Inflatable lap belt safety bag

• US 20040178614A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Keeslar, Kevin, Countryman, Kevin, Lazaroff, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/389,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

An inflatable lap belt safety bag comprising: a first fabric piece comprising two sides thereof and two ends thereof, wherein the two ends thereof are secured to the lap belt in the vicinity of an inflation source, wherein the first fabric piece is constructed to define a top, bottom, front and rear panels of the safety bag; a pair of side fabric pieces attached to opposite sides of the first fabric piece to define a pair of opposite side panels of the safety bag; and wherein each of the side fabric pieces comprises a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion, and wherein the intermediate portion has a smaller width than the first and second portions.

Claims

1. An inflatable lap belt safety bag comprising a first inflatable end, an intermediate section and a second inflatable end, wherein the intermediate section has a reduced cross section relative to the first and second inflatable ends to limit inflation of the second inflatable end until after inflation of the first inflatable end.

2. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 1, further comprising an internal webbing in the intermediate section.

3. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 1, wherein inflation of the second inflatable end is supplemented by air pushed from the first inflatable end into the second inflatable end by a user colliding with the first inflatable end.

4. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 1 wherein the bag is connected to an air source.

5. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 4 wherein the bag is connected to an air source via a hose.

6. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 4 wherein the air source is coupled to a deceleration event sensor system.

7. An inflatable lap belt safety bag comprising:

a first fabric piece comprising two sides thereof and two ends thereof, wherein the two ends thereof are secured to the lap belt in the vicinity of an inflation source, wherein the first fabric piece is constructed to define a top, bottom, front and rear of the safety bag;

a pair of side fabric pieces attached to opposite sides of the first fabric piece to define a pair of opposite side panels of the safety bag; and

wherein each of the side fabric pieces comprises a first portion, a second portion and an intermediate portion, and wherein the intermediate portion has a smaller width than the first and second portions.

8. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 7, further comprising an internal webbing connecting the front and rear of the safety bag between the intermediate portions.

9. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 7, further comprising an internal webbing connecting the opposite side panels in the area of the top of the safety bag.

10. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 7 wherein the bag is connected to an air source.

11. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 10 wherein the bag is connected to air source via a hose.

12. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 7 wherein the air source is coupled to a deceleration event sensor system.

13. An inflatable lap belt safety bag having a rear side, a front side, a top and a bottom comprising:

a B-shaped air chamber defined by a first inflatable portion adjacent the bottom, an intermediate section, and a second inflatable portion adjacent the top;

wherein the rear side of the safety bag is substantially flat upon inflation and the front side of the safety bag comprises an indentation at the intermediate section such that the intermediate section has a reduced width as compared to the first inflatable portion and the second inflatable portion.

14. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 13 wherein the bag further comprises:

a first fabric piece comprising two sides thereof and two ends thereof, wherein the two ends thereof are secured to the lap belt in the vicinity of an inflation source; and

a pair of side fabric pieces attached to opposite sides of the first fabric piece to define a pair of opposite side panels of the safety bag.

15. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 13, further comprising an internal webbing connecting the front side and rear side of the safety bag in the intermediate section.

16. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 14, further comprising an internal webbing connecting the opposite side panels in the area of the top of the safety bag.

17. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 13 wherein the bag is connected to an air source.

18. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 17 wherein the bag is connected to air source via a hose.

19. The inflatable lap belt safety bag of claim 17 wherein the air source is coupled to a deceleration event sensor system.