Inflatable seat belt having defined shape
First Claim
1. An inflatable seat belt for restraining movement of an occupant in a vehicle, comprising:
- a webbing attached to the vehicle and extending for restraining movement of the occupant;
an inflatable portion fixed to the webbing and contacting the occupant when the webbing is worn, said inflatable portion including an elastic inflatable tube having an elongated shape and heat resistance, and fixed to the webbing;
a knitted member in a flat form and connected at both longitudinal ends to the webbing to entirely cover the inflatable tube, said knitted member having elasticity in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the webbing and non-elasticity in the longitudinal direction of the webbing; and
a non-expandable cover for substantially completely covering the knitted member and having a joining portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the webbing without connecting to the knitted member, said joining portion having a first part corresponding to a chest of the occupant and at least one second part situated adjacent to the first part, said first part being weaker than the second part in strength;
a tongue fixed to the inflatable portion and having a gas flow path therein; and
a buckle attached to the vehicle and engagable to the tongue, said buckle having a port to supply a gas to the inflatable portion through the gas flow path of the tongue so that when the inflatable tube is inflated by the gas, the knitted member expands laterally at the portion corresponding to the first part while breaking the first part, expansion of the knitted member being restricted by the second part.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable seat belt apparatus is formed of an inflatable portion which is usually maintained in a band shape and has an envelope part inflated and deployed in a spindle shape by introducing a gas generated by a gas generating device, the gas generating device acting in case of exceeding a predetermined threshold, a webbing having the inflatable portion extending over at least a range directly contacting with an occupant, a tongue fixed to an end of the inflatable portion and having a gas inlet from the gas generating device inside thereof and a buckle which detachably engages the tongue. The envelope part is made of a knitted fabric expanded in the weft direction in a range of contacting the chest of the occupant when the envelope part is inflated. The inflatable seat belt apparatus includes an inflation restricting device for restricting the expansion in the weft direction besides the range.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. An inflatable seat belt for restraining movement of an occupant in a vehicle, comprising:
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a webbing attached to the vehicle and extending for restraining movement of the occupant; an inflatable portion fixed to the webbing and contacting the occupant when the webbing is worn, said inflatable portion including an elastic inflatable tube having an elongated shape and heat resistance, and fixed to the webbing;
a knitted member in a flat form and connected at both longitudinal ends to the webbing to entirely cover the inflatable tube, said knitted member having elasticity in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the webbing and non-elasticity in the longitudinal direction of the webbing; and
a non-expandable cover for substantially completely covering the knitted member and having a joining portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the webbing without connecting to the knitted member, said joining portion having a first part corresponding to a chest of the occupant and at least one second part situated adjacent to the first part, said first part being weaker than the second part in strength;a tongue fixed to the inflatable portion and having a gas flow path therein; and a buckle attached to the vehicle and engagable to the tongue, said buckle having a port to supply a gas to the inflatable portion through the gas flow path of the tongue so that when the inflatable tube is inflated by the gas, the knitted member expands laterally at the portion corresponding to the first part while breaking the first part, expansion of the knitted member being restricted by the second part. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification