PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VEHICULAR PASSENGERS INCORPORATING SILENCING APPARATUS

• US 3,799,575 A
• Filed: 02/29/1972
• Issued: 03/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hubert Arthur Jr. Wright, Ulrich Kurze
• Original Assignee: Hubert Arthur Jr. Wright, Ulrich Kurze
• Inventors: Kurze, Ulrich, Wright, Hubert Arthur Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/230,394
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 181/35 138/41,42
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/055 Silencing means for blasting operations

Abstract

This disclosure deals with improved pressurized fluid-expandable bag-like protective devices for vehicular passengers, incorporating novel critically positioned screen devices and the like for silencing the noise otherwise produced by the fluid expanding through manifold jet opening(s) within the bag, while restructuring the fluid flow so as to more uniformly inflate the bag and in some instances, simultaneously shielding the bag(s) from the heat generated during such expansion and catching particles carried in the fluid.

Claims

1. A protective apparatus for a vehicular passenger and the like having, in combination, expandable bag means having a collapsed inoperative state and an expanded operative state for receiving and cushioning the passenger against impact;

pressurized fluid storage means;

manifold conduit means provided with jet opening means having a plurality of jet openings and disposed and enclosed within said bag;

means for releasing the fluid within the storage means and discharging the same along the manifold conduit means, thereupon successively to exit at high source velocities as jet streams at successive positions of the jet opening means; and

fluid-resistive screen means of effective area greater than that of the jet openings and located sufficiently close to said jet openings to substantially prevent strong turbulent mixing of said jet streams with the medium within the bag means, said screen means being disposed to envelope said jet opening means in the region of said jet streams and having sufficient impedance to flow from the jet opening means as effectively to restructure the flow, but not so resistive to flow as to substantially increase the time of released-fluid controlled expansion of the bag means, and without itself introducing large scale mixing;

said screen means serving simultaneously to lessen snap and whip noise of expansion of the bag means by more uniform and more radial flow.

2. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which the fluid resistive screen means is of effective area from substantially fifty to one hundred times the effective area of the jet opening means.

3. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which said jet openings comprise jet ports disposed longitudinally along said manifold conduit means.

4. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which said jet openings comprise elongated longitudinal slots.

5. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which the screen means comprises first and second screens respectively disposed closer and more remote from the jet opening means, with the first screen means enveloping the jet opening means and the second screen means enveloping the first screen means.

6. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which said screen means is adjusted to lower flow velocities exiting therefrom to subsonic so as to lessen screen-radiated noise.

7. A protective apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and in which said screen means further serves to catch respirable and larger solid particles within the fluid, as well as effecting heat-shielding.