Gas pressure restraint, sensing and release systems
First Claim
1. In apparatus for inflating a vehicular gas bag with gas from a bottle of compressed gas against an occupant in an emergency,the improvement comprising in combination:
- a gas pressure sensor having a sensor input coupled to said compressed gas in said bottle prior to an emergency, and having a sensed pressure output;
a variable gas inlet passage for said gas bag having a gas inlet passage variator coupled to said sensed pressure output;
a variable gas venting passage positioned in circumvention of said gas inlet passage and inverse to said variable gas inlet passage, and having a gas venting passage variator coupled to said sensed pressure output; and
a compressed gas release having a compressed gas outlet on said bottle connected to said gas inlet passage and to said variable gas venting passage.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
System for inflating a vehicular gas bag (10) with gas from a bottle of compressed gas (12) against an occupant (13) in an emergency include a gas pressure sensor (39) having a sensor input (20) coupled to compressed gas in the bottle prior to an emergency, and having a sensed pressure output (21). A variable gas inlet passage (15) for the gas bag has a gas inlet passage variator (22) coupled to the sensed pressure output (21), and a variable gas venting passage (16) positioned in circumvention of the gas inlet passage and inverse to the variable gas inlet passage (see 37 vs. 34), and having a gas venting passage variator (23) coupled to the sensed pressure output. A compressed gas release (25) having a compressed gas outlet (26) on the bottle is connected to the gas inlet passage (15) and to the variable gas venting passage (16). The gas pressure sensor (21) may be temperature-compensated (46-48). Gas discharge from the bottle (12) to the bag (10) may be shaped, such as with the aid of a temporary compressed gas flow restriction (52, 54, 55), for a more controlled gas discharge from the bottle or for a more gentle inflation of the gas bag.
20 Citations
85 Claims
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1. In apparatus for inflating a vehicular gas bag with gas from a bottle of compressed gas against an occupant in an emergency,
the improvement comprising in combination: -
a gas pressure sensor having a sensor input coupled to said compressed gas in said bottle prior to an emergency, and having a sensed pressure output; a variable gas inlet passage for said gas bag having a gas inlet passage variator coupled to said sensed pressure output; a variable gas venting passage positioned in circumvention of said gas inlet passage and inverse to said variable gas inlet passage, and having a gas venting passage variator coupled to said sensed pressure output; and a compressed gas release having a compressed gas outlet on said bottle connected to said gas inlet passage and to said variable gas venting passage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. In apparatus for discharging gas from a bottle of compressed gas,
the improvement comprising in combination: -
a gas pressure sensor having a sensor input coupled to said compressed gas in said bottle prior to gas discharge; a sensed-pressure temperature compensator in combination with said gas pressure sensor; and a gas pressure indicator coupled to said pressure sensor. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. In a method of inflating a vehicular gas bag with gas from a bottle of compressed gas against an occupant in an emergency,
the improvement comprising in combination: -
providing said gas bag with a variable gas inlet passage; providing a variable gas venting passage in circumvention of said gas inlet passage; sensing gas pressure of said compressed gas in said bottle prior to an emergency; inversely varying said variable gas inlet passage with said sensed gas pressure prior to an emergency; varying said variable gas venting passage conversely to said variable gas inlet passage prior to said emergency; and inflating said gas bag in an emergency with gas at a pressure adapted to safety requirements by opening said bottle of compressed gas to said inversely varied gas inlet passage and to said conversely varied gas venting passage during said emergency, thereby venting excess gas as necessitated by said safety requirements, while inflating said gas bag from said bottle of compressed gas. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. In a method of discharging gas from a bottle of compressed gas,
the improvement comprising in combination: -
sensing gas pressure of said compressed gas in said bottle prior to a gas discharge; compensating temperature-induced pressure variations of said compressed gas; and indicating temperature-compensated sensed pressure of gas in said bottle. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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Specification