Safety restraint

• US 6,129,385 A
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Blackadder, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US09/200,621
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 280/805, 180/282, 297/470, 267/226, 188/313, 188/314, 188/318, 188/322.13, 137/48, 137/47, 137/51
• US Class Current: 280/805
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/282 using fluids or vico-elastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/288 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/28 incorporating energy-absorbing devices belt anchors provided with energy-absorbing means for protecting the occupants in case of physical contact therewith B60R21/055; belt retractors comprising energy-absorbing means B60R22/341, B60R22/4676
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/512 Means responsive to load action, i.e. static load on the damper or dynamic fluid pressure changes in the damper, e.g. due to changes in velocity F16F9/504, F16F9/516 take precedence; non-automatic damper adjustment from a distance using servo control, the servo pressure being created by the flow of damping fluid F16F9/465; self-pumping fluid springs in vehicle suspensions B60G17/044

Abstract

A load limiting apparatus for a vehicle safety restraint belt is inserted in the force path between a mounting for a seat belt and a vehicle occupant. The load limiting apparatus has a vessel which contains fluid. The fluid is moved from one part of the vessel to another through a valve having a tapering profile to decrease the open area of a constriction as a function of the deceleration of the vehicle in a crash. Ideally the load limiting is self regulating and the force absorbed increases with increasing crash severity.

Claims

1. A load limiting apparatus for a vehicle safety restraint belt for insertion in the force path between a mounting for the belt and a vehicle occupant restrained by the belt during deceleration of a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

(a) a vessel

(b) a fluid contained in the vessel; and

(c) means for moving the fluid from one part of the vessel to another through a valve means adapted to change an open area in a constriction, the valve means having a tapering profile to decrease the open area of the constriction as a function of the deceleration of the vehicle in a crash.

2. The load limiting apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vessel is a cylinder and the fluid moving means is a piston.

3. The load limiting apparatus of claim 2 wherein the piston is spring loaded.

4. A load limiting apparatus for a vehicle safety restraint belt for insertion in the force path between a mounting for the belt and a vehicle occupant restrained by the belt during deceleration of a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

(a) a vessel

(b) a fluid contained in the vessel; and

(c) means for moving the fluid from one part of the vessel to another through a valve means adapted to change an open area in a constriction, the valve means having a tapering profile to decrease the open area of the constriction as a function of the deceleration of the vehicle in a crash, wherein the vehicle is travelling at a speed and the area of the constriction is decreased by a factor of the speed to a power n where n is between 1 and 2, so as to absorb a higher proportion of the load for higher speeds.

5. The load limiting apparatus of claim 4 wherein the vessel is a cylinder and the fluid moving means is a piston.

6. The load limiting apparatus of claim 5 wherein the piston is spring loaded.

7. The load limiting apparatus of claim 4 wherein the valve means comprises a feedback pipe having at least one constriction forming at least one valve seat for a tapering spring loaded valve.

8. The load limiting apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a narrow bypass tube arranged to allow a spring to re-set a mechanism and to allow fluid to flow during normal use but is sufficiently narrow to prevent a large volume of fluid flowing therethrough in a crash situation.

9. A load limiting apparatus for a vehicle safety restraint belt for insertion in the force path between a mounting for the belt and a vehicle occupant restrained by the belt during deceleration of a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

(a) a vessel

(b) a fluid contained in the vessel; and

(c) means for moving the fluid from one part of the vessel to another through a valve means adapted to change an open area in a constriction, the valve means having a tapering profile to decrease the open area of the constriction as a function of the deceleration of the vehicle in a crash, wherein the valve means comprises a feedback pipe having at least one constriction forming at least one valve seat for a tapering spring loaded valve.

10. The load limiting apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a narrow bypass tube arranged to allow a spring to re-set a mechanism and to allow fluid to flow during normal use but is sufficiently narrow to prevent a large volume of fluid flowing therethrough in a crash situation.