Inflatable curtain
First Claim
1. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:
- an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including an upper edge, an opposite,lower edge, and inflatable front and rear portions spaced away from each other and extending between said upper and lower edges, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device further comprising an inflatable main portion positioned between said front and rear portions and extending between said upper and lower edges; and
an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;
said main portion being rolled up into a rolled condition extending along an intersection of the side structure and the vehicle roof, said front portion being folded into a folded condition extending along an A pillar of the vehicle, and said rear portion being folded into a folded condition extending along a C pillar of the vehicle when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is in said stored condition.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed position between a side structure (16) of the vehicle (12) and a vehicle occupant. The protection device (14) includes an upper edge (50), an opposite lower edge (52), and inflatable front and rear portions (64 and 66) and an inflatable main portion (62) positioned between the front and rear portions. The main portion (62) is rolled up into a rolled condition extending along the intersection of the side structure (16) and the roof (18) when in the stored condition. The front portion (64) is folded into a folded condition extending along the A pillar (22) when in the stored condition. The rear portion (66) is folded into a folded condition extending along the C pillar (26) when in the stored condition.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including an upper edge, an opposite,lower edge, and inflatable front and rear portions spaced away from each other and extending between said upper and lower edges, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device further comprising an inflatable main portion positioned between said front and rear portions and extending between said upper and lower edges; and
an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;
said main portion being rolled up into a rolled condition extending along an intersection of the side structure and the vehicle roof, said front portion being folded into a folded condition extending along an A pillar of the vehicle, and said rear portion being folded into a folded condition extending along a C pillar of the vehicle when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is in said stored condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a main portion including an upper edge, a front portion including forward edge, and a rear portion including rear edge; and
an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;
said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a stored condition wherein said main portion is rolled up leaving said upper edge exposed and connectable to the vehicle along an intersection of the side structure and the vehicle roof, said front portion is folded up along fold lines extending generally parallel to said forward edge leaving said forward edge exposed and connectable along the A pillar, and said rear portion is folded up along fold lines extending generally parallel to said rear edge leaving said rear edge exposed and connectable along the C pillar.
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13. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable from a non-inflated condition to an inflated condition between a side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including a front portion having a forward edge connectable along an A pillar of the vehicle and a rear portion having a rear edge connectable along a C pillar of the vehicle; and
an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;
said forward edge being extendable forward of the A pillar at an acute angle relative to the A pillar when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is in said non-inflated condition, said forward edge diverging from,the A pillar with increasing distance along said forward edge away from the vehicle roof;
said rear edge being extendable rearward of the C pillar at an acute angle relative to the C pillar when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is in said non-inflated condition, said rear edge diverging from the C pillar with increasing distance along said rear edge away from the vehicle roof. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle including a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable from a non-inflated condition to an inflated condition between a side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including an upper edge positioned along an intersection of the side structure and the vehicle roof and an opposite lower edge, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device further including a front portion having a forward edge connectable along an A pillar of the vehicle and a rear portion having a rear edge connectable along a C pillar of the vehicle; and
an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;
slack existing in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device between said forward edge and said rear edge when in said non-inflated condition, the amount of slack between said forward edge and said rear edge increasing with increasing distance along said forward edge and said rear edge away from a roof of the vehicle;
said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including at least one inflatable chamber having a length extending in a generally vertical direction from near the upper edge to near the lower edge of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said chamber having a tapered width with a narrowed width near said upper edge, the width of said chamber increasing with increasing distance from said upper edge;
said chamber being adapted to contract when inflated in a direction generally along the width of said chamber, the degree of contraction increasing as the width of said chamber increases, the tapered width of said chamber being predetermined so as to take up the increasing slack between said forward edge and said rear edge and tension said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device when inflated.
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16. A method for placing an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device in a stored condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including an upper edge, an opposite lower edge, and inflatable front and rear portions spaced away from each other and extending between said upper and lower edges, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device further comprising an inflatable main portion positioned between said front and rear portions and extending between said upper and lower edges;
rolling up said main portion into a stored condition extendable along an intersection of a side structure of a vehicle and a vehicle roof;
folding said front portion into a stored condition extendable along an A pillar of the vehicle; and
folding said rear portion into a stored condition extendable along a C pillar of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for placing an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device in a stored condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a main portion including an upper edge, a front portion including forward edge, and a rear portion including rear edge, said upper edge being connectable to a vehicle along an intersection of a side structure of the vehicle and a roof of the vehicle;
rolling up said main portion, leaving said upper edge exposed and connectable along the intersection of the side structure and the vehicle roof;
folding said front portion along fold lines extending generally parallel to said forward edge, leaving said forward edge exposed and connectable along the A pillar; and
folding said rear portion along fold lines extending generally parallel to said rear edge, leaving said rear edge exposed and connectable along the C pillar.
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Specification