Inflator-connector for inflatable vehicle safety belts
First Claim
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1. A combination vehicle safety harness assembly and inflatorconnector comprising:
- a. inflatable lap and shoulder belts having one end of both belts interconnected and terminating in a rigid unitary tubular coupling member constructed as a single rigid hollow unit having an inlet opening for the passage of gas, and an outlet connected to the interconnecting seat belts;
b. a rigid cooperating connecting member anchored to the vehicle, having conduit means therethrough, and adapted to accept the tubular coupling member in substantially gas-tight engagement, with the outlet of the conduit means in substantial alignment with the inlet opening of the coupling member, to permit the passage of gas from the connecting member to the coupling member when in engagement therewith;
c. a source of gas in communication with the inlet of the conduit;
d. said tubular coupling member being sized to slip within a portion of the outlet of said rigid connecting member, and having on its tubular structure a point of enlargement for locking engagement with cooperating biased latches in the anchored connecting member, whereby said coupling member may be pressed and locked into communication with said connecting member, and thereby with the source of gas;
e. disengaging means for manual disengagement of the tubular coupling member;
f. sensing means responsive to preselected Conditions to initiate the flow of gas through the engaged connecting member and coupling member to simultaneously inflate the interconnecting inflatable belts; and
g. said coupling member having connected thereto a rigid structure spanning the belt in its folded condition while leaving sufficient clearance for passage of gas through said belt, said rigid structure having a graspable handle attached thereto to aid a user in guiding the coupling member for engagement with the anchored connecting member.
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Abstract
In a vehicle safety system employing inflatable seat belts, the combination of a manifold-connector for readily engaging the seat belts to a source of pressurized gas.
25 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A combination vehicle safety harness assembly and inflatorconnector comprising:
- a. inflatable lap and shoulder belts having one end of both belts interconnected and terminating in a rigid unitary tubular coupling member constructed as a single rigid hollow unit having an inlet opening for the passage of gas, and an outlet connected to the interconnecting seat belts;
b. a rigid cooperating connecting member anchored to the vehicle, having conduit means therethrough, and adapted to accept the tubular coupling member in substantially gas-tight engagement, with the outlet of the conduit means in substantial alignment with the inlet opening of the coupling member, to permit the passage of gas from the connecting member to the coupling member when in engagement therewith;
c. a source of gas in communication with the inlet of the conduit;
d. said tubular coupling member being sized to slip within a portion of the outlet of said rigid connecting member, and having on its tubular structure a point of enlargement for locking engagement with cooperating biased latches in the anchored connecting member, whereby said coupling member may be pressed and locked into communication with said connecting member, and thereby with the source of gas;
e. disengaging means for manual disengagement of the tubular coupling member;
f. sensing means responsive to preselected Conditions to initiate the flow of gas through the engaged connecting member and coupling member to simultaneously inflate the interconnecting inflatable belts; and
g. said coupling member having connected thereto a rigid structure spanning the belt in its folded condition while leaving sufficient clearance for passage of gas through said belt, said rigid structure having a graspable handle attached thereto to aid a user in guiding the coupling member for engagement with the anchored connecting member.
- a. inflatable lap and shoulder belts having one end of both belts interconnected and terminating in a rigid unitary tubular coupling member constructed as a single rigid hollow unit having an inlet opening for the passage of gas, and an outlet connected to the interconnecting seat belts;
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2. The combination vehicle safety harness assembly of claim 1 wherein the ends of at least one of the two belts not terminating in the coupler member, terminate in a seat belt retractor which locks the belt in response to a high rate of change of acceleration, either of the vehicle, the safety belt, or both.
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3. The combination vehicle safety harness assembly of claim 1 wherein the source of pressurized gas is integrated with the rigid cooperating connecting member.
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4. The combination vehicle safety harness assembly of claim 1 wherein the two interconnecting safety belts comprise two legs of a single continuous inflatable belt, the point of division being the point of connection of the tubular coupling member with belt.
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5. The inflator-connector of claim 1 having biasing means for urging the tubular coupling member toward disengagement when it is pressed into engagement and latched into position, whereby when the coupling member is unlatched by manual action, the coupling member attached to the safety belts is at least partially ejected from its fully engaged position.
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6. An inflator connector device for securing an inflatable safety seat belt assembly about an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:
- a rigid connecting member in communication with a source of pressurized gas, said connecting member being anchored to the vehicle and including a rigid tubular manifold having at least one opening in its sidewall; and
a tubular coupling member constructed as a single rigid hollow sleeve sized to slip over the manifold to form a substantially gas tight engagement therewith and having at least one opening in its side-wall to communicate with said opening in said sidewall of said manifold, said coupling member being sealed into the inflatable seat belt so as to position said opening in its sidewall within said belt to provide fixed communication between said coupling member and said belt, whereby when said coupling member is slipped onto said manifold, pressurized gas admitted to said manifold from said connecting member is discharged through said opening in said coupling member and passes simultaneously into a lap and shoulder section of said inflatable safety seat belt.
