Air bag module with vent
First Claim
1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
- a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) comprises a seat belt system (50) having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition, and a sensor (56) for determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system. An inflatable occupant protection device (12) has a deflated condition and an inflated condition. An inflator (32) is actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device (12). The protection apparatus (10) includes an electrically energizable mechanism (44) for venting inflation fluid from the protection apparatus (10). Electric circuitry (40) is responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system (50) and the inflated condition of the inflatable device (12), for actuating the electrically energizable mechanism (44) to vent inflation fluid.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid;
a crash sensor operative to provide an output signal having a value that is indicative of vehicle deceleration over time; and
vehicle electric circuitry responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid;
said vehicle electric circuitry being operative to calculate or predict occupant movement toward said inflatable device on the basis of the output signal of said crash sensor and to compare calculated or predicted occupant movement with sensed occupant position in determining actuation of said electrically energizable mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device with an inflated condition and a deflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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inflating the protection device;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining the inflated condition of the protection device; and
venting inflation fluid in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system and a determination of the inflated condition of the protection device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device with an inflated condition and a deflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining occupant position in the vehicle relative to the inflatable device when the inflatable device is in the deflated condition;
sensing vehicle deceleration over time and providing an output signal having a value that is indicative of vehicle deceleration over time;
inflating the protection device in response to sensing vehicle deceleration in excess of a threshold value;
calculating occupant movement toward the protection device in response to vehicle deceleration, on the basis of the output signal;
predicting a time of engagement of the occupant with the inflated protection device by comparing calculated occupant movement with determined occupant position;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining the inflated condition of the protection device; and
venting inflation fluid at the predicted time of engagement in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system and a determination of an inflated condition of the protection device.
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27. A method as set forth in claim 27 wherein said calculating step includes double integrating the output signal.
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28. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device inflatable by an inflator to an inflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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actuating the inflator for inflating the protection device;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining occupant position;
predicting or calculating a time of engagement of the occupant with the inflated protection device; and
venting inflation fluid at the predicted time of engagement in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification