Vehicle occupant protection apparatus having a plastic fill tube

• US 20070102912A1
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• 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: Bowers, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/268,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/740
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) includes an inflatable occupant protection device (14) and an inflation fluid source (12) that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable occupant protection device (14). The vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) also includes a conduit (34) for directing a flow of inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source (12) to the inflatable occupant protection device (14). The conduit (34) is formed from a flexible plastic material that enables the conduit (34) to be folded.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an inflatable occupant protection device;

an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable occupant protection device; and

a conduit for directing a flow of inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source into the inflatable occupant protection device, the conduit being formed from a flexible plastic material, the flexible plastic material enabling the conduit to be folded.

2. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conduit has a deflated condition and an inflated condition, the conduit, when in the deflated condition, being substantially flat and, when in the inflated condition, having a predetermined shape, the conduit expanding from the deflated condition to the inflated condition in response to receiving inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source.

3. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 2 wherein the conduit is foldable when in the deflated condition.

4. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 3 wherein the conduit, when folded, includes at least one Z-fold that includes a stack of layers of the conduit.

5. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 2 wherein the conduit includes a wall portion that defines an interior space through which inflation fluid flows, the interior space having a volume that is substantially eliminated when the conduit is in the deflated condition and that is substantially maximized when the conduit is in the inflated condition.

6. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flexible plastic material is polyvinylchloride or polyethylene.

7. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inflatable occupant protection device is a side curtain that is inflatable for covering side structure of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an inflatable occupant protection device;

an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable occupant protection device; and

a conduit for directing a flow of inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source into the inflatable occupant protection device, the conduit being formed from a flexible plastic material and having a deflated condition in which the conduit is substantially flat and an inflated condition in which the conduit has a predetermined shape, the conduit expanding from the deflated condition to the inflated condition in response to receiving inflation fluid from the inflation fluid source.

9. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 8 wherein the conduit is foldable when in the deflated condition.

10. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 9 wherein the conduit, when folded, includes at least one Z-fold that includes a stack of layers of the conduit.

11. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 8 wherein the conduit includes a wall portion that defines an interior space through which inflation fluid flows, the interior space having a volume that is substantially eliminated when the conduit is in the deflated condition and that is substantially maximized when the conduit is in the inflated condition.

12. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 8 wherein the flexible plastic material is polyvinylchloride or polyethylene.

13. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus of claim 8 wherein the inflatable occupant protection device is a side curtain that is inflatable for covering side structure of the vehicle.