Triggering mechanism for inflating an air bag

• US 5,322,326 A
• Filed: 11/06/1992
• Issued: 06/21/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hang-Sup Ohm
• Original Assignee: Hang-Sup Ohm
• Inventors: Ohm, Hang-Sup
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US07/972,569
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 280/737, 280/734, 280/730 R, 280/730 A, 280/728 R, 280/806, 280/743, 180/282, 222/5, 5/644, 5/654, 5/449, 5/453
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/268 using instantaneous release of stored pressurised gas B60R21/26005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An air bag type of passenger protector equipped in a vehicle. The passenger protector comprises a compressed gas supplying assembly and an air bag receiving assembly for receiving an air bag which is connected to the compressed gas supplying assembly by means of a power hose. The compressed gas supplying assembly comprises a compressed gas container, a movable weight, a hinged link, a hinged lever and a perforating pin. If there occurs a vehicle collision, the weight is reliably operated in response to a mechanical shock caused by the vehicle collision and this causes the hinged link and the hinged lever to be sequentially turned and in turn causes the perforating pin to be pushed so as to perforate a closed tip of the compressed gas container. As the closed tip of the gas container is perforated by the perforating pin, the compressed gas rapidly blows out of the gas container and into the air bag having an outer shape which is coincident with the human body by forming an upper junction point, a pair of middle junction points and a U-shaped junction line, thereby efficiently preventing the passenger from being directly struck on a vehicle body and, in this respect, protecting the passenger from being injured.

Claims

1. An air bag type of passenger protector, comprising:

(a) a compressed gas supplying assembly for supplying a compressed gas for an air bag, said gas supplying assembly including;

(i) an outer frame on which a partition is mounted so as to divider an interior of said frame into two inner spaces;

(ii) a frame cover for covering said outer frame;

(iii) a moveable weight for automatically moving in an axial direction aligned with a direction of movement of a vehicle on which the passenger protector is installed in response to a mechanical shock caused by a vehicle collision, said weight being axially received in an inner space of the frame so as to inertially move forward in response to the mechanical shock and being supported by a support member disposed at a back of said weight;

(iv) a compressed gas container containing a compressed gas;

(v) a compressed gas guide member for guiding compressed gas ejected from said gas container to the air bag, said gas guide member being mated, at an end thereof, with a closed tip of the gas container;

(vi) a perforating pin for perforating said closed tip of the gas container in response to the inertial movement of the moveable weight, said perforating pin being axially disposed so as to allow its front end to be oriented toward the closed tip of the gas container;

(vii) a hinged lever for pushing the perforating pin to cause the pin to perforate the closed tip of the gas container, said hinged lever having an end in continuous engagement with a rear end of the perforating pin, said hinged lever being biased by a first biasing member wherein it is pivoted about a hinged shaft to which it is mounted when the moveable weight moves inertially;

(viii) a hinged link for causing, in response to inertial movement of the moveable weight, the hinged lever to be pivoted about its hinge shaft so as to effect pushing of the perforating pin into said closed tip of the gas container, said hinged link being hinged to a seat of the outer frame so as to be turned about a hinged connection, at a front end thereof, into slidable contact along a front end of the moveable weight, and to enable the other end of the hinged lever to be normally received within a middle recess of said hinged link; and

(ix) wherein said hinged lever includes a curved portion in engagement with said rear end of the perforating pin, an end opposite said end in engagement with the rear end of the perforating pin, said opposite end having an acute angular portion being normally received within the middle recess of the hinged link, and said opposite end further having a gently curved portion formed, together with said acute angular portion at said opposite end of said hinged lever; and

(b) an air bag receiving assembly for holding the air bag in a deflated state, said air bag receiving assembly including;

(i) an outer casing having a through hole through which a gas inlet pipe of the air bag, connected to the compressed gas supply assembly by means of a hose through which the compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas applying assembly to the air bag, extends to the outside of said outer casing; and

(ii) a cover for covering the outer casing in such a manner wherein it is easily separated from the outer casing when the air bag is filled with the compressed gas.

2. An air bag type of passenger protector according to claim 1, wherein said hinged lever further comprises a curved surface with which said rear end of the perforating pin comes into slidable contact.

