Arm rest safety bag apparatus

• US 5,224,733 A
• Filed: 02/27/1992
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph C. Simsic
• Original Assignee: Joseph C. Simsic
• Inventors: Simsic, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOGE, GARY CHAPMAN
• Application Number:
  US07/842,269
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/730, 280/735, 280/736, 280/737, 280/741, 248/74.1, 200/61.40, 200/61.08, 200/61.44
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213

Abstract

A pneumatic safety bag is mounted within an arm rest housing of a vehicle door, whereupon impact of the door, the safety bag is instantaneously inflated by its pneumatic communication to a pneumatic cylinder operative through an electrical solenoid to effect inflation of the bag. Sensor and contact plates mounted within the door effect electrical communication relative to one another upon impact to open the solenoid valve for inflation of the bag.

Claims

1. An arm rest safety bag apparatus arranged for securement within a self-propelled vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a door, and wherein the apparatus comprises,

an arm rest housing arranged for securement to the door,

and

a pressurized pneumatic cylinder spaced from the arm rest housing, including a supply conduit,

and

a pneumatic bag member mounted within the arm rest housing,

and

the supply conduit in pneumatic communication between the bag member and the pneumatic cylinder,

and

a solenoid valve mounted within the supply conduit,

and

switch means mounted within the door for effecting selective opening of the solenoid valve to direct pneumatic pressurization of the pneumatic bag member from the pneumatic cylinder,

and

the switch means includes a metallic flexible sensor plate mounted within the door, and a contact plate positioned adjacent and coextensive with the sensor plate, wherein the deflection of the sensor plate effects communication with the contact plate to open the solenoid valve,

and

the sensor plate includes a plurality of sensor plate spike members fixedly mounted to the sensor plate and projecting towards the contact plate, and the contact plate includes a plurality of impact projections, with each of said spike members positioned in coaxially aligned relationship relative to one of said projections.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the projections includes a polymeric covering sheet coextensively laminated in surrounding relationship relative to each projection.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including a polymeric exterior covering sheet positioned in surrounding relationship relative to the contact plate, with the exterior covering sheet secured to the sensor plate to effect sealing of the spike members and the projections.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including a plurality of rigid pneumatic support bands, each of the support bands arranged for positioning in surrounding relationship relative to the pneumatic cylinder, the support bands each include a matrix of resilient conical positioning projections mounted to an interior surface of each support band to accommodate vibration in securement of the pneumatic cylinder relative to the vehicle.