VEHICLE SAFETY APPARATUS

• US 3,624,810 A
• Filed: 02/25/1969
• Issued: 11/30/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: David P. Hass
• Inventors: Hass, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US04/801,986
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 60/26.1 296/84,65 244/1
• US Class Current: 280/738
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21525 the lid being fixed on the bag, or forming part of the bag wall, or the bag itself being used as wall liner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/045 associated with the instrument panel or dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/30 with means to draw ambient air into the flow line and mix such air with the inflation fluid

Abstract

An improved safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident includes a confinement which is operable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which it restrains movement of the occupants. The confinement is expanded by detonation of an explosive charge which propels a member outwardly to effect the expansion.

Claims

1. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising expansible means expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said expansible means is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during an accident, and means for expanding said expansible means from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition, said means including an explosive and a casing defining a bore in which said explosive charge is located and means propelled by detonation of said explosive charge including a member which is slidably received in said bore, said member being adapted to be propelled out of said bore by pressure generated upon detonation of said explosive charge for expanding said expansible means.

2. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising expansible means expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said expansible means is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during an accident, and means for expanding said expansible means from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition, said means including an explosive charge, means propelled by detonation of said explosive charge for expanding said expansible means, and means for enabling air to flow into said expansible means from a compartment of the vehicle in which the occupant is located during expansion of said expansible means.

3. A safety device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said expansible means is made of a self-supporting material for absorbing a substantial part of the energy of impact of the occupant thereagainst due to deformation thereof.

4. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising expansible means expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said expansible means is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during an accident, and means for expanding said expansible means from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition, said means including an explosive charge, means propelled by detonation of said explosive charge for expanding said expansible means, and means for enabling air to flow into said expansible means during expansion of said expansible means.

5. A safety device as set forth in claim 4 wherein detonation of said explosive means results in the generation of a volume of gas which effects the propulsion of said means propelled thereby.

6. A safety device as set forth in claim 4 further including check valve means for blocking a flow of air from said expansible means.

7. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said safety device comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle during an accident, and means for ballistically operating said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition and for contemporaneously therewith enabling a relatively large volume of air to be drawn into said confinement.

8. A safety device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means ballistically operating said confinement includes an explosive charge and means operatively connected to one portion of said confinement and adapted to be propelled by detonation of said explosive charge to move said one portion of said confinement relative to another portion of said confinement to thereby expand said confinement.

9. A safety device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for ballistically operating said confinement includes an explosive charge, a casing for holding said explosive charge, and means operable in response to detonation of said explosive charge to expand said confinement including piston means for cooperating with said casing to define a chamber in which said explosive charge is located, said piston means being operatively connected to one portion of said confinement and adapted to move said one portion of said confinement relative to another portion of said confinement under the influence pressure created by detonation of said explosive charge.

10. A safety device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said confinement is made at least in part of a nonelastic, form retaining material.

11. A safety device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for ballistically operating said confinement includes an explosive charge and means for expanding said confinement under the influence of pressure created by detonation of said explosive charge, said explosive charge being capable of generating a volume of gas which is substantially less than the relatively large volume of air drawn into said confinement upon detonation of said explosive charge to thereby enable air to be drawn into the confinement as it is expanded.

12. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle during an accident, first and second cooperating parts at least partially defining a chamber, said first part being connected to said confinement, an explosive charge located within said chamber, and means for detonating said explosive charge to move said first part relative to said second part to thereby effect expansion of said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition.

13. A safety device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first part includes piston means slidably mounted in a bore defined by said seconD part, said piston means being propelled out of said bore by pressure generated upon detonation of said explosive charge to thereby effect the expansion of said confinement.

14. A safety device as set forth in claim 12 wherein detonation of said explosive charge generates a volume of gas which is a minor portion of the volume of said confinement in said expanded condition, said safety device further including means for enabling a volume of air which is a major portion of the volume of said confinement to flow into said confinement from a compartment of the vehicle in which the occupant is located contemporaneously with expansion of said confinement to said expanded condition to thereby maintain substantially constant the fluid pressure in the compartment of the vehicle.

15. A safety device as set forth in claim 14 wherein said confinement is made of a self-supporting means having sufficient structural strength to hold said confinement in the expanded condition.

16. A safety device as set forth in claim 15 wherein said confinement and explosive charge are mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

17. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising expansible means expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said expansible means is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during an accident, and means for expanding said expansible means from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition, said means including an explosive charge, means propelled by detonation of said explosive charge for expanding said expansible means, and wherein said expansible means and said explosive means are mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

18. A safety device adapted to restrain movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising;

an expansible member, movable from an unactuated position adjacent a portion of the vehicle to an actuated position adjacent an occupant position, means for applying a momentary impulse force to said member for accelerating said member from the unactuated position toward the actuated position, and means for allowing said member to continue moving solely by its own inertia to the actuated expanded position.

19. A safety device as set forth in claim 18 further including means resisting movement of said member from the actuated toward the unactuated position, whereby said member will apply a restraining force against movement of said occupant.

20. A safety device as set forth in claim 18 wherein said means for applying an impulse comprises an explosive charge positioned adjacent said member and means for detonating said explosive charge in response to the vehicle encountering a collision condition.

21. A safety device for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising;

a confinement having a collapsed condition whereat said confinement is adjacent a part of the vehicle and an expanded condition whereat said confinement extends to adjacent an occupant position, and means for applying a momentary impulse force to a portion of said confinement for accelerating said portion from the position adjacent the part of the vehicle toward the occupant position, and means for allowing said portion to continue moving solely by its own inertia toward the occupant position, thereby expanding said confinement to said expanded condition.

22. A safety device as set forth in claim 21 further including means for resisting movement of said portion from the expanded condition toward the collapsed condition, whereby said portion will apply a restraining force against movement of said occupant.

23. A safety device as set forth in claim 21 wherein said means for applying an impulse force comprises an explosive Charge positioned adjacent said portion and means for denoting said explosive charge in response to the vehicle encountering a collision condition.

24. A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an accident, said safety device comprising expansible means expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said expansible means is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during an accident, said expansible means including means for allowing air to be drawn into said expansible means from the atmosphere during expansion thereof, and means for expanding said expansible means from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition, said means including an explosive charge and means propelled by detonation of said explosive charge for expanding said expansible means by moving a portion thereof toward the expanded position.

25. A safety device for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising;

a confinement having a collapsed condition whereat said confinement is adjacent a part of the vehicle and an expanded condition whereat said confinement extends to adjacent an occupant position, and means for applying an impulse to a portion of said confinement for accelerating said portion from the position adjacent the part of the vehicle toward the occupant position, and means for allowing said portion to continue moving by inertia toward the occupant position, thereby expanding said confinement to said expanded condition, said last stated means comprising valve means mounted as to control a fluid flow path between the atmosphere outside said confinement and the atmosphere within said confinement and openable in response to a differential in fluid pressure between said atmospheres to allow fluid to be drawn from the atmosphere outside said confinement into said confinement as said portion moves toward the expanded position.