Front and side impact air bag arrangements
First Claim
1. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having an instrument panel and a side structure, said apparatus comprising:
- a frontal air bag;
a first inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said frontal air bag;
a side air bag; and
a second inflator separate from said first inflator and actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said side air bag;
said frontal air bag being inflatable rearwardly in the vehicle from a stored position to a deployed position between the instrument panel and the vehicle occupant, said side air bag being inflatable rearwardly in the vehicle from a stored position in the instrument panel to a deployed position between the side structure and the vehicle occupant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (10) helps protect an occupant (20, 24) of a vehicle (12) that has an instrument panel (70) and a side structure (82, 122). The apparatus (10) includes a frontal air bag (30, 100) inflatable from a stored position rearward in the vehicle (12) to a deployed position between the instrument panel (70) and the vehicle occupant (20, 24). The apparatus (10) also includes a side air bag (60, 130) inflatable from a stored position in the instrument panel (70) to a deployed position between the side structure (82, 122) and the vehicle occupant (20, 24). A first inflator (34) is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the frontal air bag (30, 100). A second inflator (104) is separate from the first inflator (34) and is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the side air bag (60, 130).
18 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having an instrument panel and a side structure, said apparatus comprising:
-
a frontal air bag;
a first inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said frontal air bag;
a side air bag; and
a second inflator separate from said first inflator and actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said side air bag;
said frontal air bag being inflatable rearwardly in the vehicle from a stored position to a deployed position between the instrument panel and the vehicle occupant, said side air bag being inflatable rearwardly in the vehicle from a stored position in the instrument panel to a deployed position between the side structure and the vehicle occupant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
-
a frontal air bag module comprising a first housing, a frontal air bag having a stored position in said first housing, and a first inflator for inflating said frontal air bag from the stored position to a deployed position between an instrument panel of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant, said frontal air bag module being installed in one of the instrument panel and a steering wheel of the vehicle; and
a side air bag module comprising a second housing, a side air bag having a stored position in said second housing, and a second inflator for inflating said side air bag from the stored position to a deployed position between the side structure and the vehicle occupant, said side air bag module being installed in the instrument panel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a driver side, a passenger side, a side structure on the driver side, a side structure on the passenger side, and an instrument panel extending across the vehicle from the driver side to the passenger side, said apparatus comprising:
-
a driver frontal air bag module comprising a driver frontal air bag and a first inflator for inflating said driver frontal air bag between the instrument panel a driver side vehicle occupant, said driver frontal air bag module being installed in one of the instrument panel and a steering wheel of the vehicle;
a driver side air bag module comprising a driver side air bag and a second inflator for inflating said driver side air bag between the side structure on the driver side and the driver side vehicle occupant, said driver side air bag module being installed in the instrument panel;
a passenger frontal air bag module comprising a passenger frontal air bag and a third inflator for inflating said passenger frontal air bag between the instrument panel and a passenger side vehicle occupant, said passenger frontal air bag module being installed in the instrument panel of the vehicle;
a passenger side air bag module comprising a passenger side air bag and a fourth inflator for inflating said passenger side air bag between the side structure on the passenger side and the passenger side vehicle occupant, said passenger side air bag module being installed in the instrument panel; and
means for selectively actuating one or more of said first, second, third, and fourth inflators in response to sensing the occurrence of an event for which inflation of an air bag is desired. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
Specification