3. An air bag type of passenger protector, comprising:

(a) a compressed gas supplying assembly for supplying a compressed gas for an air bag, said gas supplying assembly including;

(i) an outer frame on which a partition is mounted so as to divide an interior of said frame into two inner spaces;

(ii) a frame cover for covering said outer frame;

(iii) a moveable weight for automatically moving in an axial direction aligned with a direction of movement of a vehicle on which the passenger protector is installed in response to a mechanical shock caused by a vehicle collision, said weight being axially received in an inner space of the frame so as to inertially move forward in response to the mechanical shock and being supported by a support member disposed at a back of said weight;

(iv) a compressed gas container containing a compressed gas;

(v) a compressed gas guide member for guiding compressed gas ejected from said gas container to the air bag, said gas guide member being mated, at an end thereof, with a closed tip of the gas container;

(vi) a perforating pin for perforating said closed tip of the gas container in response to the inertial movement of the moveable weight, said perforating pin being axially disposed so as to allow its front end to be oriented toward the closed tip of the gas container;

(vii) a hinged lever for pushing the perforating pin to cause the pin to perforate the closed tip of the gas container, said hinged lever having an end in continuous engagement with a rear end of the perforating pin, said hinged lever being biased by a first biasing member wherein it is pivoted about a hinge shaft to which it is mounted when the moveable weight moves inertially;

(viii) a hinged link for causing, in response to inertial movement of the moveable weight, the hinged lever to be pivoted about its hinge shaft so as to effect pushing of the perforating pin into said closed tip of the gas container, said hinged link being hinged to a seat of the outer frame so as to be turned about a hinged connection, at a front end thereof, into slidable contact along a front end of the moveable weight, and to enable the other end of the hinged lever to be normally received within a middle recess of said hinged link; and

(ix) wherein said gas guide member includes a protrusion received in a depression of a seat of the frame so as to cause the gas guide member to be mounted on this seat, a protrusion pipe for guiding said perforating pin, a center through hole having an end in engagement with the closed tip of the gas container and another end extending to said protrusion pipe, and an elbow connected to the end of the center through hole which extends to said protrusion pipe and, in turn, to said power hose;

(b) an air bag receiving assembly for holding the air bag in a deflated state, said air bag receiving assembly including;

(i) an outer casing having a through hole through which a gas inlet pipe of the air bag, connected to the compressed gas supply assembly by means of a hose through which the compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas applying assembly to the air bag, extends to the outside of said outer casing; and

(ii) a cover for covering the outer casing in such a manner wherein it is easily separated from the outer casing when the air bag is filled with the compressed gas.

4. An air bag type of passenger protector, comprising:

(a) a compressed gas supplying assembly for supplying a compressed gas for an air bag, said gas supplying assembly including;

(i) an outer frame on which a partition is mounted so as to divide an interior of said frame into two inner spaces;

(ii) a frame cover for covering said outer frame;

(iii) a moveable weight for automatically moving in an axial direction aligned with a direction of movement of a vehicle on which the passenger protector is installed in response to a mechanical shock caused by a vehicle collision, said weight being axially received in an inner space of the frame so as to inertially move forward in response to the mechanical shock and being supported by a support member disposed at a back of said weight;

(iv) a compressed gas container container a compressed gas;

(v) a compressed gas guide member for guiding compressed gas ejected from said gas container to the air bag, said gas guide member being mated, at an end thereof, with a closed tip of the gas container;

(vi) a perforating pin for perforating said closed tip of the gas container in response to the inertial movement of the moveable weight, said perforating pin being axially disposed so as to allow its front end to be oriented toward the closed tip of the gas container;

(vii) a hinged lever for pushing the perforating pin to cause the pin to perforate the closed tip of the gas container, said hinged lever having an end in continuous engagement with a rear end of the perforating pin, said hinged lever being biased by a first biasing member wherein it is pivoted about a hinge shaft to which it is mounted when the moveable weight moves inertially;

(viii) a hinged link for causing, in response to inertial movement of the moveable weight, the hinged lever to be pivoted about its hinge shaft so as to effect pushing of the perforating pin into said closed tip of the gas container, said hinged link being hinged to a seat of the outer frame so as to be turned about a hinged connection, at a front end thereof, into slidable contact along a front end of the moveable weight, and to enable the other end of the hinged lever to be normally receiving within a middle recess of said hinged link; and

(ix) wherein a rear end of the perforating pin is provided with a center cylindrical depression in which a ball is slidably received and retained in a position in which it is biased by a second biasing member, and wherein said front end of the perforating pin is provided with a plurality of slots;

(b) an air bag receiving assembly for holding the air bag in a deflated state, said air bag receiving assembly including;

(i) an outer casing having a through hole through which a gas inlet pipe of the air bag, connected to the compressed gas supply assembly by means of a hose through which the compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas applying assembly to the air bag, extends to the outside of said outer casing, and

(ii) a cover for covering the outer casing in such a manner wherein it is easily separated from the outer casing when the air bag is filled with the compressed gas.

5. An air bag type of passenger protector according to claim 4, wherein said hinged lever further comprises a curved surface with which said ball of the perforating pin comes into slidable contact.