Apparatus for controlling inflation of an air bag
First Claim
1. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
- an inflatable air bag having fabric panels defining an interior cheer into which inflation fluid flows to inflate said air bag;
an air bag reaction canister having walls defining a storage chamber in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening in at least one of said walls;
a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag;
a valve member mounted on one of said walls of said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and
means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a source of inflation fluid (20) and an air bag reaction canister (24) having a vent opening (16) through which inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) may be vented away from the air bag canister (24). An air bag (12) is located in the air bag reaction canister (24) and is inflatable by inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20). A valve member (30) is located on the air bag reaction canister (24). The valve member (30) is movable relative to the vent opening (16) in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20) to control venting of inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) through the vent opening (16). Inflation of the air bag (12) is thereby controlled in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20).
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag having fabric panels defining an interior cheer into which inflation fluid flows to inflate said air bag; an air bag reaction canister having walls defining a storage chamber in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening in at least one of said walls; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member mounted on one of said walls of said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus comprising:
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a source of inflation fluid; an air bag reaction canister having a vent opening through which inflation fluid from said source of inflation fluid may be vented from said air bag reaction canister; an air bag located in said air bag reaction canister and inflatable by inflation fluid from said source of inflation fluid; a valve member for blocking the vent opening in said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable from a predetermined position in which said vent opening is unblocked a predetermined amount and another position in which said valve member blocks the vent opening an amount more than said predetermined amount; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid to control venting of inflation fluid from said source of inflation fluid through said vent opening and thereby to control inflation of said air bag when said air bag is inflated by inflation fluid from said source of inflation fluid.
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5. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag; an air bag reaction canister in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member on said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid, said means for moving said valve member including a servomotor operatively connected with said valve member for (i) moving said valve member to increase blocking of gas flow through said vent opening when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid decreases, and (ii) moving said valve member to decrease blocking of gas flow through said vent opening when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid increases. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag; an air bag reaction canister in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member on said air bag reaction canister, said valve member having an opening which can be aligned with said vent opening in said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable between a first position in which said opening in said valve member is nonaligned with said vent opening in said air bag reaction canister to block flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening in said air bag reaction canister and a second position in which said opening in said valve member is aligned with said vent opening in said air bag reaction canister to allow flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening in said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag; an air bag reaction canister in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member on said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being a plate which moves relative to said vent opening, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid.
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14. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag; an air bag reaction canister in which said air bag is stored, said valve member having a plurality of openings which can be aligned with said vent openings in said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being in a predetermined position in which only certain of said plurality of openings in said valve member are aligned with only certain of said vent openings in said air bag reaction canister to allow flow of inflation fluid therethrough, said valve member being movable from said predetermined position to a first position in which fewer than said certain of said plurality of openings in said valve member are aligned with fewer than said certain of said vent openings in said air bag reaction canister to allow relatively less inflation fluid to flow therethrough, said valve member being movable between said predetermined position and a second position in which more than said certain of said plurality of openings in said valve member are aligned with more than said certain of said vent openings in said air bag reaction canister to allow relatively more inflation fluid to flow therethrough; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member on said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
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an inflatable air bag; an air bag reaction canister in which said air bag is stored, said reaction canister having a vent opening; a source of inflation fluid for inflating said air bag; a valve member on said air bag reaction canister, said valve member being movable relative to said vent opening to control flow of inflation fluid through said vent opening; and means for moving said valve member relative to said vent opening in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid, said means for moving said valve member including a temperature-sensitive bimetallic spring operatively connected with said valve member for (i) moving said valve member to increase blocking of gas flow through said vent opening when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid decreases, and (ii) moving said valve member to decrease blocking of gas flow through said vent opening when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of said source of inflation fluid increases.
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Specification