Wrapped inflatable restraint
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
- an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated folded condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and
a flexible wrap encircling said folded inflatable restraint and maintaining said folded inflatable restraint in said folded condition, said flexible wrap having portions which are secured together to maintain said wrap in an encircling relation with said folded inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated folded condition;
said flexible wrap having an opening means for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag (12) for restraining an occupant (14) of a vehicle (16) has a deflated condition and an inflated condition. The air bag (12) has layers (20, 22) defining between them an inflation fluid volume (18) into which inflation fluid is directed to inflate the air bag. A fluid impermeable wrap (140) encircles the air bag (12) when the air bag is in the deflated condition. The wrap (140) has fluid inlet openings (190, 192) for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion (120) of the folded air bag (12) to cause the predetermined portion to inflate first.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated folded condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and a flexible wrap encircling said folded inflatable restraint and maintaining said folded inflatable restraint in said folded condition, said flexible wrap having portions which are secured together to maintain said wrap in an encircling relation with said folded inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated folded condition; said flexible wrap having an opening means for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated folded condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said inflatable restraint having at least one fabric panel defining an inflation fluid volume for receiving inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable restraint; and a fluid impermeable flexible member wrapped around said folded inflatable restraint and maintaining said folded inflatable restraint in said folded condition, said flexible wrap having portions which are secured together to maintain said wrap in an encircling relation with said folded inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated folded condition; said flexible member having an opening means for directing inflation fluid to flow in a predetermined flow path into said inflation fluid volume of said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
-
-
7. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; a fluid impermeable flexible wrap encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; and an inflator for supplying inflation fluid to said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint; said inflatable restraint having a first part and a second part which are presented toward said inflator when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said wrap including a plurality of layers which extend between said first part of said inflatable restraint and said inflator; said wrap including a single layer which extends between said second part of said inflatable restraint and said inflator; said single layer of said wrap including at least one fluid inlet opening disposed between said inflator and said second part of said inflatable restraint for receiving inflation fluid from said inflator and for directing inflation fluid through said single layer into said second part of said inflatable restraint to cause said second part of said inflatable restraint to inflate first. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and a flexible wrap encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible wrap having an opening for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first; a first end portion of said wrap being folded with a first part of said inflatable restraint and a second end portion of said wrap being disposed outside of said inflatable restraint in a position encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition.
-
-
14. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and a flexible wrap encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible wrap having an opening for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first; said wrap including a first layer which extends between an inflator and a first part of said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition and which does not extend between said inflator and a second part of said inflatable restraint; said wrap including a second layer having a first section which extends between said inflator and said first part of said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition and having a second section which extends between said inflator and said second part of said inflatable restraint.
-
-
15. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and a flexible wrap encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible wrap having an opening for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first; a first part of said inflatable restraint presented toward an inflator being covered with said wrap at a location inside of said opening when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition and a second part of said inflatable restraint presented toward said inflator being exposed to said inflator through said opening.
-
-
16. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; and a flexible wrap encircling said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible wrap having an opening for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into a predetermined portion of said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said predetermined portion to inflate first; said flexible wrap comprising a sheet material member made from a fluid impermeable material, said opening comprising a fluid inlet opening formed in said fluid impermeable material for selectively directing inflation fluid through said fluid impermeable material into said predetermined portion of said inflatable restraint; said wrap including a plurality of layers which cover said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition, said plurality of layers including a single layer which overlies said predetermined portion of said inflatable restraint which inflates first, said single layer including said fluid inlet opening.
-
-
17. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said inflatable restraint having at least one fabric panel defining an inflation fluid volume for receiving inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable restraint; and a fluid impermeable flexible member wrapped around said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible member having an opening for directing inflation fluid to flow in a predetermined flow path into said inflation fluid volume of said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint; said flexible member having a first end portion which is disposed in said inflation fluid volume adjacent to said at least one fabric panel when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said inflatable restraint having at least one fabric panel defining an inflation fluid volume for receiving inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable restraint; and a fluid impermeable flexible member wrapped around said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible member having an opening for directing inflation fluid to flow in a predetermined flow path into said inflation fluid volume of said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint; said flexible member including a plurality of layers which cover said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition, said plurality of layers including a single layer which overlies a predetermined portion of said inflatable restraint which inflates first, said single layer including said opening.
-
-
20. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, said inflatable restraint having at least one fabric panel defining an inflation fluid volume for receiving inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable restraint; a fluid impermeable flexible member wrapped around said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible member having an opening for directing inflation fluid to flow in a predetermined flow path into said inflation fluid volume of said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint; and an inflator for supplying inflation fluid to said inflatable restraint to inflate said inflatable restraint; said inflatable restraint having a first part and a second part which are presented toward said inflator when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated condition; said flexible member including a plurality of layers which extend between said first part of said inflatable restraint and said inflator; said flexible member including a single layer which extends between said second part of said inflatable restraint and said inflator; said single layer of said flexible member including said opening, said opening being disposed between said inflator and said second part of said inflatable restraint for receiving inflation fluid from said inflator and for directing inflation fluid through said single layer into said second part of said inflatable restraint to cause said second part of said inflatable restraint to inflate first.
-
-
21. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
-
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having a deflated folded condition and an inflated condition for protecting an occupant of a vehicle; a retaining ring securable to said inflatable restraint, said retaining ring containing at least a portion of said inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in said folded condition; and a flexible wrap encircling said folded inflatable restraint and said retaining ring, and maintaining said folded inflatable restraint in said folded condition, said flexible wrap having portions which are secured together to maintain said wrap in an encircling relation with said folded inflatable restraint when said inflatable restraint is in the deflated folded condition; said flexible wrap having an opening for receiving inflation fluid and for directing inflation fluid into said deflated inflatable restraint to cause said inflatable restraint to inflate.
-
Specification