Air bag with tether-integrated electric switch

• US 20060157959A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: van Poppel, Jean A.
• Application Number:
  US11/036,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157959A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01218 control of expansion speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01504 detecting bag displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16) and an inflation fluid source (18). The apparatus includes a mechanism (52) for reducing the speed and force of inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16). The apparatus (10) also includes a tether (94) associated with the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16) and an electrical device (88) associated with the tether. The electrical device (88) is actuated in response to movement of the tether (94) to a predetermined position. Vehicle electric circuitry (80) provides a signal to actuate the mechanism (52) if the electrical device (88) is not actuated by the tether (94) by a predetermined time after actuation of the inflation fluid source (18).

Claims

1. Vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect a vehicle occupant;

an actuatable source of inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a mechanism for reducing the speed and force of inflation of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a tether associated with said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device; and

vehicle electric circuitry including an electrical device associated with said tether, said electrical device being actuated in response to movement of said tether to a predetermined position, said vehicle electric circuitry providing a signal to actuate said mechanism if said electrical device is not actuated by the tether by a predetermined time after actuation of said source of inflation fluid.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electrical device is a switch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the source of inflation fluid is a dual stage inflator having two separately actuatable sources of inflation fluid, and wherein said mechanism prevents one of said sources of inflation fluid from actuating to prevent inflation fluid flow from one of the sources to said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of tethers are associated with said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and a plurality of switches are associated with said plurality of tethers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said vehicle electrical circuitry provides a plurality of signals to actuate said mechanism if said plurality of switches are not actuated by the associated tethers by associated predetermined times after actuation of said source of inflation fluid.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said mechanism is a variable vent with a cover and an energizable member operative to move said cover between a closed condition and an open condition.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said energizable member is operative to move said cover to a plurality of conditions between said open condition and said closed condition.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said energizable member operates in response to said signals provided by said vehicle electric circuitry to move between said conditions to vent inflation fluid from said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said mechanism is a plurality of separate vents, each vent corresponding to a different one of said plurality of switches and each vent being separately actuatable by said signal provided by said vehicle electric circuitry to vent inflation fluid from said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device if its corresponding switch is not actuated by a predetermined time after actuation of said source of inflation fluid.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of tethers have different lengths and wherein a first end of each tether is connected to a respective switch and a second end of each tether is connected to said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and, after its respective switch is actuated, said second end of each tether separates from said inflatable occupant protection device.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said vehicle electric circuitry further includes a controller responsive to said signal provided by said vehicle electric circuitry for controlling said actuatable source of inflation fluid and said mechanism.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein none of said plurality of switches is actuated by respective predetermined times if a position of the occupant of the vehicle blocks inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.

13. Vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect a vehicle occupant;

a mechanism for reducing the speed and force of inflation of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a tether associated with said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, slack being present in said tether when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is in said deflated condition, said slack being taken up when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflates; and

vehicle electric circuitry including an electric switch associated with said tether, said electric switch having a closed condition and an open condition, said electric switch being actuated from one of said conditions to the other of said conditions in response to said slack being taken up and said vehicle electric circuitry providing a signal to actuate said mechanism in response to actuation of said electric switch.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said electric switch is not actuated from one of said conditions to the other of said conditions if the occupant of the vehicle is positioned to limit inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device so that slack remains in the tether.

15. Vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having an inflated condition and a deflated condition;

a tether associated with said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

an electric switch associated with said tether and actuated in response to movement of said tether to a predetermined position; and

a mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

said switch, when actuated, controlling said mechanism.