Automotive vehicle including a security arrangement provided with an inflatable protective bag

• US 5,486,019 A
• Filed: 03/07/1994
• Issued: 01/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMH Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: SMH Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Chevroulet, Tristan, Beroud, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyson, Karin L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US08/206,908
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 R, 280/730 R, 280/731, 280/732, 280/743 R, 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 180/271, 180/274, 180/323, 180/332, 180/333, 180/78
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/164 combined with vehicle venting means for reducing or avoiding the passenger compartment overpressure during inflation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns an automotive vehicle. This vehicle comprises a dashboard (26), steering control handles (28) distanced from the dashboard (26), the dashboard comprising a compartment (32) closed by a flap (34) and in which is arranged a protective bag (36) of supple material at least partially gas-tight, the vehicle further includes a gas source (38), the bag (36) being coupled to the gas source (38) and one or more accelerometers for automatically releasing the gas source (38) in response to abnormal behaviour of the vehicle, in that the bag (36) may assume a folded first state in which it is entirely housed within the compartment (32) and an inflated second state in which it extends out of the compartment (32) and in that the bag comprises a central portion (46) which is arranged so as to spread out, in the inflated state, over substantially the entire area of the dashboard (26).

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle comprising a dashboard, side-by-side driver'"'"'s and passenger'"'"'s seats, steering control means for the vehicle including a steering handle positioned in close proximity to the driver'"'"'s seat, the space between said dashboard and a driver being free, the dashboard having a top portion facing the windshield and a front portion facing the driver'"'"'s and passenger'"'"'s seats and comprising a compartment and a flap for closing said compartment, said flap being positioned in said front portion, a protective bag formed of supple material in said compartment, said bag being at least partially gas tight, the vehicle further comprising a gas source, means for coupling the bag to the gas source and means for automatically releasing the gas source in response to abnormal behavior of the vehicle, said bag having a folded non-operating first state in which it is entirely housed within the compartment prior to automatic release of the gas source, and an inflated operating second state in which it extends out of the compartment after automatic release of the gas source, said bag comprising a central portion which in the operating state is arranged so as to spread out over substantially the entire area of the dashboard, the central portion in such state being interposed between occupants of both driver'"'"'s and passenger'"'"'s seats and the dashboard.

2. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bag further comprise two rearward projections which in the operating state extend respectively along the opposing lateral walls of the vehicle, such projections in such state being interposed between the occupants and the lateral walls of the vehicle in case of abnormal behaviour of the vehicle.

3. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bag comprises an additional rearward projection arranged in the central portion, such projection extending in the inflated state between the occupants of the driver'"'"'s and passenger'"'"'s seats.

4. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a vehicle body defining an occupant accommodation space wherein the vehicle body comprises a panel arranged to permit communication of the accommodation space with the exterior when the pressure in the accommodation space exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4 further including a packing for sealing the panel into an opening formed in the vehicle body, said packing following the contour of said panel and, including a peripheral portion adapted to yield to permit such communication when the interior pressure of the accommodation space exceeds a predetermined threshold for releasing the panel.

6. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 4 comprising a rear window, the panel being constituted by the vehicle rear window.

7. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 2 wherein the central portion and rearward projections of the bag in the inflated state are arranged to extend respectively at the trunk and head levels of the vehicle occupants.

8. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compartment as well as the bag in the folded first state extend substantial over the entire length of the dashboard.

9. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 further including at least one additional gas source.