VEHICLE SAFETY APPARATUS

• US 3,618,974 A
• Filed: 04/07/1969
• Issued: 11/09/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Richard Chute
• Inventors: Chute, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US04/814,031
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 180/82,103
• US Class Current: 280/741
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

A safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident includes a confinement having a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. Located within the confinement is a liquid reservoir having a gas-producing liquid stored under low pressure therein. An explosive charge is situated within the liquid reservoir and is ignited or detonated upon the occurrence of an accident to burst the reservoir and disperse or impel the gas-producing liquid in a particalized form into the confinement. The particalized liquid quickly vaporizes nd effects expansion of the confinement so as to protect the occupant of the vehicle from injury during the accident.

Claims

1. Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision comprising an expandable confinement having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, and means for expanding said confinement from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition upon the occurrence of a collision to restrain the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a burstable liquid reservoir disposed within said confinement and containing a gas-producing liquid therein and means for bursting said reservoir and projecting said liquid in a particalized form into the interior of said confinement including an explosive means located within said reservoir and operable to burst said reservoir upon detonation thereof, said explosive means further being effective to heat said liquid upon particalization thereof to thereby effect rapid vaporization of said particalized form of said liquid, whereby bursting of said reservoir will effect immediate liquid communication between the interior of said reservoir and the interior of said confinement to effect rapid inflation thereof.

2. Safety apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said explosive means is positioned in said liquid reservoir at its centroid.

3. Safety apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas-producing liquid is stored at a relatively low pressure in said liquid reservoir.

4. Safety apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said gas-producing liquid is Freon.

5. Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident comprising an expandable confinement having an expanded condition and a collapsed condition, and means for expanding said confinement from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition upon the occurrence of an accident to restrain the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a burstable liquid reservoir containing a gas-producing liquid therein disposed within the interior of said confinement and means for bursting said reservoir to effect immediate liquid communication between the interior of said confinement and said gas-generating liquid in the interior of said reservoir and projecting said liquid in a particalized form through the interior of said confinement to thereby promote vaporization of the liquid and rapid expansion of the confinement from the collapsed condition to the expanded condition.

6. In a safety apparatus for inflating an inflatable confinement having an operative expanded condition and an inoperative collapsed condition, and a liquid reservoir containing a supply of gas-producing liquid Therein, the combination with said liquid reservoir of means for effecting a transfer of the liquid from the reservoir in a particalized liquid droplet form to the interior of said confinement to thereby promote a rapid vaporization of the liquid and expansion of said confinement, said last-stated means including explosive means disposed approximate the centroid of the liquid reservoir prior to activation, said explosive means being activatable to particalize the liquid and supply heat thereto to effect the rapid vaporization of said liquid, and wherein the liquid reservoir is burstable upon activation of said explosive means.