Vehicle safety system

• US 3,897,081 A
• Filed: 11/29/1972
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald J. Lewis
• Original Assignee: Donald J. Lewis
• Inventors: Lewis, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/310,284
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB,15SB 200/61.58B,61.6 339/147,15 297/386,390 9/316
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1812 Connections between seat belt and buckle tongue
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

A vehicle safety system comprising an inflatable safety restraint assembly for positioning about a person, a source of pressurized gas, a sensing element adapted to actuating the source of pressurized gas which in turn inflates the safety restraint, a source of electrical energy and electrical conductors connecting the components. The system is operational only when the safety restraint assembly is positioned about the person and the vehicle is subjected to abnormal conditions which tend to violently displace the person from his seat.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system comprising:

a. an inflatable seat belt assembly including a fastening device having a latched and an unlatched condition;

b. circuit means connected to said seat belt assembly;

c. circuit closing means for closing said circuit means in response to said latched condition of said fastening device;

d. a source of electrical power connected to said circuit means for supplying an electrical impulse;

e. a gas source connected to said circuit means for supplying pressurized gas through said fastening device to said inflatable seat belt assembly upon receipt of said electrical impulse; and

f. sensing means connected to said circuit means, responsive to collision of the vehicle and operating, with said circuit means closed, to transmit said electrical impulse to said gas source upon collision of said vehicle, whereby said electrical impulse can only be transmitted to said gas source when said fastening device is in said latched condition.

2. The vehicle safety system of claim 1 wherein said fastening device comprises a first element anchored to the vehicle, and a second element attached to the seat belt, and wherein the circuit closing means comprises an electric switch associated with the fastening device, said switch being in open position when the two elements are not engaged, and in closed position when the two elements are engaged.

3. The vehicle safety system of claim 2 wherein said first element comprises a seat belt buckle and said second element comprises a tongue, and wherein the switch is located in the buckle, said switch being urged into closed position when the tongue is thrust into the buckle, and maintained in the closed position by the tongue as long as it remains engaged with the buckle.

4. The vehicle safety system of claim 3 wherein the switch in the buckle is a plunger switch, the plunger of which operates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of thrust of the tongue, is depressed into its closed position by the leading edge of the tongue, is retained in its closed position by the flat surface of the tongue, and is released to the open position only on withdrawal of the tongue from the buckle.

5. The vehicle safety system of claim 2 wherein the gas source is connected to the first element of the fastening device, said first element having conduit means in communication with the source of pressurized gas, the second element of the fastening device having a conduit in communication with the inflatable seat belt, for engaging the conduit of the first element in substantially gas-tight relationship when the second element is fastened to the first element, thereby placing the source of pressurized gas in communication with the inflatable seat belt, said conduit attached to the first element being readily detachable from the conduit of the second element simultaneously with the separation of the first element and the second element of the fastening device.

6. The vehicle safety system of claim 2 wherein the gas source comprises a pressure chamber attached directly to and adjacent to the first element of the fastening means.