- a rigid connecting member in communication with a source of pressurized gas, said connecting member being anchored to the vehicle and including a rigid tubular manifold having at least one opening in its sidewall; and
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7. The combination vehicle safety harness and inflator-connector of claim 6 wherein the tubular coupling member is in substantially permanent engagement with the rigid cooperating connecting member, and said connecting member comprises a detachable first section containing the manifold, and a second section including the source of gas, said second section being anchored to the vehicle, and means for locking the first section with the second section, thereby anchoring the complete inflator-connector to the vehicle and coupling the sections of the inflator-connector to permit the flow of gas from the source to the inflatable belt to which the coupling member is attached.
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8. The inflator-connector device of claim 6 wherein latching means engage the tubular coupling member when said tubular coupling member is pressed into engagement with the connecting member for engagement therewith, and wherein disengaging means are provided for ready manual disengagement of the tubular coupling member.
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9. The inflator-connector device of claim 8 wherein the connecting member includes an arm pivotally arranged for latching to a fixed position on said connecting member, to thereby prevent the coupling member when engaged on the connecting member'"'"''"'"'s manifold from being removed.
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10. The inflator-connector device of claim 9 wherein the pivotally arranged arm is biased into the open, unlatched position.
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11. The inflator-connector of claim 8 having biasing means for urging the tubular coupling member toward disengagement when it is pressed into engagement and latched into position, whereby when the coupling member is unlatched by manual action, the coupling member attached to the safety belt is at least partially ejected from its fully engaged position.
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12. The inflator-connector device of claim 6 wherein the manifold and the coupling member each have a plurality of openings which are in communication when the coupling member is engaged with the manifold.
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13. The inflator-connector device of claim 6 wherein the manifold is tapered, having minimum diameter at its distal end and the tubular coupling member is correspondingly tapered to form a substantially gas tight seal when slipped over the manifold for engagement therewith.
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14. The inflator-connector of claim 6 wherein the tubular coupling member in fixed communication with the inflatable seat belt expands into a sparger within the belt, comprising a perforate cross member oriented substantially crosswise with respect to the belt.
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15. The inflator-connector of claim 6 wherein the tubular coupling member is in fixed communication with the seat belt in the area of the mid-point of said coupling member, at which point it is perforate to function as a gas sparger whereupon and the two ends become dual inlets to the belt, thereby bringing about communication between the source of gas and the inflatable belt.
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16. The inflator-connector of claim 15 wherein a rigid structure is attached to the dual coupling member, spanning the belt in its folded condition while leaving sufficient clearance for the passage of gas, said structure constituting or having attached thereto a graspable handle to aid a user in guiding the dual coupler into engagement with its corresponding anchored connector.
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17. The inflator-connector device of claim 6 wherein the tubular coupling member has an outwardly flared opening as an aid in the insertion of the manifold, said hollow sleeve being adapted to be sealed into an inflatable seat belt to form a chord in the cross section of the inflated seat belt, and having an opening in the sidewall between the point where it enters and leaves the belt, whereby gas entering the belt from the opening will serve to inflate the belt.
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18. The inflator-connector device of claim 17 wherein the hollow sleeve enters and leaves the belt by being sealed to pliant flanged nipples, sealed into corresponding openings in the belt.
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19. The inflator-connector device of claim 17 wherein the opening in the sidewall of the coupling member comprises a multiplicity of openings in communication with openings in the sidewall of the manifold.
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20. The inflator-connector of claim 17 wherein the hollow sleeve is sealed into the walls of the inflatable belt by virtue of having at least one pliant flange molded directly on the sleeve for sealed attachment about an opening in the sidewall of said belt.
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21. A tubular coupling member integrated with a distributor for transmitting and distributing gas, comprising a tubular coupler for engagement with the manifold of a connecting member over which it may be slipped in a substantially gas tight relationship, said coupler having adjacent conduits arranged circularly within its wall, and with said conduits in communication with similar conduits spaced in a longitudinal arrangement within the body of two lengths of belting which form a junction with the tubular coupler in a longitudinal line with respect to the coupler;
- said coupler having portions of the conduits opened inwardly to form channels in the inner surface, whereby gas delivered to the coupler by means of a manifold with which it is engaged enters the channels and their respective conduits for transmission to sections of inflatable belt attached thereto.
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22. The Tubular coupler-distributor of claim 21 fabricated from a length of belting having a polymeric chemical composition and continuous adjacent parallel conduits throughout its length, said belting having openings extending from the surface into the conduits within the area formed into the tubular coupler, whereby gas released within the coupler from a close fitting manifold is simultaneously distributed to the extending sections of belt.
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23. The tubular coupler-distributor of claim 22 having an open ended metal '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'C'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' tube as a housing over the cylindrical portion of the coupler and with the two lengths of belting extending through the longitudinal opening in the C tube, to thus strengthen and maintain the shape of the tubular coupler.
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24. The tubular coupler-distributor of claim 22 wherein the belting is strengthened by reinforcement with longitudinally embedded cord.
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25. The tubular coupler-distributor of claim 22 wherein the belting is strengthened with fabric.
Specification