Trip device for a vehicle occupant restraint system

US5678860A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Martin Rohrle · Mutlangen, DE
• Klaus Bohmler · Schwäbisch Gmünd, DE
• Uwe Huber · Garching bei München, DE
• Helmut Maiwald · Alfdorf, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 4, 1995
• Grant date: Oct 21, 1997
• Expiry date: Oct 4, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R22/4652
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A trip device for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a vehicle responsive inertial mass (12) able to be moved in translation in a housing (10) against a return spring (14) between a neutral position and a trip position. An activating pin (22) is provided for activation of an impact fuse (24). To reduce the response time and to prevent an effect of the resistance to actuation of a device activated by the trip device, on the trip behavior of the trip device, the activating pin (22) is acted upon by a spring and is held in a standby position by a catch (26), a control body (16) able to be shifted in translation in the housing (10) is biased by a spring (18) into a neutral position and is functionally arranged between the inertial mass (12) and the catch means (26), and the control body (16) is able to be struck by the inertial mass (12) and on being impinged with a predetermined amount of strike energy is able to be moved out of the neutral position into a release position, in which it releases the catch (26) for release of the activating pin (22).