SAFETY DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 3,819,204 A
• Filed: 06/30/1972
• Issued: 06/25/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akira Kimitsuka, Takashi Oka, Tatsuhiro Arima
• Original Assignee: Akira Kimitsuka, Takashi Oka, Tatsuhiro Arima
• Inventors: Oka, Takashi, Kimitsuka, Akira, Arima, Tatsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siemens, Terrance L.
• Application Number:
  US05/268,209
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 180/90
• US Class Current: 280/732
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/045 associated with the instrument panel or dashboard
• 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

A safety device for use in a motor vehicle for protecting a vehicle occupant from injury during a collision of the motor vehicle, which safety device comprises an instrument panel forming a part of the motor vehicle and deformable to absorb the energy of the vehicle occupant when the vehicle occupant impacts against the instrument panel during the collision of the motor vehicle, and an inflatable protector bag located on the instrument panel and expansible to its protective position to provide a restraint to limit forward movement of the head of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. In a safety device for use in a motor vehicle for protecting a vehicle occupant from injury during a collision of the motor vehicle, the combination comprising a deformable instrument panel forming a part of said motor vehicle, said instrument panel including a plurality of deformable pleated side walls and extending toward the chest portion of said vehicle occupant sitting on a seat of said motor vehicle, a padding means secured to an end portion of said instrument panel adjacent the occupant and, in conjunction with said deformable instrument panel, absorbing impact forces of said vehicle occupant thereby to prevent injury to said vehicle occupant, and an inflatable protector bag located on said instrument panel and inflatable to its protective position above said panel and providing a restraint to limit forward movement of the head of said vehicle occupant.