Anti-crash apparatus for motorvehicles

• US 4,449,728 A
• Filed: 12/09/1981
• Issued: 05/22/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernd Pilatzki
• Original Assignee: Bernd Pilatzki
• Inventors: Pilatzki, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roesch, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US06/328,859
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/729, 280/730, 280/731, 280/732, 280/733, 280/734, 280/743, 74/96, 74/99 A, 74/99 R
• US Class Current: 280/731
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2161 the cover being displaced towards the occupant during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21656 Steering wheel covers or similar cup-shaped covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18856 Oscillating to oscillating

Abstract

A anti-crash apparatus for motorvehicles with an airbag designed to be automatically inflated on deceleration of the vehicle being greater than a certain amount, the airbag being placed on the driver'"'"'s side of a steering wheel shaft, which is at a slope of 10° to 60° to the horizontal within the steering wheel and on the driver'"'"'s side of steering wheel spokes. The airbag is so placed and designed that, on inflation thereof, it takes up a position on the driver'"'"'s side of a top third of the circumference of the steering wheel, its size measured in a direction normal to the plane of the steering wheel being less than 20 cm.

Claims

1. In an anticrash apparatus for motorvehicles with an airbag designed to be automatically inflated on deceleration of the vehicle being greater than a certain rate, the airbag being placed on the driver'"'"'s side of a steering wheel shaft, which is at a slope of 10°

to 60°

to the horizontal, within the steering wheel and on the driver'"'"'s side of a steering wheel spoke, the invention residing in that the airbag is so placed and designed that on inflation thereof, it takes up a position on the driver'"'"'s side of a generally top third of the circumference of the steering wheel, its size measured in a direction normal to the plane of the steering wheel being less than 20 cm, a cushioning box is provided within the steering wheel for housing the folded-up airbag, and a part is provided which is fixed in relation to the rest of said vehicle and at least two linking parts for joining said cushioning box with said part, said linking part being designed to be moved by said steering wheel in such a way that at least one linking part is in its linking position all the time while an other linking part is moved back out of its linking position for letting past a spoke.

2. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having a cushioning plate on the driver'"'"'s side of such cushioning box, such plate being placed on an edge of said box on the driver'"'"'s side thereof.

3. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cushioning plate has a line of weakness next to the top edge thereof.

4. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein possible expansion of said airbag is limited so that the driver may go on seeing out of the car past said airbag.

5. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one tie is placed within said airbag.

6. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one such tie is placed in a middle part of said airbag, said airbag being designed to take up a half-moon on blowing up.

7. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said airbag is so designed that in the inflated condition it takes up a position like a bolster on the driver'"'"'s side of the greater part of the top half of said steering wheel.

8. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said steering wheel is keyed on said steering shaft.

9. An anti-crash apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having a second airbag, separate from said first noted airbag, and a system for causing blowing up of said second airbag automatically to a greater volume than said first airbag.