Compact vehicle air bag apparatus
First Claim
1. Safety apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a shoulder belt for restraining an occupant of the vehicle comprising:
- an inflatable bag mounted on said shoulder belt and movable between a collapsed, inoperative position and an inflated, operative position, for restraining an occupant of the vehicle during a collision;
means for automatically inflating said bag when energized by a sensor signal;
said inflating means comprising a motor having a shaft coupled to said shoulder belt, said sensor signal causing said motor shaft to rotate and tighten said shoulder belt against the user'"'"'s body; and
sensor means operatively associated with said vehicle for generating said sensor signal when a collision condition is detected, said bag being inflated a predetermined time period after said motor shaft is caused to rotate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact air bag apparatus which comprises an inflatable air bag secured to the vehicle shoulder belt. The depolyment of the air bag is controlled, in the automatic mode of operation, by electronic sensors mounted to the vehicle, the sensors being operative only when the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed. In the manual mode of operation, excessive movement of the shoulder belt, typically caused by a collision, causes the air bag to deploy regardless of vehicle speed. The air bag, once deployed, is designed to stay inflated, allow the driver to see and continue to control the vehicle after the collision, and to protect the driver from collision impact occurring both from the front of the vehicle and the left side thereof.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Safety apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a shoulder belt for restraining an occupant of the vehicle comprising:
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an inflatable bag mounted on said shoulder belt and movable between a collapsed, inoperative position and an inflated, operative position, for restraining an occupant of the vehicle during a collision; means for automatically inflating said bag when energized by a sensor signal;
said inflating means comprising a motor having a shaft coupled to said shoulder belt, said sensor signal causing said motor shaft to rotate and tighten said shoulder belt against the user'"'"'s body; andsensor means operatively associated with said vehicle for generating said sensor signal when a collision condition is detected, said bag being inflated a predetermined time period after said motor shaft is caused to rotate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Safety apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a shoulder belt for restraining an occupant of the vehicle comprising:
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an inflatable bag mounted on said shoulder belt and movable between a collapsed, inoperative position and an inflated, operative position, for restraining an occupant of the vehicle during a collision; and means for inflating said bag associated with said inflatable bag and operable only when a switch member associated therewith is displaced a predetermined distance, said switch member being displaced said distance by the movement of the occupant when said shoulder belt is moved a predetermined distance as a result of the sudden deceleration of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification