SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF VEHICLE AND AIRPLANE PASSENGERS

• US 3,796,441 A
• Filed: 09/28/1971
• Issued: 03/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Artur Fohl
• Original Assignee: Artur Fohl
• Inventors: Fohl, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/184,496
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 137/38,39,45 251/333,297,284 180/103,104 222/3,500
• US Class Current: 280/734
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/268 using instantaneous release of stored pressurised gas B60R21/26005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/06 Harnessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0753 Control by change of position or inertia of system

Abstract

An inflatable bag safety device for vehicle passengers in which a compressed air container is connected to the bag and has therein a valve member in the form of a piston moveable upon impact of the vehicle, as in a collision, to inflate the bag. An inertia member pivoted to the container and connected to the piston is sensitive to lateral acceleration of the vehicle for urging the piston toward open position.

Claims

1. An inflatable bag safety device for passengers of a vehicle which has a normal forward driving direction comprising:

a bag in front of the passenger position foldable when uninflated and when inflated expanding in front of the passenger position to absorb vertical energy of the passenger, a comprssed air container having a forward opening and a rearward opening closed in readiness in respect of the normal forward driving direction of the vehicle, said openings being coaxial, a master piston in said container having a cylindrical piston portion slidably sealingly engaging said forward opening, a disc piston portion on said master piston abuttingly engaging said container about the periphery of said rearward opening and on the forwardly facing side of said opening, said rearward opening being connected to said bag, and means connected to the forward end of said master piston outside said container responsive to lateral acceleration of said container for moving said master piston in the forward direction to lift said disc portion away from the region of the container engaged thereby, said means comprising a mass member pivoted to said container on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston and flexibly connected to said master piston.

2. A safety device according to claim 1 in which said mass member is annular, and pivot pins pivotally supporting said mass member on the forward end of said container on said axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston and rearwardly of the center of gravity of said mass member.

3. A safety device according to claim 1 in which said mass member is pot-shaped with the closed side toward the front, and pivot pins near the rear end of said mass member pivotally connecting said mass member to said container on said axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston.

4. A safety device according to claim 3 in which the closed side of said mass member is centrally bored, and a bolt fixed in said bore and extending rearwardly therefrom and having a head disposed in the forward end of said master piston.

5. An inflatable bag safety device for passengers of a vehicle which has a normal forward driving direction comprising:

a bag in front of the passenger position foldable when uninflated and when inflated expanding in front of the passenger position to absorb vertical energy of the passenger, a compressed air con-tainer having a forward opening and a rearward opening in respect of the normal forward driving direction of the vehicle, said openings being coaxial, a master piston in said container having a cylindrical portion slidably sealingly engaging said forward opening, and a disc portion on said master piston abuttingly engaging said container about the periphery of said rearward opening and on the forwardly facing side of said opening, said rearward opening being connected to said bag, means connected to the forward end of said master piston outside said container responsive to lateral acceleratiOn of said container for moving said master piston in the forward direction to lift said disc portion away from the region of the container engaged thereby, said means comprising a mass member pivoted to said container on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston and flexibly connected to said master piston, said mass member being pot-shaped with the closed side toward the front, and pivot pins near the rear end of said mass member pivotally connecting said mass member to said container on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston,the closed side of said mass member being centrally bored, and a bolt fixed in said bore and extending rearwardly therefrom and having a head disposed in the forward end of said master piston, said bolt being axially displaceable in said bore.

6. An inflatable bag safety device for passengers of a vehicle which has a normal forward driving direction comprising:

a bag in front of the passenger position foldable when uninflated and when inflated expanding in front of the passenger position to absorb vertical energy of the passenger, a compressed air container having a forward opening and a rearward opening in respect of the normal forward driving direction of the vehicle, said openings being coaxial, a master piston in said container having a cylindrical portion slidably sealingly engaging said forward opening, and a disc portion on said master piston abuttingly engaging said container about the periphery of said rearward opening and on the forwardly facing side of said opening, said rearward opening being connected to said bag, means connected to the forward end of said master piston outside said container responsive to lateral acceleration of said container for moving said master piston in the forward direction to lift said disc portion away from the region of the container engaged thereby, said means comprising a mass member pivoted to said container on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston and a bolt with head end flexibly connected to said master piston, said mass member being pot-shaped with the closed side toward the front, and pivot pins near the rear end of said mass member pivotally connecting said mass member to said container on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said master piston, the forward end of said master piston being provided with an axial recess for receiving the head end of said bolt, and a washer fixed in said recess through which said bolt extends.

7. A safety device according to claim 6 in which the diameter of said disc portion is greater than the diameter of said cylindrical portion.

8. A safety device according to claim 7 in which said container contains compressed air, said compressed air biasing said master piston rearwardly in said container, said compressed air in flowing past said disc portion toward said bag upon forward displacement of said master piston in said container momentarily urging said master piston in the forward direction in said container.

9. A safety device according to claim 8 in which said disc portion end of said master piston includes a projection extending into said rearward opening and smaller in diameter than said disc portion.

10. A safety device according to claim 9 in which said projection is provided with axial recesses extending from the rearward end thereof toward said disc portion.

11. A safety device according to claim 10 in which the axial portion of said extension between said recesses slidably engage said rearward opening.

