Safety device with an inflatable cushion which provides effective protection during successive collisions

• US 3,907,327 A
• Filed: 01/15/1973
• Issued: 09/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard M. Pech
• Original Assignee: Bernard M. Pech
• Inventors: Pech, Bernard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/323,948
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 244/138R 188/1B 5/348R 182/137
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/165 reusable, e.g. in case of multiple collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23115 with inflatable support compartments creating an internal suction volume
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23 Inflatable members B60R21/18 takes precedence; connection to inflation fluid source retainers B60R21/217
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

A safety device with an inflatable cushion for moving vehicles, particularly automobiles, comprises at least one inflatable cushion, means for expanding and re-expanding the said cushion and a collision detector controlling the actuation of such a device, the cushion being equipped with means for transferring gas in both directions, at two different flow rates, between the surrounding atomosphere and the inside of the cushion, the gas exchange taking place at a low flow rate in the direction from the inside of the cushion to the surrounding atmosphere, for the purpose of deadening the person to be protected when the latter is thrown against the said cushion during an accident, and at a higher flow rate in the direction from the surrounding atmosphere to the inside of the cushion for the purpose of rapidly reinflating the said cushion as soon as the latter is no longer acted upon by the person to be protected. The device is particularly effective in case of a series of impacts, because it is partially reversible and dissipates a part of the energy by absorbing gas and absorbing the rest of the energy to restore the device to its initial state before a new deadening of the person to be protected.

Claims

1. A safety device for protecting a passenger in a moving vehicle including successive impacts, which comprises at least one inflatable cushion, said cushion comprising two adjacent noncommunicating chambers, maintained at different pressures at the time of use, the outer chamber enclosing at least partially the inner chamber, the inner chamber being capable of communicating with the atmosphere via permanent orifices of low cross-section, and via temporary orifices of large cross-section, the latter being closed by valves which open only in the direction which admits air into said inner chamber, the outer chamber being connected to a source of gas under pressure, a collision detector controlling the actuation of said gas, the walls of said two chambers being of flexible material of substantially equal dimensions and located one inside the other, connected together in a discontinuous manner by leakproof contact zones distributed over a substantial area of said walls, said permanent and temporary orifices being machined at said leakproof contact zones, the outer chamber expanding and re-expanding the cushion when it is pressurized, the inner chamber being expanded by pressurization of the outer chamber and being pressurized itself by sucking in air from the surrounding atmosphere via the temporary orifices of large cross-section, the inner chamber being depressurized by escape of air through the permanent orifices during the stage when the passenger presses against said cushion, the gas passage taking place at a low flow rate in the direction from the interior of the inner chamber to the surrounding atmosphere, for the purpose of deadening the person to be protected when the latter is thrown against the said cushion during an accident, and at a higher flow rate in the direction from the surrounding atmosphere to the interior of the inner chamber for the purpose of rapidly re-inflating the said cushion as soon as the latter is no longer acted upon by the person to be protected.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said leakproof contact zones are distributed over the entire area of said walls, except the portion of the cushion which comes in contact with the head of the passenger.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the temporary orifices are in number at least equal to 27.

4. The safety device according to claim 3 wherein the temporary orifices are formed by cut-outs in the external wall, and the internal wall in the region corresponding to said orifices forms a tongue for the valve of said orifices.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the surface of opening of each of the temporary orifices does not exceed 5.5cm2.

6. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total surface area of the temporary orifices of large cross-section to that of the permanent orifices of low cross-section is between 150 and 400.

7. A safety device for moving vehicles which comprises at least one inflatable cushion, said cushion comprising a single chamber communicating with the surrounding atmosphere, a source of gas under pressure being connected to said inflatable cushion, for inflating the cushion, at least two elastic springs for re-expanding the cushion after the cushion has been deformed, said springs comprising Flexible strips wound up on themselves when the device is inoperative, means for releasing said strips upon cushion inflation, the said cushion being provided with means for passage of gas from the interior to the atmosphere and from the atmosphere to the interior of the cushion at two different flow rates, the gas passage taking place at a low flow rate in the direction from the interior of the cushion to the surrounding atmosphere, for the purpose of deadening the person to be protected when the latter is thrown against the said cushion during an accident, and at a higher flow rate in the direction from the surrounding atmosphere to the interior of the cushion for the purpose of rapidly re-inflating the said cushion as soon as the latter is no longer acted upon by the person to be protected, collision detector means for actuating said source of gas.

8. A safety device according to claim 7 wherein the strips are at least four and consist of two upper and two lower strips.

9. The safety device according to claim 7 wherein said means for releasing said strips comprise a holding system surrounding said cushion in a folded state, said holding system being responsive to said source of gas under pressure to release said cushion from the folded state.

10. The safety device according to claim 7 wherein said flexible strips vary in width and the width decreases towards the free end.

11. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein the strips are attached by their bases.

12. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein the free ends of the strips are protected by pads made of elastic material.

13. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein the free ends of the strips pass inside the cushion.

14. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein the free ends of the strips are attached to the outside of the cushion.

15. The safety device according to claim 14 wherein the strips are attached to the cushion by means of straps.