INJURY PREVENTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLES

• US 3,764,160 A
• Filed: 10/26/1970
• Issued: 10/09/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernst Fiala
• Original Assignee: Ernst Fiala
• Inventors: Fiala, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US05/084,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15B,15AB 296/84K 267/153,145 180/103
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21518 comprising a lock unlocked during deployment
• 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 2021/26023 for filling the bag with foam
• 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

Abstract

An injury prevention device for vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks and the like, comprises a container, an inflatable pad including inflatable padding material maintained in a normally compressed condition inside the container under constant high pressure and actuating means being tripped responsive to the motion of the vehicle and rapidly inflating the pad to prevent a person from contacting hard surfaces within the vehicle.

Claims

1. An injury prevention device for vehicles comprising a container on the vehicle, said container having a cover, a substantially unitary body of expansible foam formed as a cushion of foam material maintained in a compressed condition inside said container under a constant high gas pressure, and actuation means being tripped responsive to the speed of said vehicle to open said cover to thereby release said compressed cushion of foam material allowing the latter to rapidly expand to its natural state while still in the form of a substantially unitary body to prevent a person from contacting hard surfaces within the vehicle.

2. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in claim 1, wherein the container comprises two shells, one of which includes said cover, hinged together on one side and held together on the other side by a said actuation means.

3. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in claim 2, wherein one of said two shells moves towards said persOn when said actuating means is tripped.

4. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in claim 2, wherein said actuation means comprises a metal conductor connected to a respective one of said two shells, an insulating layer connected between said two shells connecting said two shells together, and an electrically conducting shearing pin connected through said layer and between said metal conductors, a source of power and a switch connected between said source of power and one of said metal conductors, said switch being normally open being closed responsive to the speed of said vehicle, said pin being heating when said switch is closed causing said layer to break allowing said shells to separate.

5. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 1, wherein one shell of said two shells of the container is connected to the other by a groove and fastening, said groove and fastening allowing said two shells to separate responsive to the speed of said vehicle and enabling said padding material to inflate.

6. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 1, wherein a portion of said vehicle is formed as said container.

7. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 1, wherein said cushion of foam material comprises a volume of self-contained foam plastic, said foam plastic extending to the outer surface of said cushion to contact said person upon expansion thereof.

8. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the surface of said cushion of foam is impermeable to gas.

9. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the surface of said cushion of foam coming into contact with the person includes open pores.

10. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in Claim 9, wherein enclosed pores and a gas-tight layer are beneath said open-pored surface.

11. An injury prevention device for vehicles as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cushion of foam is provided with closed pores near the top surface and open pores in the interior of the pad.

12. An injury prevention device for vehicles comprising a container, an inflatable pad including inflatable padding material maintained in a normally compressed condition inside said container under a constant high pressure, and actuation means being tripped responsive to the speed of said vehicle and rapidly inflating said pad to prevent a person from contacting hard surfaces within the vehicle, wherein said actuation means comprising a lever, an articulated lever connected to said lever, and a weighted block connected to said articulated lever, and being moved responsive to the speed of said vehicle to move said articulated lever and said lever causing said two shells to separate.