Inflatable restraint cushion
First Claim
1. An inflatable restraint cushion for restraining a vehicle occupant having a head portion and a torso portion, the cushion for use in a vehicle having a vehicle side structure including a door having a beltline portion defining a lower boundary of a side window opening, the cushion comprising:
- an inboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle occupant; and
an outboard contact face opposite the inboard contact face, the outboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle door, the outboard contact face including a generally horizontally extending beltline notch portion shaped for matably aligning with and engaging the beltline portion of the door when the cushion is inflated whereby the beltline notch portion of the cushion reacts against and is laterally and vertically supported by the beltline portion of the door to provide lateral stability to the cushion upon engagement by the occupant.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable restraint cushion for restraining a vehicle occupant is used in a vehicle having a vehicle side structure including a door having a beltline portion defining a lower boundary of a side window opening. The cushion includes an inboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle occupant and an opposite outboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle door. The outboard contact face includes a generally horizontally extending beltline notch portion shaped for matably aligning with and engaging the beltline portion of the door when the cushion is inflated. Upon engagement of the cushion by the occupant, the beltline notch portion of the cushion reacts against and is laterally and vertically supported by the beltline portion of the door to provide lateral stability to the cushion.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inflatable restraint cushion for restraining a vehicle occupant having a head portion and a torso portion, the cushion for use in a vehicle having a vehicle side structure including a door having a beltline portion defining a lower boundary of a side window opening, the cushion comprising:
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an inboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle occupant; and an outboard contact face opposite the inboard contact face, the outboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle door, the outboard contact face including a generally horizontally extending beltline notch portion shaped for matably aligning with and engaging the beltline portion of the door when the cushion is inflated whereby the beltline notch portion of the cushion reacts against and is laterally and vertically supported by the beltline portion of the door to provide lateral stability to the cushion upon engagement by the occupant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An inflatable restraint cushion for restraining a vehicle occupant, the cushion for use in a vehicle having a vehicle side structure including a door having a beltline portion defining a lower boundary of a side window opening, the cushion comprising:
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an upper portion for inflation generally above the beltline portion of the door; a lower portion for inflation generally below the beltline portion of the door; an inboard contact for inflation adjacent the vehicle occupant; an outboard contact for inflation adjacent the door; a tether being internal to the cushion, the tether having a first end secured to the outboard contact face and having a second end secured to the inboard contact face; and the outboard contact face including a generally horizontally extending beltline notch portion being an inwardly biased portion of the outboard contact face at the first end of the tether, the beltline notch portion shaped for matably engaging the beltline portion of the door when the cushion is inflated whereby the beltline notch portion of the cushion reacts against and is laterally and vertically supported by the beltline portion of the door to provide lateral stability to the cushion upon engagement by the occupant. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification