INFLATABLE VEHICULAR SAFETY DEVICE

• US 3,689,105 A
• Filed: 06/24/1971
• Issued: 09/05/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jp,, Jp Yokohama, Jp Yokosuka, Kanagawa-Ku Nishiteras, Shunji Matsui, 3065-12, Yosikazu Hayakawa, 68-1
• Original Assignee: Jp,, Jp Yokohama, Jp Yokosuka, Kanagawa-Ku Nishiteras, Shunji Matsui, 3065-12, Yosikazu Hayakawa, 68-1
• Inventors: Shunji Matsui, 3065-12, Yokohama, JP, Yosikazu Hayakawa, 68-1, Yokosuka, JP, Nishiteras, Kanagawa-ku, Jp,
• Primary Examiner(s): Kenneth H. Betts
• Application Number:
  US05/156,356
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150AB 9/316 222/3
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

A vehicular safety device for protecting a vehicle occupant from injury during a collision of the vehicle with an obstruction, including a normally contracted, expandible confinement and a container storing a liquefied gas to be converted into pressurized gas by the firing of an igniting means as soon as the collision is encountered by the vehicle, the storing device being normally isolated from the confinement by a sealing plate which is detachable attached to the container by a holder. The holder is broken into two halves by the firing of a burstable means which is actuated simultaneously as the igniting means is fired, whereby the pressurized gas in the container is passed into the confinement for expansion at a moment when the liquified gas is expanded.

Claims

1. A vehicular safety device for protecting a vehicle occupant during a collision comprising an inflatable confinement which is normally in a contracted condition, sensing means for sensing an impact between the vehicle and an obstruction, and a device including a container of a liquefied gas and having formed therein an opening, igniting means mounted on said container and connected to said sensing means for being fired when said impact is sensed thereby, an explosive stored in said container, said igniting means having its leading end slightly embedded in said explosive, a sealing plate detachably attached to said container to seal said opening, an apertured holder secured to said container for holding said sealing plate fast on said container, said holder being provided with at least two slots which are substantially in line with each other and with a pair of holes formed adjacent said indents a pair of burstable means received respectively in said holes and connected to said sensing means for being fired when said impact is sensed thereby, and a housing mounted enclosing said holder and communicating with said confinement, said explosive being fired by the firing of said igniting means for converting said liquefied gas into pressurized fluid and said holder being broken into halves along said indents and holes for releasing said sealing plate from said container whereby said pressurized fluid is caused to rush into said confinement through said housing for actuating the confinement to its expanded condition.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said holder includes a flange through which the holder is secured to said container and an abutment which is in abutting engagement with said sealing plate.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said slots are formed in said flange, and said holes are formed in said abutment.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said slots and holes are formed in said abutment.