OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM

• US 3,794,347 A
• Filed: 05/18/1972
• Issued: 02/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John F. Zens
• Original Assignee: John F. Zens
• Inventors: Zens, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siemens, Terrance L.
• Application Number:
  US05/254,698
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 137/525.1
• US Class Current: 280/740
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components

Abstract

An occupant restraint system includes an inflator which communicates with a manifold. The manifold communicates with one open end of a generally elongated hollow cylindrical diffuser. The diffuser extends between the end plates of a reaction plate assembly and the other closed end of the diffuser is secured to one of the end plates. The diffuser includes two axially extending diametrically opposite flats and two radially spaced rows of slots, one row being in one flat and being divided into spaced groups, and the other row being between the flats. A torso cushion surrounds the diffuser and is fed from the other row of slots. A knee cushion fits within the torso cushion and has slits which are indexed in a predetermined position transversley of respective groups of slots. A planar seal covers the one row of slots and has spaced pairs of slits. The number of pairs is equal to the number of groups of slots. The seal is indexed to the diffuser, but regardless of which side of the seal covers the one row, at least one of the slits of each pair traverses a respective group of diffuser slots and is aligned with a respective cushion slit. An elongated retainer plate within the knee cushion includes louvered openings equal in number to the groups of slots. Fixed studs extending from the plate, one to each side of each such opening, extend through respective aligned openings in the cushion, seal, and diffuser to index the cushion and seal slits to each other and to the groups of respective slots of the diffuser. The studs are threaded to tapped posts which extend through openings in the other flat of the diffuser and engage the inside of the one flat to prevent deformation of the diffuser when the studs are secured to the posts. The openings in the diffuser are irregularly spaced to ensure that the bracket can be installed only one way and that the louvers of the bracket are correctly positioned with respect to the cushion slits. The posts in the diffuser act as baffles and create turbulence in the flow of pressure fluid through the diffuser.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, an annular diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a plurality of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, flexible sealing means seating on the diffuser and including a slit therein extending transversely of the slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material having a wall portion thereof seating on the sealing means and including a slit extending transversely of the slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through the sealing means slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slit, and means extending generally diametrically through the diffuser and interconnecting the bracket means and the diffuser through the cushion and sealing means.

2. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, an annular diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a plurality of axially spaced groups of partial circumferentially extending slots, each providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, flexible sealing means seating on the diffuser and including a plurality of slits therein, each extending transversely of a respective group of slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material including a plurality of slits in the wall thereof, each respective to one of the sealing means slits and extending transversely of a respective group of slots, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slits, and means extending generally diametrically through the diffuser and interconnecting the bracket means and the diffuser and extending through the cushion and sealing means at the ends of the slits.

3. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, an annular hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, baffle means extending transversely through the diffuser to each side of the group of slots, flexible sealing means seating on the diffuser and including a slit therein extending transversely of the slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material having a wall portioN thereof seating on the sealing means and including a slit extending transversely of the slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through the sealing means slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slit, and means interconnecting the bracket means and the baffle means through the cushion and sealing means.

4. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a hollow generally cylindrical diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, a post extending diametrically of the diffuser to each side of the group, flexible sealing means seating on the diffuser and including a slit therein extending transversely of the slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material having a wall portion thereof seating on the sealing means and including a slit extending transversely of the slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through the sealing means slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slit, and means interconnecting the bracket means and the posts through the cushion and sealing means, and clamping the cushion and sealing means to the diffuser.

5. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a generally cylindrical hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including axially extending generally diametrically opposite flats and a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots in one flat providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, a flexible seal seating on the one flat over the slots and including a slit therein extending transversely of the slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material having a wall portion thereof seating on the seal and including a slit extending transversely of the slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through the seal slit, means interconnecting the flats and blocking movement of the flats toward each other, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slit, and means securing the bracket means to the interconnecting means through the cushion and seal.

6. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a generally cylindrical hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, a flexible seal seating on the exterior of the diffuser over the slots and including a slit therein extending transversely of the slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material having a portion thereof seating on the seal and including a slit extending transversely of the slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through the seal slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the cushion includes the slit, securing means extending generally diametrically through the diffuser and terminating adjacent the inner surface thereof to each side of the group of the slots, and means attaching the bracket means to the securing means through the cushion, seal and diffuser.

7. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a generally cylindrical hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including axially spaced rows of openings, each row being aligned with the other row generally diametrically of the diffuser, a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots between each successive pair of openings of one row and providing pressure fluid outlets from the diffuser, a seal covering the groups of slots and including slits therein, each extending transversely of a group of slots, an occupant restraint cushion having a portIon thereof seating on the seal and including slits therein, each extending transversely of a group of slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through a respective seal slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the cushion including the slits, and means extending through the aligned openings of each row and securing the bracket means to the diffuser through the cushion and seal.

8. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a generally cylindrical hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including axially spaced rows of openings, each row being aligned with the other row extending generally diametrically of the diffuser, a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots between each successive pair of openings of one row providing pressure fluid outlets from the diffuser, a seal covering the groups of slots and including slits therein, each extending transversely of a group of slots, an occupant restraint cushion having a portion thereof seating on the seal and including slits therein, each extending transversely of a group of slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through a respective seal slit, bracket means enclosing the portion of the cushion including the slits, a headed securing member respective to each pair of aligned openings, the members having the heads thereof seating on the diffuser and extending through the openings of the other row adjacent the openings of one row, and means securing the bracket means to the securing members through the cushion, seal, and one row of openings.

9. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, a generally cylindrical hollow diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including axially extending generally diametrically opposite flats, each provided with a row of spaced openings, the openings being arranged in aligned pairs, a group of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots between each spaced pair of openings in one flat and providing pressure fluid outlets from the diffuser, a seal seating on the one flat over the groups of slots and including a plurality of groups of slits, each slit therein extending transversely of a group of slots, an occupant restraint cushion having a portion thereof seating on the seal and including a plurality of slits therein, each slit extending transversely of a group of slots and receiving pressure fluid therefrom through a respective seal slit, a plurality of securing members, each respective to an aligned pair of slots and including a head seating on the diffuser and a body extending through a respective opening of the other row to adjacent a respective opening of the one row and including a threaded bore aligned with the latter opening, and threaded members extending through the bracket means, cushion, seal, and openings of the one row into the threaded bores of the securing members to attach the bracket means, cushion and seal to the diffuser, the bodies of the securing members engaging the inner surface of the diffuser adjacent the one row of openings to block collapse of the diffuser upon threaded attachment of the securing members and threaded members.

10. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, an annular diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a plurality of axially spaced groups of partial circumferentially extending slots, each providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, flexible sealing means seating on the diffuser over each group of slots and including a plurality of slits therein, each extending transversely of a respective group of slots, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material including a plurality of slits in the wall thereof, each respective to one of the sealing means slits and extending transversely of a respective group of slots, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slits, securing means mounted on the diffuser to each side of each group and being axially irregularly spaced with respect to each other, and means interconnecting the bracket means and the securing means through the cushion and sealing means, the irregular spacing of the securing means allowing only one position of the bracket means with respect to the diffuser.

11. An occupant restraint system comprising, in combination, a source of pressure fluid, an annular diffuser communicable with the source for receipt of pressure fluid therefrom and including a plurality of axially spaced partial circumferentially extending slots providing a pressure fluid outlet from the diffuser, a flexible planar seal positionable on the diffuser with either side thereof covering the slots and including a pair of slits, at least one extending transversely of the slots regardless of the seated position of the seal, an occupant restraint cushion of flexible material including a slit in the wall thereof extending transversely of the slots, bracket means enclosing the portion of the wall of the cushion including the slits, and means interconnecting the bracket means and the diffuser and extending through the cushion and seal to each axial side of the respective slits.