One piece cushion for personal airbag
First Claim
1. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
- a first inflatable chamber;
a second inflatable chamber;
a third inflatable chamber, the first, second and third inflatable chambers being in fluid communication with each other; and
at least one tether attaching an outside portion of one of the inflatable chambers to an outside portion of a different inflatable chamber such that if the airbag cushion is inflated, the first, second, and third inflatable chambers form a generally triangular shape.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an airbag cushion that is lighter-weight, smaller, and more compact than the previously known airbag systems, yet still capable of providing a vehicle occupant with ample impact protection during a crash. Generally, the airbag comprises a one-piece woven cushion with two or more inflatable chambers. These chambers have a generally flat two-dimensional shape in its uninflated and unfolded configuration. However, once gas is added, the airbag cushion rapidly inflates and converts into a three-dimensional shape capable of providing impact protection to the occupant. Preferably, the three-dimensional configuration of the inflated airbag is generally triangular, V-shaped, or polygonal in shape. One of the inflatable chambers functions as an inflatable impact chamber configured such that when an inflation gas in infused into the airbag cushion during a vehicle crash, the inflatable impact chamber inflates and presents a surface to receive the impact of the body of a vehicle occupant. One of the other inflatable chambers is configured to comprise an inflatable support column that is in fluid communication with the inflatable impact chamber. The inflatable support column is constructed such that if inflatable impact chamber begins to compress or deflate under the stress of a crash, the inflatable support column provides a compression-resisting force to the inflatable impact chamber. Additional inflatable support columns may also be added.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
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a first inflatable chamber;
a second inflatable chamber;
a third inflatable chamber, the first, second and third inflatable chambers being in fluid communication with each other; and
at least one tether attaching an outside portion of one of the inflatable chambers to an outside portion of a different inflatable chamber such that if the airbag cushion is inflated, the first, second, and third inflatable chambers form a generally triangular shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
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a first inflatable chamber;
a second inflatable chamber;
a third inflatable chamber, the first, second and third inflatable chambers being in fluid communication with each other, the airbag cushion constructed such that when inflated, the first chamber intersects the second chamber to form a first angle, the second and third inflatable chambers intersect to form a second angle, and the first and third inflatable chambers intersect to form a third angle; and
at least one tether attaching an outside portion of one of the inflatable chambers to an outside portion of a different inflatable chamber such that if the airbag cushion is inflated, the first, second, and third inflatable chambers form a generally triangular shape, wherein one of the inflatable chambers functions as an inflatable impact chamber that is capable of receiving the impact of a vehicle occupant during a crash and one of the remaining inflatable chambers functions as one or more inflatable support columns capable of providing compression resistance to the inflatable impact chamber. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
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an inflatable impact chamber that is capable of receiving the impact of a vehicle occupant during a crash;
an inflatable support column capable of providing compression resistance to the inflatable impact chamber;
a second inflatable support column capable of providing compression resistance to the inflatable impact chamber; and
at least one tether attached to the airbag cushion such that if the airbag cushion is inflated, the inflatable impact chamber, the inflatable support column, and the second inflatable support column form a generally triangular shape. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
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a first inflatable chamber;
a second inflatable chamber, the first and second chambers being in fluid communication with each other;
at least one tether attaching an outside portion of the first inflatable chamber to an outside portion of the second inflatable chamber such that when the airbag cushion is inflated, the first chamber intersects the second chamber to form a first angle, such that the first chamber and the second chamber are not coplanar. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
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a first inflatable chamber;
a second inflatable chamber;
one or more additional inflatable chambers, the inflatable chambers being in fluid communication with each other;
at least one tether attaching an outside portion of one of the inflatable chambers to an outside portion of a different inflatable chamber such that if the airbag cushion is inflated first inflatable chamber to an outside portion of a second inflatable chamber such that if the airbag cushion is inflated, the inflatable chambers form a generally polygonal shape. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67)
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Specification