Apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle upon a side impact to the vehicle
First Claim
1. Apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle, said apparatus comprisingfirst and second inflatable occupant restraints for, when inflated, restraining movement of the vehicle occupant,an inflation fluid source associated with said first and second inflatable occupant restraints for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable occupant restraints,means for mounting said inflatable occupant restraints for inflation between a lateral side of the vehicle and the side of a vehicle occupant,flow control means associated with said inflation fluid source and actuatable between a first condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said first inflatable occupant restraint and a second condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said second inflatable occupant restraint,sensor means for sensing the position of the vehicle occupant and for providing a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position, andactuator means responsive to the position signal for actuating said flow control means between the first and second conditions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle includes an air bag module (10) in the vehicle door (12). The air bag module includes front (60) and rear (50) air bags, a source (70) of inflation fluid, and a flow control apparatus (94). The flow control apparatus (94) is actuatable into either a first condition for directing inflation fluid from the source into the front air bag (60) or a second condition for directing inflation fluid into the rear air bag (50). A sensor (26) senses the position of the vehicle occupant and provides a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position. An actuator (80) is responsive to the position signal for actuating the flow control apparatus (94) into either the first or conditions. When the vehicle occupant'"'"'s seat (20) is disposed forward of a predetermined position in the vehicle, the actuator (80) places the flow control apparatus (94) in the first condition to direct fluid from the inflation fluid source into only the front air bag (60). When the seat (20) is disposed rearward of the predetermined position in the vehicle, the actuator (80) places the flow control apparatus (94) in the second condition to direct fluid flow from the inflation fluid source only into the rear air bag (50).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle, said apparatus comprising
first and second inflatable occupant restraints for, when inflated, restraining movement of the vehicle occupant, an inflation fluid source associated with said first and second inflatable occupant restraints for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable occupant restraints, means for mounting said inflatable occupant restraints for inflation between a lateral side of the vehicle and the side of a vehicle occupant, flow control means associated with said inflation fluid source and actuatable between a first condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said first inflatable occupant restraint and a second condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said second inflatable occupant restraint, sensor means for sensing the position of the vehicle occupant and for providing a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position, and actuator means responsive to the position signal for actuating said flow control means between the first and second conditions.
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14. A vehicle occupant restraint apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle,. comprising
first and second inflatable occupant restraints for, when inflated, restraining movement of the vehicle occupant, an inflator associated with said first and second inflatable occupant restraints for providing gas for inflating one or the other of said first and second inflatable occupant restraints, means for mounting said first and second inflatable occupant restraints for inflation between a lateral side of the vehicle and the side of a vehicle occupant, flow control means associated with said inflator and actuatable into a first condition for directing gas from said inflator into said first inflatable occupant restraint and a second condition for directing gas from said inflator into said second inflatable occupant restraint, sensor means for sensing the position of the vehicle occupant and for providing a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position, and actuator means responsive to the position signal for actuating said flow control means into either the first or second condition, said flow control means comprising spaced apart first and second valve means on said inflator blocking fluid flow from said inflator at spaced apart locations, said actuator means comprising first and second actuators for selectively opening a selected one of said first and second valve means, respectively, to enable gas to flow from said single inflator into a selected one of said first and second inflatable occupant restraints in response to the position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position.
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19. Apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in a seat in a vehicle in the event of a side impact to the vehicle, comprising:
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sensor means for sensing the position of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s seat and for providing a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s seat; and an inflatable occupant restraint including; front and rear inflatable occupant restraints for, when inflated, restraining movement of the vehicle occupant, an inflation fluid source associated with said front and rear inflatable occupant restraints for providing inflation fluid for inflating one of said inflatable occupant restraints, means for mounting said front and rear inflatable occupant restraints and said inflation fluid source to a door of the vehicle, flow control means associated with said inflation fluid source and actuatable between a first condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said front inflatable occupant restraint and a second condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said rear inflatable occupant restraint, and actuator means responsive to the position signal for actuating said flow control means between the first and second conditions.
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20. Apparatus for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle having a door adjacent the vehicle occupant, said apparatus comprising:
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first and second inflatable occupant restraints for, when inflated, restraining movement of the vehicle occupant; means for mounting said inflatable occupant restraints for inflation between a lateral side of the vehicle and the side of a vehicle occupant, said means for mounting comprising an inner door panel of the vehicle door; an inflation fluid source associated with said first and second inflatable occupant restraints for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable occupant restraints; mounting panel means for mounting said inflation fluid source to said inner door panel, said mounting panel means and said inner door panel defining between them an inflation fluid chamber in fluid communication with said inflation fluid source; said inner door panel including surface means for establishing fluid communication through said inner door panel between said inflation fluid chamber and said first and second inflatable occupant restraints; flow control means associated with said inflation fluid source and actuatable between a first condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said first inflatable occupant restraint and a second condition for directing inflation fluid from said inflation fluid source into said second inflatable occupant restraint; sensor means for sensing the position of the vehicle occupant and for providing a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s position; and actuator means responsive to the position signal for actuating said flow control means between the first and second conditions.
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Specification