Steering Wheel Mounted Aspirated Airbag System
First Claim
1. An aspirator for an airbag deploying into a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising:
- a housing comprising an innermost and an outermost wall, said housing defining an inlet at a proximal end and an outlet at a distal end leading to the airbag and a plurality of coaxial flow passages between said innermost and outermost walls into which air from a passenger compartment flows to inflate the airbag; and
an aspiration system for directing gas into said flow passages to mix with the air from the passenger compartment in said flow passages, said aspiration system including openings on an inner side of said outermost wall and on an outer side of said innermost wall.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Aspirator for an airbag deploying into a vehicle passenger compartment in order to protect a driver of the vehicle during an accident, includes a housing having an innermost and an outermost wall and defining an outlet at a distal end leading to an airbag and coaxial flow passages between the innermost and outermost walls into which air from a passenger compartment flows to inflate the airbag. An aspiration system is coupled to the housing and configured to direct gas into the flow passages to mix with the air from the passenger compartment in the flow passages. The aspiration system includes openings on an inner side of the outermost wall and on an outer side of the innermost wall. These openings are configured such that the gas is directed therefrom into the flow passages in a direction substantially parallel to a flow direction of air into the flow passages.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An aspirator for an airbag deploying into a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising:
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a housing comprising an innermost and an outermost wall, said housing defining an inlet at a proximal end and an outlet at a distal end leading to the airbag and a plurality of coaxial flow passages between said innermost and outermost walls into which air from a passenger compartment flows to inflate the airbag; and an aspiration system for directing gas into said flow passages to mix with the air from the passenger compartment in said flow passages, said aspiration system including openings on an inner side of said outermost wall and on an outer side of said innermost wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An aspirator for an airbag deploying into a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising:
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a housing comprising an innermost wall, an outermost wall, and at least one interior wall arranged between and spaced apart from said innermost and outermost walls, said housing defining an inlet at a proximal end, an outlet at a distal end leading to an airbag and a plurality of annular flow passages between said innermost and outermost walls into which air from a passenger compartment flows to inflate the airbag; and an aspiration system for directing gas into said flow passages to mix with the air from the passenger compartment in said flow passages, said aspiration system including openings on an inner side of said outermost wall, on an outer side of said innermost wall, and on both sides of each of said at least one interior wall. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An aspirator for an airbag deploying into a vehicle passenger compartment, comprising:
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a housing comprising an innermost and an outermost wall, said housing defining an inlet at a proximal end, an outlet at a distal end leading to an airbag and at least one flow passage between said innermost and outermost walls into which air from a passenger compartment flows to inflate the airbag; and an aspiration system for directing gas into said at least one flow passage to mix with the air from the passenger compartment in said at least one flow passage, said aspiration system including a first annular distributor arranged rearward of said innermost wall, a second annular distributor arranged rearward of said outermost wall, openings extending from said first annular distributor on an outer side of said inner wall and openings extending from said second annular distributor on an inner side of said outermost wall. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification