VARIABLE PRESSURE AIR BAG RESTRAINT DEVICE

• US 3,614,127 A
• Filed: 10/20/1969
• Issued: 10/19/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patrick M. Glance
• Original Assignee: Patrick M. Glance
• Inventors: Glance, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hersh, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pekar, John A.
• Application Number:
  US04/867,476
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 52/2 244/137 193/25B
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence

Abstract

A variable pressure air bag restraint device adapted to be positioned in a motor vehicle passenger compartment forward of a passenger to be restrained. Remote from the passenger, the interior of the bag is connected to a source of pressurized gas capable of inflating the bag. With the bag in the inflated condition, separating walls divide the bag interior into a plurality of compartments that extend progressively between the gas source and the passenger. The compartments are interconnected by orifices in the walls. The size of each one of these orifices varies inversely with the distance between each orifice and the gas source.

Claims

1. An air bag restraint device adapted for use in a motor vehicle to restrain movement of a vehicle passenger, said restraint device including:

a flexible bag positioned within the vehicle in a normally deflated condition spaced from said vehicle passenger;

a pressurizing means interconnected with the interior of said bag at a gas input location positioned on a rear side of said restraint bag away from said vehicle passenger, said pressurizing means for forcing pressurized gas into said bag to urge said bag from said deflated condition to an inflated condition wherein a forward side of said bag is engaged by said vehicle passenger for restraint purposes;

a plurality of internal walls within said bag extending across said bag in planes generally parallel with said forward side of said bag when in its inflated condition, said internal walls dividing said bag into a plurality of chambers which are spaced in a sequence one in front of the next from said pressurizing means input location to said restrain passenger engaged by said bag; and

gas flow control means in each of said plurality of internal walls for controlling the rate of inflation of each of said chambers so that during inflation the pressurizing of each chamber is progressive with the chamber closest to said pressurizing means input location being the first to be fully pressurized and with the chamber closest to said restrained passenger being the last to be fully pressurized the said chambers between said two chambers being fully pressurized in sequence.

2. The air bag restraint device of claim 1 wherein:

said gas flow control means comprises a plurality of orifices formed in said internal walls, one orifice being formed in each of said internal walls.

3. The air bag restraint device of claim 2 wherein:

the size of each of said orifices decreases with the distance of each of said orifices from said input location of said pressurizing means when said bag is in an inflated condition.