Rollover air bag with damping mechanism

• US 20030057683A1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wipasuramonton, Pongdet P., Salmo, Shakir M., Walczak, Charles S.E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,802,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A rollover air bag system comprising: at least a first inflatable first chamber, the air bag adapted to be mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a manner such that when the air bag is inflated the first inflatable chamber is positioned to receive and protect the head of an occupant, an accumulator chamber located downstream of the first chamber, the accumulator chamber initially maintained at a negative pressure relative to the inflated first chamber, wherein in order to restrict the pressure in the first chamber from increasing upon impact with a body part of the occupant, the inflation gas in the first chamber is allowed to be pushed into the accumulator chamber.

Claims

1. An air bag system comprising:

at least a first inflatable first chamber, the air bag adapted to be mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a manner such that when the air bag is inflated the first inflatable chamber is positioned to receive and protect the head of an occupant,

an accumulator chamber located downstream of the first chamber, the accumulator chamber initially at a negative pressure relative to the inflated first chamber, wherein in order to restrict pressure in the first chamber from increasing upon impact with a body part of the occupant, the inflation gas in the first chamber is allowed to be pushed into the accumulator chamber.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the accumulator chamber is located with the air bag.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the accumulator chamber is located exterior to a main portion of the air bag.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the accumulator is made from resilient material including urethane and rubber.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the accumulator chamber includes a first orifice at the juncture of the first chamber and the accumulator chamber.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the air bag includes an inflatable second chamber and wherein the accumulator chamber includes a second orifice at the junction of the second chamber and the accumulator chamber.

7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein the ratio of the volumes of the inflatable chambers to the volume of the accumulator chamber is about 15-50/1.5.

8. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the area of the first orifices is about 127 sq. mm. to about 389 sq. mm.

9. The air bag as defined in claim 1 further including a source of inflation gas and a distribution means for delivering the inflation gas along a longitudinal portion of the air bag, and wherein the first orifice is located opposite the location of the distribution means.

10. The air bag as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to inflation the air bag is maintained in an uninflated, folded condition, and wherein the unfolding portions of the air bag create a vacuum in the vicinity of the first orifice to cause fluid in the accumulator chamber to be sucked out therefrom.

11. The air bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the unfolding portions of the airbag cooperate to form a vacuum means for creating a low pressure region at the entrance of the first orifice to cause fluid in the accumulator chamber to be sucked out therefrom.

12. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the air bag includes a first and second inflatable chamber located on opposite sides of a non-inflatable region, and wherein the accumulator chamber is located along a lower portion of the non-inflatable region.

13. The device as defined in claim 12 wherein a lower portion of the non-inflatable region and an adjacent region of the accumulator chamber are conically shaped.

14. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the first orifice is located in the air bag at a location that is one of the last portions of the air bag to be inflated.

15. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein the first chamber is folded using a plurality of folds and wherein the orifice is located in one of the last of the folds remote from a source of inflation gas.

16. The device as defined in claim 15 wherein the plurality of folds includes a plurality of accordion folds.

17. A method of inflating an air bag having at least one inflatable chamber and an accumulator chamber connected with the first chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

1) providing inflation gas to the first chamber causing same to inflate,

2) causing a vacuum to be created in the proximity of an entrance to the accumulator chamber by inflating portions of at least the first chamber.

18. A rollover air bag system comprising:

at least a first inflatable first chamber, the air bag adapted to be mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a manner such that when the air bag is inflated the first inflatable chamber is positioned to provide a resilient cushion to protect the head of an occupant,

damping means for affecting a rebound force produced by the resilient cushion and for damping the motion of the head when in contact with the first chamber.

19. The device as defined in claim 18 wherein the damping means includes an accumulator chamber having an orifice interconnecting the first chamber and the accumulator chamber.