Airbag system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle protection system comprising:
- an exterior airbag system for the outside of a vehicle and housed about the exterior of said vehicle, said airbag system comprising at least one first airbag, and at least one second airbag;
an inflator system for inflation of said at least one first airbag and said at least one second airbag, said inflation system comprising at least one inflator operably communicating with said at least one first airbag and said at least one second airbag; and
a sensor system for sensing impending or actual collision data, said sensor system comprising at least one sensor and at least one central computer processing unit for receipt and processing of said data, and then selective activation of said inflator system, wherein upon activation of said inflator system, said at least one first airbag is inflated, and then said at least one second airbag is sequentially inflated after said at least one first airbag based on measurement of system operating conditions and receipt of the same by said central computer processing unit, and then selective activation of said at least one second airbag.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle protection system 7 contains an airbag system 8 employing a plurality of sets of airbags 118a-118c external to the vehicle 9. Each set 118a-118c contains one or more airbags 118 wherein the plurality of sets 118a-118c are sequentially operated based on initial collision data, and then based on operating parameters such as pressure differentials over time.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A vehicle protection system comprising:
-
an exterior airbag system for the outside of a vehicle and housed about the exterior of said vehicle, said airbag system comprising at least one first airbag, and at least one second airbag;
an inflator system for inflation of said at least one first airbag and said at least one second airbag, said inflation system comprising at least one inflator operably communicating with said at least one first airbag and said at least one second airbag; and
a sensor system for sensing impending or actual collision data, said sensor system comprising at least one sensor and at least one central computer processing unit for receipt and processing of said data, and then selective activation of said inflator system, wherein upon activation of said inflator system, said at least one first airbag is inflated, and then said at least one second airbag is sequentially inflated after said at least one first airbag based on measurement of system operating conditions and receipt of the same by said central computer processing unit, and then selective activation of said at least one second airbag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of mitigating the damage to a vehicle in the event of a collision, the method comprising:
-
providing at least one first airbag along the exterior of the vehicle, the at least one first airbag deployable at a first time; and
providing at least one second airbag along the exterior of the vehicle, the at least one second airbag deployable at a second time after the first time, the airbags deployable upon indication of an impending or actual collision, and the at least one second airbag deployable upon measurement of an operating parameter of the at least one first airbag. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
Specification