PROTECTIVE DEVICE

• US 3,747,952 A
• Filed: 09/17/1971
• Issued: 07/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert H. Graebe
• Original Assignee: Robert H. Graebe
• Inventors: Graebe, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/181,438
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 222/5 9/316-324 5/348 244/121
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26058 using a combination of inflators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/045 associated with the instrument panel or dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1624 Destructible or deformable element controlled

Abstract

A protective device for occupants of vehicles includes a manifold disposed in front of passengers and connected with a source of high pressure gas. The manifold has closely spaced ports facing the passengers and may be covered with a padding material having outwardly opening pockets at the ports. The pockets contain flexible tube elements which are connected to the ports and are normally deflated and compacted into the pockets. When the vehicle experiences a collision, the high pressure gas is generated or released and inflates the tube elements, causing them to expand from the pockets and form a protective cushion in front of the passengers. This cushion has little or no fabric or surface tension forces and when used with proper valves or tube element shapes can provide controlled retarding force.

Claims

1. A protective device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of ports facing generally in the same direction;

independent flexible tube elements connected with the ports and normally disposed in a deflated and compact condition;

housing means formed from a padding material which extends across and substantially covers the manifold, the housing means having pockets in which the tube elements are disposed when deflated, cover devices normally closing the ends of the pockets to protect and obscure the tube elements contained therein;

a source of high pressure gas connected to the manifold; and

means for initiating the flow of gas into the manifold and tube elements to inflate the tube elements so that they expand and project outwardly from the pockets to form a protective cushion, the ends of the pockets being shaped to guide the direction the tube elements will take when inflated.

2. A protective device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of ports projecting therefrom and facing generally in the same direction;

independent flexible tube elements connected with the ports and normally disposed in a deflated and compact condition, the tube elements having their inner ends fitted over and embracing the ports;

housing means formed from a padding material which extends across and substantially covers the manifold, the housing means having pockets into which the ports of the manifold project and in which the tube elements are disposed when deflated;

cover devices normally closing the ends of the pockets to protect and obscure the tube elements contained therein;

a source of high pressure gas connected to the manifold; and

means for initiating the flow of gas into the manifold and tube elements to inflate the tube elements so that they expand and project outwardly from the pockets to form a protective cushion.

3. A protective device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of ports facing generally in the same direction;

independent flexible tube elements connected with the ports and normally disposed in a deflated and compact condition;

closed vessels adjacent said ports and having ends presented towards the manifold, the vessels containing compressed gas;

pins for puncturing the ends to allow the compressed gas to flow from the vessels;

explosive charges for driving the pins into the vessels;

deflecting surfaces disposed between the vessel ends and the manifold for deflecting some of the gas released from the vessels into the flexible tube elements attached to the ports, the deflecting surfaces being apertured so that some of the gas flows into the manifold, whereby the tube elements will inflate and expand away from the manifold when the vessels are punctured so as to form a protective cushion.

4. A device for protecting the occupants in the passenger compartment of a vehicle during a collision, said device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of closely spaced ports facing the passenger compartment, the ports being in communication with one another through the interior of the manifold;

a source of high pressure gas connected with the manifold;

means for causing the source of high pressure gas to discharge the gas Into the manifold so that the gas will flow through the ports; and

inflatable tube elements formed from a flexible material with each tube element being substantially longer than it is wide and with the width being substantially less than the width of an occupant, each tube element further being closed at one end and having an opening at its other end, the open ends of the tube elements being connected to the manifold at the ports thereof with each port opening into a different tube element, whereby the interiors of all the tube elements are in communication through the manifold, the tube elements being stored in a deflated and compact condition remote from the occupants and being inflated to an expanded condition in which at least some of them engage the occupants when the high pressure gas is discharged into the manifold, the ports of the manifold being positioned in close proximity to one another so that the adjacent tube elements will be close to one another when inflated, the positioning being such that when the tube elements are inflated the closed ends of a plurality of tube elements will engage an occupant both crosswise and lengthwise and as the occupant sinks into those tube elements other tube elements will be presented to the sides of the occupant to provide lateral confinement.

5. A protective device according to claim 4 and further characterized by a housing in front of the manifold and having pockets aligned with the ports, each pocket containing a separate tube element which is housed entirely within the pocket when in its deflated and compact condition, each pocket being oriented to direct the tube element therein into a selected portion of the passenger compartment when the tube element is inflated.

6. A protective device according to claim 5 wherein the ends of the pockets are normally closed by cover devices to obscure and protect the tube elements contained therein.

7. A protective device according to claim 5 wherein the ports project from the manifold and into the pockets;

and wherein the tube elements at their inner ends are fitted over and embrace the ports.

8. A protective device according to claim 5 wherein the housing includes a padding material presented toward the occupants and extending across and substantially covering the manifold.

9. A protective device according to claim 4 wherein the source of high pressure gas comprises a closed vessel at at least some of the ports, and means for puncturing each vessel to allow gas to flow therefrom, each vessel being in communication with the interior of the tube element attached to the port at which it is disposed and with the interior of the manifold.

10. A protective device according to claim 9 wherein the means for puncturing each vessel includes an explosive charge and a pin which is driven into the vessel by the explosive charge.

11. A protective device according to claim 4 and further characterized by means associated with the tube elements for controlling the rate at which the gas is expelled from the tube elements and discharged back into the manifold once the tube elements have been inflated.

12. A protective device according to claim 11 wherein the means for controlling the rate at which the gas is expelled from the tube elements comprises orifices at the open ends of the tube elements.

13. A protective device according to claim 12 wherein the means for controlling the rate at which the gas is expelled from the tube elements further includes check valves at the ports and oriented to permit gas to freely enter the tube elements and to restrict the discharge of gas from the tube elements.

14. A protective device according to claim 11 wherein the means for controlling the rate at which the gas is expelled from the tube elements does not substantially impede the flow of gas into the tube elements.

15. A protective device according to claim 4 wherein the tube elements are tapered.