12. A safety device according to claim 7 in which the mass of said master piston is so selected that upon a collision of the vehicle at a predetermined speed the unbalanced force acting on said master piston due to the compressed air in the container will be overcome and the master piston will be displaced forwardly in said container.

13. A safety device according to claim 6 in which said container contains compressed air and said masteR piston is biased rearwardly in said container by said compressed air.

14. A safety device according to claim 6 which includes latch means to latch said master piston to said container when in a forwardly displaced position therein.

15. A safety device according to claim 6 which includes means supporting said container in a vehicle with said openings aligned in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle and with the forward one of said openings toward the front of the vehicle.

16. A safety device according to claim 6 in which said master piston comprises a collar adjacent said cylindrical portion and larger in diameter than said cylindrical portion to abut the container and halt the master piston in a forwardly displaced position in said container.

17. A safety device according to claim 6 in which the mass of said master piston and the influence of said mass member on said master piston are cumulative under certain circumstances to provide for reliable forward displacement of said master piston in said container.

18. A safety device according to claim 6 in which said bolt is smaller in diameter than the hole in said washer while the head of said bolt is larger in diameter than the hole in said washer.

19. A safety device according to claim 18 in which the forward side of the head of the bolt rests on the rearward side of said washer under normal operating conditions of the vehicle.

20. A safety device according to claim 19 which includes a nut threaded on said bolt to adjust the bolt axially in said mass member.

21. A safety device according to claim 18 in which said bolt and master piston are coaxial.

22. A safety device according to claim 19 in which the rearward side of said washer is substantially coplanar with the pivot axis of said mass members.

23. A safety device according to claim 6 in which said bolt and the head thereon are free of restraint except for engagement of the head with the rearward side of said washer in all tilted positions of said mass member.

24. A safety device according to claim 6 in which the axial clearance between the forward end of said master piston and said mass member is greater than the maximum forward displacement of said master piston in said container in all tilted positions of said mass member.

25. A safety device for impact protection on a vehicle including a compressed air container;

a pneumatically inflated impact member having a fill opening; and

a control valve means operatively interconnecting said container and said fill opening;

said valve means including first and second valve portions relatively movable opposite to each other from a closed position, preventing communication of said compressed air from said container to said inflatable member, to an open position, providing said communication;

an auxiliary piston surface provided to move with said first valve portion, and a seal means, provided to move with said second valve portion, for sealing said auxiliary piston surface;

whereby initial relative movement of said first and second valve portions causes said auxiliary piston surface to move away from sealing engagement with said seal means, said initial movement taking place before said first and second valve portions arrive at said opened position and enabling compressed air to contact said auxiliary piston surface to aid in continued movement of said first and second valve portions to said opened position;

said valve means further including a master piston connected to said first valve portion and extending through said container, two mass bodies operatively connected to said master piston, said mass bodies being responsive to impact forces to move said master piston within said container along a guided path to move said first and second valve portions towards said opened position, said two mass bodies moving in two separate directions approximately normal to each other, in response to impact forces acting along those directions whereby impact in a first direction cauSes only a first one of said two mass bodies to move, and impact in a second direction causes only a second one of said two mass bodies to move, and impact in a direction between said first and second directions causes proportional movement of both said two mass bodies.

26. A device according to claim 25, in which said first one of said mass bodies is formed by said master piston included with said first valve portion and said second one of said mass bodies is jour-nalled on said compressed air container of said second valve portion.

27. A device according to claim 25, in which said second one of said mass bodies is pivotally journalled on said container about a pivot axis spaced from center of gravity thereof approximately at right angles and transverse to direction of impact pertaining thereto.

28. A device according to claim 26, in which said second one of said mass bodies is movably journalled relative to said first valve portion with which there is mechanical interconnection to effect actuation.

29. A device according to claim 28, in which there is a bolt rigidly secured to said second one of said mass bodies movably journalled relative to said first valve portion, a disc connected with said first valve portion and against which said bolt is supported, and a flange edge of said bolt located transverse to longitudinal axis of said bolt in spaced relationship from said pivot axis, the longitudinal axis of said bolt intersecting said pivot axis.

30. A device according to claim 29, in which there is a further disc provided with a guide piston forming said flange edge and passed through said bolt whereby said bolt engages under pressure against a side of the further disc of said flange edge located remote from fastening location on said second one of said mass bodies.

31. A device according to claim 30, in which there is surface engagement of said flange edge against said further disc in sealed condition of said auxiliary piston surface.

32. A device according to claim 30, in which said bolt has a longitudinal axis coinciding with the axis of said guided path in sealed condition of said auxiliary piston surface.

33. A device according to claim 29, in which a forward end of said master piston is provided with an axial recess for receiving the head end of said bolt, and a washer fixed in said recess through which said bolt extends.

34. A device according to claim 33, in which a rearward side of said washer is substantially coplanar with said pivot axis.

35. A device according to claim 33, in which said bolt is smaller in diameter than the hole in said washer while flange edge of said bolt is larger in diameter than the hole in said washer.

36. A device according to claim 28, in which said first valve portion is adjustable relative to said second one of said mass bodies and capable of being secured against direction of opening movement.

37. A device according to claim 36, in which there are threaded means whereby said bolt is adjustable in longitudinal direction thereof relative to said second one of said mass bodies.

38. A device according to claim 28, in which said second one of said mass bodies is embodied as a cup-shaped hollow body which at least partially surrounds said compressed air container providing said second valve portion.