specifically to a design for controlling an airbag flap which, in the normal state, closes an opening, for example in a dashboard, for the outlet of an airbag and directly before a triggered outlet of an airbag is pulled through the opening and behind the dashboard away from the occupant. To this extent, the complete content of disclosure of these earlier applications, in particular in respect of the construction of the airbag arrangement and triggering control, and specifically a refinement for controlling an airbag flap, is hereby incorporated by references to the full extent into the present document.
For example, the applications specified above disclose an airbag arrangement having an airbag flap which, prior to triggering of the airbag arrangement, is arranged in a closed position in an airbag outlet opening in a vehicle interior paneling, and which, as a consequence of triggering of the airbag arrangement, can be moved with respect to a vehicle occupant out of the airbag outlet opening into an open position behind the vehicle interior paneling by means of driving devices. The corresponding operating method for an airbag arrangement makes provision for the triggering of said airbag arrangement to cause an airbag flap to be moved with respect to a vehicle occupant from a closed position in an airbag outlet opening in a vehicle interior paneling into an open position behind the vehicle interior paneling by means of driving devices.
This technique is particularly advantageous because in this case the airbag flap does not, as is otherwise customary, have to be pressed open by the inflating pressure of the airbag itself which, as a result, has first of all to build up a large pressure and after it has pressed away the airbag flap is pushed forward with corresponding momentum toward the occupant to be protected. It is desirable if the airbag flap is held in a sufficiently stable and fixed manner in its closed position in order, when the airbag arrangement is not triggered, to absorb an impact of the occupant's head, for example.
The present invention therefore has the object of specifying an airbag arrangement, an operating method for it and a vehicle interior paneling containing it, so that an impact of an occupant's head against the vehicle interior paneling is reliably absorbed in the region of the airbag flap.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by an airbag arrangement as claimed in claim 1, a vehicle interior paneling as claimed in claim 26 and an operating method as claimed in claim 27. Preferred and advantageous developments of the particular aspect of the present invention are produced by the corresponding, dependent claims and combinations thereof.
The invention therefore provides an airbag arrangement having an airbag flap which, prior to triggering of the airbag arrangement, is arranged in a closed position in an airbag outlet opening in a vehicle interior paneling, and which, as a consequence of triggering of the airbag arrangement, can be moved with respect to a vehicle occupant out of the airbag outlet opening into an open position behind the airbag interior paneling by means of driving devices, wherein the airbag flap is held in its closed position in the airbag outlet opening in a form-fitting manner by means of engagement devices and locking devices, the engagement devices are assigned only to one side of the airbag flap and airbag outlet opening, and as a consequence of triggering of the airbag arrangement, the locking devices can be released by means of the driving devices, so that the airbag flap can be moved with respect to a vehicle occupant from its closed position in the airbag outlet opening into an open position behind the vehicle interior paneling.
The present invention involves designing an airbag flap which can be retracted from the module, in such a manner that in the case of said airbag flap the cover base is inserted into the dashboard support as a separate part, with the particular feature that, firstly, the flap is thereby absolutely stable in the event of an impact of a head and, secondly, in accordance with the form-fitting engagement can easily be unlocked, and therefore pulled back, by a movement of the pull cables which are connected.
The present invention advantageously achieves an absolutely fixed locking of the airbag flap in normal usage and, at the same time, a low-energy and therefore rapid movement of the flap into the interior of the dashboard if the airbag is triggered.
According to a preferred development of this airbag arrangement, it is furthermore provided that the engagement devices contain a plug-in groove and a plug-in strip which are arranged on and assigned to the airbag flap and the airbag outlet opening in such a manner that they can be moved apart transversely with respect to their direction of longitudinal extent during movement of the airbag flap from its closed position into an open position.
Alternatively or in addition, the locking devices can be assigned to at least one side of the airbag flap and/or airbag outlet opening. In this case, it is preferable for the locking devices to be assigned to a plurality of sides of the airbag flap and/or airbag outlet opening.
A further preferred refinement of the airbag arrangement consists in that the locking devices can be released transversely with respect to the opening movement of the airbag flap from its closed position into an open position. In this case, it is preferably provided that the locking devices contain at least one pair of teeth with one tooth assigned in each case to the airbag flap and the airbag outlet opening, and that in the closed position of the airbag flap the teeth of each pair of teeth can be shifted by means of the driving devices from a locking position, in which they oppose a movement of the airbag flap into its open position, into an unlocking position in which the movement of the airbag flap into its open position is released. In particular, a plurality of pairs of teeth is provided and/or that tooth of the at least one pair of teeth which is assigned to the airbag flap can be shifted from its locking position into its unlocking position.
Another development of the abovementioned variants consists in that all of the teeth which can be shifted between a locking position and an unlocking position are arranged on a common locking bar or on connected locking bars, wherein the locking bar is preferably a latching plate on which the tooth of the at least one pair of teeth is integrally formed. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the teeth are designed in the manner of lugs or serrations, in which case the teeth are preferably designed as latching lugs or serrations. It is further preferred if the teeth face one another with rectangular or T-like surfaces.
In the invention it is furthermore preferred if the airbag flap is coupled via the locking devices to the driving devices for its movement from its closed position into an open position. Alternatively or additionally, the coupling of the airbag flap to the driving devices can be configured in such a manner that when said airbag flap is triggered first of all the locking devices are released and then the airbag
Beck Manfred
Dickson Paul N.
Rosenberg Laura B.
Volkswagen AG
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