Air Bag with Active Vent

• US 20080018086A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ford, Brian C., Busacca, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,658,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A safety system comprising an air bag configured to have at least one inflatable volume or chamber, an inlet through which inflation gas enters the inflatable volume, the air bag including at least one exit port or vent which when in an open state permits inflation gas to exit the volume or chamber, the exit port or vent located in a selected region of the air bag, a vent closure mechanism secured to the air bag and movable to close the exit port or vent by tension created in a tether which is part of the vent closure mechanism; as the air bag inflates, the tether has one end operatively secured to the air bag, a second end operatively secured to the vent closure mechanism, the tether including a medial portion slidably guided across a portion of the air bag.

Claims

1. A safety system comprising an air bag configured to have at least one inflatable volume or chamber, an inlet through which inflation gas enters the inflatable volume, the air bag including at least one exit port or vent which when in an open state permits inflation gas to exit the volume or chamber, the exit port or vent located in a selected region of the air bag, a vent closure mechanism secured to the air bag and movable to close the exit port or vent by tension created in a tether which is part of the vent closure mechanism;

as the air bag inflates, the tether has one end operatively secured to the air bag, a second end operatively secured to the vent closure mechanism, the tether including a medial portion slidably guided across a portion of the air bag.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the vent closure mechanism moves from a first position in which the vent is open to a second position in which the vent is fully or partially closed.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the vent closure mechanism is one of a door hinged on an inside surface of the air bag and rotatable to close the vent or slidably secured to the inner surface of the air bag and slidably movable to close the vent.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the one end of the tether is fixably secured to one of an outside surface or inside surface of the air bag, the medial portion of the air bag held in close proximity to an adjacent portion of the air bag and permitted to slide relative to this adjacent portion of the air bag.

5. The system according to claim 4 including a tether opening proximate the vent and a sleeve on an outer surface of the air bag through which the tether is positioned relative to the outer surface and slidingly held thereto.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the tether is flexible.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the flexibility of the tether is substantially the same as that of the region of the air bag to which it is attached.

8. The system according to claim 2 wherein the hinge is configured to be rotatable and thereby close the vent or is laterally movable across the vent to a closed position.