Displacement responsive air bag vent

• US 5,280,953 A
• Filed: 11/25/1992
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Jensen, Jack L., Melvin, John W., Pettigrove, David E., Stevenson, Laura C., Wolanin, Michael J., Blom, Hubert P., Hawthorn, Laura A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US07/987,965
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 280/738, 280/739, 280/743 A, 280/742, 280/743, 280/736, 280/728, 280/726, 137/601, 251/294, 251/145, 244/118.5, 244/121
• US Class Current: 280/739
• 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 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An occupant restraint air bag assembly includes an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with an inflator and a face wall for contacting the occupant upon inflation of the bag. A vent opening is provided in the base wall portion of the air bag for venting a portion of the inflation gas from the air bag to the occupant compartment. A valve flap carried by the air bag is operable to a position closing the vent opening to contain the inflation gas within the air bag. A tether has a first end connected to the valve flap and a second end attached to the face wall so that the inflation of the air bag and consequent displacement of the face wall pulls the tether to close the valve flap. The vent opening is preferably a plurality of spaced apart openings and the tether progressively moves the valve flap across the openings to progressively close the vent opening in response to the progressive travel of the face wall toward the occupant. If desired, one or more additional vent openings with flap valves may be provided and operated by tethers of different operative lengths to provide selected and variable control over the venting of inflation gas from the air bag in response to displacement of the bag.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint air bag comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

an air bag receiving inflation gas from the inflator to displace the air bag from a stored condition to an occupant restraining condition,

an opening in the air bag and having a closure valve associated therewith for selectively opening and closing the opening to control inflation gas buildup in the air bag,

and means acting between the air bag and the valve for operating the closure valve in response to the degree of displacement of the air bag independent of the degree of said gas pressure build up in the air bag.

2. An occupant restraint air bag comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

an air bag receiving inflation gas from the inflator to inflate the air bag into contact with the occupant,

an opening in the air bag and having a closure valve associated therewith for selectively opening and closing the opening to control the rate of inflation gas buildup in the air bag,

and a tether located within the air bag and having a first end operably associated with the closure valve and a second end attached to the air bag so that the inflation of the air bag pulls the tether to operate the closure valve and thereby control the inflation of the air bag.

3. An occupant restraint air bag inflatable to restrain an occupant in an occupant compartment, comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

an air bag having a chamber communicating with the inflator to receive inflation gas,

a vent opening in the air bag having a closure valve normally open to vent a portion of the inflation gas from the chamber to the occupant compartment,

an a tether located within the air bag and having a first end operably associated with the closure valve and a second end attached to the air bag so that the inflation of the air bag pulls the tether to close the closure valve and contain the inflation gas within the air bag.

4. An occupant restraint air bag inflatable to restrain an occupant in an occupant compartment, comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

an air bag having a chamber communicating with the inflator to receive inflation gas and an occupant contacting face wall displaced toward the occupant upon inflation of the air bag,

a vent opening in the air bag spaced from the face wall for venting a portion of the inflation gas from the chamber to the occupant compartment,

a valve flap carried by the air bag and being operable to a position closing the vent opening to contain the inflation gas with in the air bag,

and a tether for operating the valve flap in response to the displacement of the air bag face wall toward the occupant, said tether having a first end operably associated with the valve flap and a second end attached to the face wall of the air bag so that the inflation of the air bag pulls the tether to close the closure and contain the inflation gas within the air bag.

5. An occupant restraint air bag inflatable to restrain an occupant in an occupant compartment, comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with the inflator to receive inflation gas and a face wall for contacting the occupant upon inflation of the bag,

a vent opening in base wall portion of the air bag for venting a portion of the inflation gas from the air bag to the occupant compartment,

a valve flap carried by the air bag and being operable to a position closing the vent opening to contain the inflation gas within the air bag,

and a tether for operating the valve flap in response to the travel of the face wall toward the occupant, said tether having a first end operably associated with the valve flap and a second end attached to the occupant contacting wall of the air bag so that the inflation of the air bag pulls the tether to close the closure and contain the inflation gas within the air bag.

6. The air bag of claim 5 further characterized by the vent opening being a plurality of openings spaced along the base wall portion and the tether acting to progressively move the valve flap across the openings to progressively close the vent opening in response to the progressive travel of the occupant contacting wall toward the occupant.

7. The air bag of claim 6 further characterized by the valve flap being anchored in the open position in relation to the vent opening by sewing the flap in the open position by stitches which release when the tether operates the flap.

8. An air bag of claim 5 further characterized by the valve flap being anchored in the open position in relation to the vent opening by sewing the flap in the open position by stitches which release when the tether operates the flap.