Device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of a medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, and device for activating an impact protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908501-B2
Application number	US-201515114717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of a medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, having a control module that includes a valve body having a stepped through-opening, and a control piston guided axially in the through-opening of the valve body, and a control valve that influences the movement of the control piston, the valve body having at a first end a closable medium inlet opening having a valve chamber. The control valve and the control module are situated in a common housing sleeve, the valve body of the control module being pressed into a first end of the housing sleeve until it comes to a stop on a housing shoulder, and the control valve being introduced into and fixed in a second end of the housing sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of a medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, comprising:
a control module that includes a valve body having a stepped through-opening;
a control piston guided axially in the through-opening of the valve body; and
a control valve that influences the movement of the control piston;
wherein the valve body has, at a first end, a closable medium inlet opening having a valve chamber, has, at a second end, a control chamber having a control valve opening, and has at least one outlet duct, that branches off from the through-opening, for letting the medium into the impact protection device, and is situated between the first end of the valve body and the second end of the valve body;
wherein the control piston has a through-opening formed along its main axis of extension, from a first effective surface facing the medium inlet opening to a second effective surface facing the control valve opening, the first effective surface being smaller than the second effective surface, the control piston being capable of being moved in the through-opening of the valve body by the medium and, as a function of the position of the control valve, between a first position in which the at least one outlet duct is closed by the control piston and a second position in which the at least one outlet duct is released by the control piston; and
wherein the control valve and the control module are situated in a common housing sleeve, the valve body of the control module being pressed into a first end of the housing sleeve until it comes to a stop on a housing shoulder, and the control valve being introduced into and fixed in a second end of the housing sleeve.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the valve body has a taper on its outer circumference, so that in the pressed-in state an open space arises between the valve body and the housing sleeve, into which space the at least one outlet duct of the valve body opens, and at which the housing sleeve has at least one first outlet opening.

3. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control valve is a magnetic valve having a magnetic assembly, which, in the state supplied with current, moves an armature having a plunger against a force of a reset spring, from a first position into a second position, a closing element situated on the plunger releasing the control valve opening in an open position for a passage of the medium, and sealing the control valve opening in a closed position.

4. The device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the magnetic assembly is fixed axially in the housing sleeve by a crimp connection, a stroke of the control valve being specified via the axial position of the magnetic assembly.

5. The device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the armature is a flat disk having a central bore via which the armature is pressed onto the plunger.

6. The device as recited in claim 3 , wherein a separating disk having a central guide bore through which the plunger is guided separates an armature space of the control valve from an interior space of the housing sleeve, which has at least one second outlet opening.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control valve opening and a control valve seat fashioned on an edge of the control valve opening are made in a valve seating plate that is pressed into the valve body at the second end.

8. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the valve body is made in two parts, a first valve body part forming a plurality of outlet ducts and the valve chamber, and the second valve body part forming the control chamber.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first valve body part and the second valve body part are connected to one another by a press-fit connection.

10. A device for activating an impact protection device, comprising:
a medium storage unit for storing a medium under pressure;
a burst element for sealing a medium outlet opening of the medium storage unit; and
a device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of the medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, the device including:
a control module that includes a valve body having a stepped through-opening,
a control piston guided axially in the through-opening of the valve body, and
a control valve that influences the movement of the control piston,
wherein the valve body has, at a first end, a closable medium inlet opening having a valve chamber, has, at a second end, a control chamber having a control valve opening, and has at least one outlet duct, that branches off from the through-opening, for letting the medium into the impact protection device, and is situated between the first end of the valve body and the second end of the valve body,
wherein the control piston has a through-opening formed along its main axis of extension, from a first effective surface facing the medium inlet opening to a second effective surface facing the control valve opening, the first effective surface being smaller than the second effective surface, the control piston being capable of being moved in the through-opening of the valve body by the medium and, as a function of the position of the control valve, between a first position in which the at least one outlet duct is closed by the control piston and a second position in which the at least one outlet duct is released by the control piston, and
wherein the control valve and the control module are situated in a common housing sleeve, the valve body of the control module being pressed into a first end of the housing sleeve until it comes to a stop on a housing shoulder, and the control valve being introduced into and fixed in a second end of the housing sleeve.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Heyer Klaus
• Schmid Johannes
• Hatt Ignaz
• Maier Tim
• Mayer Franz
• Beling Horst
• Rues Peter

Classifications

• F16K31/0675

  Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor · CPC title

• B60R21/264

  using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic (B60R21/268 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/029

  Electromagnetically actuated valves · CPC title

• F16K3/24

  with cylindrical valve members · CPC title

• G05D7/014

  using sliding elements · CPC title