Variable venting air bag assembly
First Claim
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1. An air bag safety system for cushioning restraint of a vehicle occupant during an impact event, the safety system comprising:
- an inflatable air bag cushion having at least one vent opening;
an inflator activatable to discharge inflation gas upon the occurrence of predetermined vehicle conditions;
a displaceable vent blocking element supported at a surface of the air bag cushion and normally disposed in blocking relation to said at least one vent opening so as to at least partially obstruct the passage of inflation gas through to said at least one vent opening, wherein the vent blocking element is operatively connected to a releasable anchor structure such that the vent blocking element is normally held in tension when the air bag cushion is inflated; and
an actuation mechanism selectively activatable based upon measurements from one or more sensors measuring conditions of the occupant to release the vent blocking element from the releasable anchor structure when increased venting capacity is desired, and wherein the vent blocking element is adapted to at least partially open said at least one vent opening when the vent blocking element is released from the releasable anchor structure.
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Abstract
An air bag assembly having an inflatable cushion selectively deployable to a controlled geometry with a controlled venting character. The venting characteristics are adjusted by selective displacement of vent blocking elements based upon measured occupant and/or crash severity characteristics such that an air bag cushion of desired volume and venting capacity is available to protect a range of occupants under different conditions during impact events of various levels of severity.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An air bag safety system for cushioning restraint of a vehicle occupant during an impact event, the safety system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag cushion having at least one vent opening;
an inflator activatable to discharge inflation gas upon the occurrence of predetermined vehicle conditions;
a displaceable vent blocking element supported at a surface of the air bag cushion and normally disposed in blocking relation to said at least one vent opening so as to at least partially obstruct the passage of inflation gas through to said at least one vent opening, wherein the vent blocking element is operatively connected to a releasable anchor structure such that the vent blocking element is normally held in tension when the air bag cushion is inflated; and
an actuation mechanism selectively activatable based upon measurements from one or more sensors measuring conditions of the occupant to release the vent blocking element from the releasable anchor structure when increased venting capacity is desired, and wherein the vent blocking element is adapted to at least partially open said at least one vent opening when the vent blocking element is released from the releasable anchor structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15)
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10. An air bag safety system for cushioning restraint of a vehicle occupant during an impact event, the safety system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag cushion having at least one vent opening;
an inflator activatable to discharge inflation gas upon the occurrence of predetermined vehicle conditions;
a displaceable vent blocking element comprising an elongate nozzle of collapsible construction supported at a surface of the air bag cushion in surrounding relation to said at least one vent opening;
an elongate tethering element operatively connected between the nozzle and a releasable anchor structure such that the nozzle is normally held in tension when the air bag cushion is inflated so as to at least partially obstruct the passage of inflation gas through the nozzle to said at least one vent opening; and
an actuation mechanism selectively activatable based upon measurements from one or more sensors measuring conditions of the occupant to release the tethering element so as to relieve tension across the nozzle and open the nozzle for passage of gas out of the air bag cushion. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 16)
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Specification