VEHICLE SAFETY ASSEMBLY HAVING INFLATABLE CONFINEMENT

• US 3,602,526 A
• Filed: 11/12/1968
• Issued: 08/31/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Darrell S. Brawn
• Inventors: Brawn, Darrell S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US04/774,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 244/31 9/11 141/286 98/128 222/3 239/504
• US Class Current: 280/740
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A safety assembly for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprises an inflatable confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, a diffuser member, and a fluid reservoir, the confinement being inflated by the flow of fluid from the reservoir through the diffuser member into the confinement. The length of the diffuser member is relatively smaller than the length of the confinement, and the diffuser member is provided with louvered slots for distributing and preferentially directing the flow of fluid therefrom so as to increase the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'effective'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' length of the diffuser member and to reduce the frontal velocity of the confinement as it expands.

Claims

1. Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, said confinement when in the operative condition being effective to restrain movement of an occupant of the vehicle during an accident, a fluid supply for expanding said confinement, means operable to provide for flow of fluid from said supply, a member located in the path of flow of fluid from said supply, said member having a plurality of spaced-apart openings in a portion thereof and through which fluid flows, said openings being arranged to discharge the fluid directly into the interior of said confinement, and louver means associated with said openings and extending at an acute angle to said portion and operable to direct the flow therethrough, said member being of a generally cylindrical configuration and said openings being spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof, said louver means comprising separate baffles associated with each opening in said member and which have a portion which is coextensive with said opening and which direct the flow at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said member, and said separate baffles extending into the interior of said member.

2. Safety apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said member has a main body portion and said baffles comprise integral portions of said member which are bent out of the plane of the main body of the member to provide said openings therein.

3. Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, said confinement when in said operative condition being effective to restrain movement of an occupant of the vehicle during an accident, a fluid supply for expanding said confinement, means operable to provide for flow of fluid from said supply, a member having a longitudinal axis and located in the path of fluid flow from said supply, said member having a plurality of openings spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof with said openings being arranged to discharge the fluid directly into the interior of said confinement, and means associated with said openings for directing the flow of fluid from said openings at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said member, said last-recited means comprising louver means associated with at least certain of the openings for directing the flow at said acute angle, said louver means comprising separate baffles associated with each opening in said member and each of which has a portion which is coextensive with the associated opening, and said member is generally cylindrical and said separate baffles extend into the interior of said member and direct the flow at an acute angle to the axis of the member.

4. Safety apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said member has a main body portion and said baffles comprise integral portions of said member which are bent out of the plane of the main body of the member in order to define said openings.

5. Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, said confinement when in said operative condition being effective to restrain movement of an occupant of the vehicle during an accident, a fluid supply for expanding said confinement, means operable to provide for flow of fluid from said supply, a member having a longitudinal axis and located in the path of fluid flow from sad supply, said member having a plurality of openings spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof with said openings being arranged to discharge the fluid directly into the interior of said confinement, and means associated with said openings for directing the flow of fluid from said openings at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said member, and the width of said confinement when inflated is substantially greater than the length of that portion of said member in which said openings are formed.

6. In a safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle and which apparatus comprises a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, the confinement when in the operative condition being effective to restrain movement of an occupant of the vehicle during an accident, a fluid supply for expanding said confinement, means operable to provide for flow of fluid from said supply, and a member located in the path of flow of fluid from said supply and which member has a plurality of spaced-apart openings in a portion thereof and through which fluid flows, with said openings being arranged to discharge the fluid directly into the interior of said confinement, and the width of the confinement when inflated being substantially greater than the length of that portion of the member in which the openings are formed, the improvement comprising louver means associated with a plurality of the openings in the member and extending at an acute angle to said portion and operable to direct the flow therethrough.