Airbag with alternate deployment modes
First Claim
1. An airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system, said airbag comprising:
- a front panel, a rear panel and an inner panel interposed between said front and rear panels, each said panel having an outer peripheral edge, all of said panels being of fabric joined together along a non-rupturable outer seam at their outer peripheral edges to define an airbag with said front and rear panels being the outer walls of the airbag and with said inner panel inside the airbag;
a generally central opening in the rear panel providing a mouth of the airbag for receiving inflation gas, a generally central opening in the inner panel at least as large as said opening in the rear panel;
said inner panel additionally being joined to the front panel along an inner seam around the central opening on the inner panel and joined to the rear panel by a non-rupturable middle seam located between said inner seam and said outer seam on the inner panel;
a flap comprising an area on the inner panel between said inner seam and said middle seam, said flap having an inner edge comprising said inner seam and an outer edge comprising said middle seam;
gas exhaust means on said rear panel between said middle seam and the mouth of the airbag;
flap release means for separating said flap from the front panel at or adjacent the inner edge of said flap during inflation of the airbag in the normal inflation mode, said separated flap covering at least a portion of the gas exhaust means on the rear panel after separation of the flap from the front panel to prevent escape of inflation gas through said covered portion gas exhaust means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is an airbag having two modes of deployment. In the normal mode, with a driver in the normal seated position, the airbag is fully deployed and inflated to attain its full normal reach and provide a cushion for protection of the driver in a collision. In the other mode, when a driver is too close to the airbag at the moment of collision, the airbag will deploy only to a shorter reach and thus protect the too-close driver from being forcibly pushed backwards by the airbag inflating to its full normal reach. In the mode for normal deployment an inner flap covers gas exhausting structure on the rear panel of the airbag to prevent escape of inflation gas from the airbag during inflation. But when a driver is too close to the airbag at the moment of collision the inner flap is held away from the gas exhausting structure, keeping such structure uncovered for escape of inflation gas which would otherwise fully inflate the airbag.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system, said airbag comprising:
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a front panel, a rear panel and an inner panel interposed between said front and rear panels, each said panel having an outer peripheral edge, all of said panels being of fabric joined together along a non-rupturable outer seam at their outer peripheral edges to define an airbag with said front and rear panels being the outer walls of the airbag and with said inner panel inside the airbag; a generally central opening in the rear panel providing a mouth of the airbag for receiving inflation gas, a generally central opening in the inner panel at least as large as said opening in the rear panel; said inner panel additionally being joined to the front panel along an inner seam around the central opening on the inner panel and joined to the rear panel by a non-rupturable middle seam located between said inner seam and said outer seam on the inner panel; a flap comprising an area on the inner panel between said inner seam and said middle seam, said flap having an inner edge comprising said inner seam and an outer edge comprising said middle seam; gas exhaust means on said rear panel between said middle seam and the mouth of the airbag; flap release means for separating said flap from the front panel at or adjacent the inner edge of said flap during inflation of the airbag in the normal inflation mode, said separated flap covering at least a portion of the gas exhaust means on the rear panel after separation of the flap from the front panel to prevent escape of inflation gas through said covered portion gas exhaust means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An inflatable airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system, said airbag having two modes of deployment, one mode being normal deployment when the airbag is not obstructed by a resistance from an out-of-position vehicle occupant and a second mode being partial deployment when the airbag is obstructed by an out-of-position vehicle occupant, said airbag comprising:
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superimposed front, inner and rear fabric panels each of generally circular configuration and joined together around outer peripheral edges of said panels by a non-rupturable outer seam;
said front panel being the panel intended for restraining the vehicle occupant upon inflation of the airbag;a generally central opening in the rear panel providing a mouth of the airbag for receiving inflation gas, a generally central opening in the inner panel at least as large as said opening in the rear panel; said inner panel additionally joined to the front panel along an inner seam around the central opening on the inner panel and joined to the rear panel by a non-rupturable middle seam located between said inner seam and said outer seam on the inner panel; a flap comprising the area on the inner panel between said inner seam and said middle seam; gas exhaust means on said rear panel between said middle seam and the mouth of the airbag; flap release means for separating said flap from the front panel at or adjacent the inner seam during normal deployment of the airbag and inoperative when the inflating airbag is obstructed by an out-of-position vehicle occupant, said flap when separating from the front panel covering the gas exhaust means on the rear panel to prevent escape of inflation gas through said covered gas exhaust means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification