EXPANDABLE SECTION FOR INFLATABLE CURTAINS
First Claim
1. An inflatable curtain for protecting the occupants of a vehicle during a collision, comprising:
- a first inflation chamber;
a second inflation chamber; and
an expandable section disposed between the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber, wherein deployment of the inflatable curtain causes the expandable section to expand horizontally.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable curtain for protecting the occupants of a vehicle during a collision is provided. The inflatable curtain may include an inflatable portion. The inflatable portion may include a plurality of inflation chambers. The inflatable curtain may also include a non-inflatable portion. The non-inflatable portion may include one or more expandable sections disposed between adjacent inflation chambers. Deployment of the inflatable curtain typically causes the inflation chambers to contract in a horizontal direction. Deployment of the inflatable curtain also causes each of the expandable sections to expand horizontally, compensating for the contraction that occurs in the inflation chambers.
33 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An inflatable curtain for protecting the occupants of a vehicle during a collision, comprising:
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a first inflation chamber;
a second inflation chamber; and
an expandable section disposed between the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber, wherein deployment of the inflatable curtain causes the expandable section to expand horizontally. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An inflatable curtain for protecting the occupants of a vehicle during a collision, comprising:
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an inflatable portion comprising a first inflation chamber and a second inflation chamber, the second inflation chamber being separated from the first inflation chamber by a separation length; and
a non-inflatable portion comprising an expandable section disposed between the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber, wherein deployment of the inflatable curtain causes the expandable section to expand horizontally and the separation length to increase. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An inflatable curtain for protecting the occupants of a vehicle during a collision, comprising:
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an inflatable portion comprising;
a first inflation chamber comprising a first plurality of inflatable cells, the first inflation chamber having a first span length;
a second inflation chamber comprising a second plurality of inflatable cells, the second inflation chamber having a second span length, the second inflation chamber being separated from the first inflation chamber by a separation length; and
an inflation inlet for communication with an inflator; and
a non-inflatable portion comprising an expandable section disposed between the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber, wherein deployment of the inflatable curtain causes the first and second inflation chambers to contract horizontally so that the first and second span lengths decrease, and wherein deployment of the inflatable curtain also causes the expandable section to expand horizontally so that the separation length increases, so that the total length of the inflatable curtain remains substantially unchanged during deployment. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification