Inflatable restraint assembly for vehicles
First Claim
1. An inflatable restraint assembly for motor vehicles, said restraint assembly comprising:
- a) at least one inflatable member mounted within the vehicle adjacent an intended position of an occupant, b) a fluid source connected in communication with said inflatable member, c) a valve assembly mounted in flow regulating relation between said fluid source and said inflatable member, d) means for sensing pressure within said inflatable member, and e) a processor operatively connected to said valve assembly and said pressure sensing means, wherein said processor actively and continuously regulates pressure within said inflatable member in response to at least an initial impact force of the occupant with said inflatable member.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable restraint system intended for use primarily, but not exclusively, within motor vehicles to protect occupants from injury resulting from a collision, crash or other impact type of accident in which the vehicle is involved. A plurality of inflatable members are mounted at a plurality of strategic locations relative to the various positions assumed by occupants within the vehicle, such that upon the vehicle being impacted, a central processing unit or like processor structured to sense the impact will automatically inflate the inflatable members so that they assume a protective position which will interact with the occupant in a manner which, unlike conventional airbags, both actively absorbs and resists the force of the impact resulting from the occupant coming into contact, at an accelerated rate, with the inflatable member(s). The processor is operatively connected to a valve assembly disposed in regulating relation to air flow both into and out of the inflatable member, and is further responsive to a pressure sensor assembly, so as to actively regulate pressure within the inflatable member and thereby minimize repetitive acceleration-deceleration motion of the occupant by both absorbing and resisting the force of impact of the occupant on the inflatable member.
55 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An inflatable restraint assembly for motor vehicles, said restraint assembly comprising:
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a) at least one inflatable member mounted within the vehicle adjacent an intended position of an occupant, b) a fluid source connected in communication with said inflatable member, c) a valve assembly mounted in flow regulating relation between said fluid source and said inflatable member, d) means for sensing pressure within said inflatable member, and e) a processor operatively connected to said valve assembly and said pressure sensing means, wherein said processor actively and continuously regulates pressure within said inflatable member in response to at least an initial impact force of the occupant with said inflatable member. - 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)
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24. An inflatable restraint assembly for a motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a) at least one inflatable member mounted within the vehicle adjacent an intended position of an occupant, b) said inflatable member comprising a first plurality of internally disposed chambers def ining an impact absorption zone and a second plurality of internally disposed chambers defining an impact resistance zone, c) a fluid source connected in fluid communication with both said first and second plurality of chambers, d) a valve assembly mounted in flow regulating relation between said fluid source and said first and second plurality of chambers, e) a sensor assembly operatively connected to said inflatable member and structured to determine pressure within said first and second plurality of chambers, f) a processor operatively connected to at least said valve assembly and responsive to said sensor assembly to continuously regulate flow of fluid to and from said first and second plurality of chambers, and g) said processor and said valve assembly cooperatively structured to establish a predetermined gradient pressure differential between said impact absorption and said impact resistance zones based on an impact force of an occupant with said inflatable member. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An inflatable restraint assembly for a motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a) at least a first inflatable member and a second inflatable member mounted in the vehicle adjacent to an intended position of an occupant, b) said first and second inflatable members disposed in substantially opposed relation to one another and cooperatively positioned to restrain substantially oppositely directed motions of the occupant, c) each of said first and second inflatable members comprising a first plurality of internally disposed chambers defining an impact absorption zone and a second plurality of internally disposed chambers defining an impact resistance zone, d) a fluid source connected in fluid communication with both said first and second plurality of chambers of each of said first and second inflatable members, e) a valve assembly mounted in flow regulating relation between said fluid source and said first and second plurality of chambers of each of said first and second inflatable members, f) a sensor assembly operatively connected to each of said first and second inflatable members and structured to determine pressure within said first and second plurality of chambers, g) a processor operatively connected to at least said valve assembly and responsive to said sensor assembly to continuously regulate flow of fluid into and out of said first and second plurality of chambers of each of said first and second inflatable members, and h) said processor and said valve assembly cooperatively structured to establish a predetermined gradient pressure differential between said impact absorption and said impact resistance zones of each of said first and second inflatable members in response to the impact force of an occupant with said first and second inflatable members. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification