Gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth for autocycle driver

• US 4,984,821 A
• Filed: 05/09/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gasomatic - Airbag International Limited
• Original Assignee: Gasomatic - Airbag International Limited
• Inventors: Methfessel, Heinz, Kroiss, Alfred, Kim, Sang N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/349,583
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730, 280/728, 2/2, 2/DIG. 3
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/102 Motorcycling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/03 Inflatable garment

Abstract

A gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth for autocycle drivers is disclosed which comprises; a shock absorbing tube; a gas regulator connected through gas conduits to the shock absorbing tube; one or more of compressed gas storage and discharge devices connected to the gas regulator; an ignition controller; a trigger device connected through an electric wire and a pull string to the said ignition controller; and a connector disposed an intermediate position of both the electric wire and the pull string in such a manner that it is separated upon applying of a pulling force exceeding a certain predetermined value. In contrast to the conventional device in which the quick opening connector is disposed at an intermediate position of a conduit connecting the shock absorbing tube and the compressed gas filler, the connector is disposed between the trigger device and the gas storage and discharge device, thereby making the whole system simpler and more effective, and making it possible to pack the various components of the system into a small bag for carrying with it conveniently.

Claims

1. A gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth for autocycle drivers, comprising:

shock absorbing means capable of instantly expanding through the filling of stored compression gas upon departing of the wearer of the safety cloth from the autocycle by over a predetermined distance;

a gas regulator connected through gas conduits to said shock absorbing means;

one or more compressed gas storage and discharge devices connected to said gas regulator in such a manner that they can momentarily discharge the stored compressed gas to said gas regulator in response to the signal emitted by an ignition controller;

a trigger device affixed to said autocycle connected through an electric wire and a pull string to said ignition controller in such a manner that, upon detection of a certain predetermined separation distance of the wearer of the safety cloth from the autocycle, a warning sound is generated or the compressed gas is discharged;

a connector separable into two halves disposed at an intermediate position of both the electric wire and the pull string in such a manner that it is separated upon applying of a pulling force exceeding a certain predetermined value;

and said shock absorbing means, gas regulator, compressed gas storage and discharge devices and ignition controller being integrated as a unit in said safety cloth;

whereby upon the application of a pulling force exceeding a certain predetermined value, said connector separates into two halves and said safety cloth with the above said articles integrated as a unit therein is disconnected altogether from the autocycle, said safety cloth being reusable by re-uniting said connector and restoring said compressed gas storage and discharge devices.

2. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compressed gas storage and discharge device includes a combination of a compressed gas storing container and a compressed gas discharging unit.

3. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 2, wherein said compressed gas discharging unit comprises:

a gas storage housing;

a closure disc sealingly attached to one of the tips of said gas storage housing;

an inner housing threadably connected to the same tip of said gas storage housing;

an outer striker insertion cylinder having external threads and threadably connected to the other tip of said inner housing;

an inner striker insertion cylinder received into said outer striker insertion cylinder and having an explosive loading space in the interior thereof;

a striker installed beside the explosive loading space;

a filament disposed within said explosive loading space and connected to an electric wire which is in turn connected to said ignition controller; and

a plurality of gas passages formed around the explosive loading space in the vertical direction.

4. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 3, wherein said closure disc is made of ceramic material which can withstand against a high pressure but can be destroyed without fail upon applying of an impact of a certain predetermined level.

5. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 2, wherein said compressed gas storing container is constituted such that a cap having a check valve is threadably connected to one of the opposite tips thereof, and a closure disc is put to the other tip thereof in an air-tight state.

6. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gas regulator is provided with an inner cavity through which the compressed gas is made to flow;

two or more of said compressed gas storage and discharge devices are attached side by side to one of the side walls of said gas regulator;

two or more of gently elevated portions are formed on the inner wall surface of said cavity opposite from the locations of said compressed gas storage and discharge devices in order to disperse the compressed gas flowing through the cavity;

ad gas conduits are respectively connected to the opposite end walls of the gas regulator, the other ends of the gas conduits being connected to the shock absorbing tube.

7. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gas regulator is provided with an inner cavity through which the compressed gas is made to flow;

one or more of said gas conduits are connected to said gas regulator; and

two compressed gas storage and discharge devices are attached to the gas regulator opposingly facing each other through gas inlets which are disposed in a diagonal direction relative to the connecting direction of said gas conduits.

8. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claims 6 or 7, wherein an electric wire connected between said ignition controller and said compressed gas storage and discharge device passes through the cavity of the gas regulator in such a manner that the sealed state of the cavity can be maintained.

9. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein whenever there are two or more of said compressed gas storage and discharge devices, the gases are discharged successively with a certain time gap in response to the signals from the trigger device.

10. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trigger device is provided with a sliding cam which is elastically installed by means of a spring in such a manner that the cam is slidable long a support rod upon pulling of the pull string;

a warning switch and a discharge switch are installed in a parallel direction relative to said support rod in such a manner that said warning switch and said discharge switch are successively activated by the sliding cam; and

a buzzer is provided which is activated in correspondence with the activation of the warning switch.

11. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said trigger device is provided with circuit break detecting lamp which is activated by said ignition controller, and said ignition controller is provided with a circuit break detecting circuit for detecting the existence or absence of the breaking of filaments of the compressed gas storage and discharge devices.

12. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said compressed gas storage and discharge devices is activated by supplying a first ignition signal from said trigger device to said ignition controller, and the other one of said compressed gas storage and discharge devices is activated by supplying a second ignition signal which is emitted after being delayed for a predetermined period of time from the time when the first ignition signal is generated.

13. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ignition controller comprises:

an electric charge for charging the electric current supplied from said trigger device and a delay circuit for supplying the electric current charged into said electric charger to a second filament of said compressed gas storage and discharge device after having delayed for a predetermined period of time in response to the switching signal from said discharge switch;

said compressed gas storage and discharge device being activated upon turning-on of said discharge switch, and again activated after being delayed for a predetermined period of time.

14. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connector includes male and female pieces for interconnecting the electric wire and the pull string extended from the trigger device and the electric wire and the pull string extended from the ignition controller;

one of said male and female pieces has a magnetic material piece, for the coupling of said two pieces, which cannot be separated unless a pulling force of a predetermined level is applied.

15. The gas expansion type shock absorbing safety cloth as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compressed gas storage and discharge device, said gas regulator, and said ignition controller are packed into a bag for carrying by the driver.