Inflatable body and head restraint

• US 3,905,615 A
• Filed: 06/27/1974
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marvin Schulman
• Original Assignee: Marvin Schulman
• Inventors: Schulman, Marvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US05/483,603
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 244/122R,122B 280/15AB,15SB 297/385-390
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• 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: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint system which inflates upon impact. The restraint system includes lap and shoulder harnesses which resemble conventional restraint systems in their uninflated state. Upon impact the harnesses inflate as does an additional inflatable bladder which cushions the chest area and minimizes head rotation toward the chest.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

a central housing;

first and second shoulder strap members extending from said central housing, each said shoulder strap member having an inflatable bladder portion;

first and second lap belt members extending from said central housing, each said lap belt member having an inflatable bladder portion;

an inflatable chin guard member operatively attached to and in fluid communication with the inflatable bladder portion of one of said shoulder strap members;

gas generator means positioned within said central housing for producing pressurized gas to inflate each said inflatable bladder portion and said inflatable chin guard member upon reception of a command signal; and

impact sensor means attached to a vehicle in which said occupant is riding and operatively connected to said gas generator means for generating said command signal when said vehicle suffers a threshold impact.

2. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

a central housing;

at least one shoulder strap member extending from said housing and having a normally uninflated bladder portion;

at least one lap belt member extending from said housing and having a normally uninflated bladder portion;

gas generator means positioned within said central housing for producing pressurized gas upon reception of a command signal;

conduit means for providing fluid communication between said gas generator means and each of said bladder portions; and

a normally uninflated chin bag member operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the bladder portion of said shoulder strap member.

3. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2 further including:

impact sensor means attached to a vehicle in which said occupant is riding and operatively connected to said gas generator means for generating said command signal when said vehicle suffers a threshold impact.

4. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2 wherein:

the bladder portion of said shoulder strap member and the bladder portion of said lap belt member are folded accordian like in the uninflated state; and

said chin bag member is substantially wedge shaped and folded under the bladder portion of said shoulder strap member with which said chin bag member has fluid communication when said chin bag member is in thE uninflated state.

5. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 4 wherein:

the bladder portion of said shoulder strap member, the bladder portion of said lap belt member and the chin bag member each have a predetermined porosity;

whereby each of said bladder portions inflates and unfolds and said chin bag member inflates and unfurls across the chest area under the occupant'"'"''"'"'s chin within a predetermined time after said gas generator means produces said pressurized gas, each of said bladder portions and said chin bag member thereafter deflating.

6. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

an inflatable bladder member having a central pocket portion, first and second pelvic portions extending outward from said central pocket portion and first and second chest portions extending outward from said central pocket portion;

gas generator means positioned within said central pocket portion for producing pressurized gas upon reception of a command signal;

said first chest portion being wider at its distal end than at its proximal end so as to form a tongue-like projection at said distal end; and

said second chest portion being narrower at its distal end than at its proximal end so as to form an abutting surface for said tongue-like projection.

7. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6 further including:

a lap belt member fixedly secured to one surface of each said pelvic portions;

a shoulder strap member fixedly secured to one surface of each said chest portions.

8. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 7 further including:

impact sensor means attached to a vehicle in which said occupant is riding and operatively connected to said gas generator means for generating said command signal when said vehicle suffers a threshold impact.

9. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 8 wherein said inflatable bladder member is formed from a fluid impermeable synthetic material.

10. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 9 further including:

deflation means integral with said bladder member for deflating said bladder member.

11. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 6 wherein:

one surface of said tongue-like projection is shorter than the other surface so as to impart an uncurling force to said projection upon inflation.