Air bag with externally mounted tether

• US 5,765,867 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: French, Sophia
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/642,545
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members

Abstract

A vehicle occupant safety device using: an air bag module (22) including: a housing (24) having a plurality of walls (26a,b) defining a cavity (32) and an open end (30); an air bag (50) received within the cavity, and within the open end in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expands through the open end to an inflated configuration sufficient to protect the occupant; an inflator (40) operatively received with the housing (24) for providing inflation gas to inflate the air bag; and an external tether (70) enveloping the air bag, including at least one open sided breakable band for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward the occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded and thereafter after the band is fully opened, to permit the air bag to inflate forwardly without retardation.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag (50) initially in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expands to an inflated configuration to protect the occupant;

inflator means (40) for providing inflation gas to inflate the air bag;

external tether means (70) comprising at least one open sided, breakable band loosely positioned about the exterior of the folded air bag for permitting the air bag to inflate forwardly a predetermined distance and thereafter after the air bag has contacted a forward portion of the band retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant while permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded and thereafter after the band is fully opened, to permit the air bag to inflate forwardly without retardation.

2. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag (50) initially in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expanding to an inflated configuration to protect the occupant;

inflator means (40) for providing inflation gas to inflate the air bag;

external tether means (70) initially about a portion of the exterior of the folded air bag, comprising first means for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded and then for permitting the air bag to controllably travel forwardly, wherein the external tether means comprises;

at least one piece of material formed into a loop portion (90) about the air bag (50) and a frangible portion (91) extending a substantial distance from the loop portion.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the frangible portion (91) comprises a first and a second panel portion (72a,b) joined together along substantially the entire length of the frangible portion, wherein the joined together portions are pulled apart in a serial manner in response to the forward motion of the air bag, the joined portion being completely separated as the air bag inflates toward the occupant.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein the first and second panel portions are joined together by one of sewing and bonding.

5. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the the external tether means is formed by two pieces of joined material.

7. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the loop portion (90) has a diameter greater than that of the folded air bag to provided an off-set (81) therebetween to enable the air bag to expand forwardly a small distance and thereafter to expand laterally out from the housing.

8. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein sides of the tether means include a narrowed portion.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein the narrowed portion is formed by an arcuate concave section.

10. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein the narrowed portion is formed by an angled notch.

11. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the tether means wherein the frangible portion is of a generally truncated triangular shape.

12. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein sides of the frangible portion of the tether means are convex shaped.

13. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the frangible portion includes a plurality of spaced bands (102) extending from the loop portion.

14. The device as defined in claim 2 including a housing for supporting the inflator means.

6. The device as defined in 2 wherein the external tether means includes a single piece of material.

15. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag (50) initially in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expands to an inflated configuration to protect the occupant;

inflator means (40) for providing inflation gas to inflate the air bag;

external tether means (70) initially about a portion of the exterior of the folded air bag, for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded, wherein the tether means is off-set (81) from the air bag to provide an open sided loop to permit the air bag to expand laterally outwardly.

16. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag module (22) comprising;

external tether means (70) comprising at least one open sided, breakable band loosely positioned about the exterior of the folded air bag for permitting the air bag to inflate forwardly a predetermined distance and thereafter after the air bag has contacted a forward portion of the band for sequentially tearing to slow the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant while permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is slowed and thereafter after the band is fully opened, to permit the air bag to inflate forwardly without retardation.

17. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag module (22) comprising;

external tether means (70) initially about a portion of the exterior of a folded air bag, for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward the occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded,

wherein the external tether means comprises;

at least one piece of material formed into a loop portion (90) about the air bag (50) and a frangible portion (91) extending a substantial length from the loop portion and the frangible portion including securement means, running subtantially along the length of the frangible portion, generally in the forward inflation direction of the inflating air bag, for permitting the frangible portion to open in a sequential or serial manner restrainging the forward motion of the air bag as it opens.

18. The device as defined in claim 17 wherein the air bag (50) is received within a cavity of a housing (24), in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expands through an open top to an inflated configuration to protect an occupant.

19. The device as defined in claim 17 wherein the frangible portion (91) comprises first and second panel portions (72a,b) joined together forming a joined portion, the joined portion being completely separated as the air bag inflates toward the occupant.

20. The device as defined in claim 17 wherein the external tether means is formed by two pieces of joined material.

21. The device as defined in claim 17 wherein the loop (90) has a diameter greater than that of the folded air bag to provided an off-set (81) therebetween to enable the air bag to expand forwardly a small distance from a housing and thereafter to expanded laterally out from the housing.

22. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

an air bag (50) initially in a folded configuration and when inflatable by inflation gas expands to an inflated configuration to protect the occupant;

external tether means (70) initially about a portion of the exterior of the folded air bag, comprising at least one open sided, breakable band for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded and thereafter after the band is fully opened, to permit the air bag to inflate forwardly without retardation, wherein the external tether means comprises;

at least one piece of material formed into a loop portion (90) about the air bag (50) and a frangible portion (91) extending a substantial distance from the loop portion and openable in a sequential or serial manner by the forward motion of the air bag.

23. A vehicle occupant safety device comprising:

air bag (50) initially in a folded configuration and when inflated by inflation gas expanding to an inflated configuration to protect the occupant;

external tether means (70) initially about a portion of the exterior of the folded air bag, for initially retarding the forward motion of the inflating air bag toward an occupant and for permitting the inflating air bag to inflate laterally or sideways while its forward motion is retarded, wherein the external tether means comprises;

a first portion including a piece of material positioned forwardly of the folded air bag forming a loop portion thereabout and a frangible portion (91) extending substantially from the loop portion and openable in a sequential or serial manner as the air bag inflates in a forward direction.