Apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant's legs

• US 6,217,059 B1
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG, TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Pajela, Juede P., Cabral, Cris C., Felix, Albert N., Brown, Kevin M., Heilig, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/374,872
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/732, 280/729, 280/752, 280/753
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0053 Legs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23176 specially adapted for foot protection
• 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 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A safety apparatus (70) for helping to protect an occupant (30) of a vehicle (10) in the event of a vehicle collision comprises an air bag system including at least one inflatable air bag (80) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition. The air bag (80), when inflated, unlocks at least one of the occupant'"'"'s knees (50) to minimize forces transmitted through at least the corresponding one of the occupant'"'"'s legs (40) to the occupant'"'"'s pelvis (36). Seat belt webbing (74) restrains forward movement of the occupant (30) relative to the vehicle (10) when the occupant'"'"'s knee (50) is unlocked.

Claims

1. A safety apparatus for helping to protect the lower legs of a vehicle occupant during a vehicle collision, said safety apparatus including:

a first air bag inflatable into engagement with the bottom of at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s shoes; and

a second air bag inflatable into engagement with the back of at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs.

2. A safety apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including a third air bag inflatable into engagement with the front of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs.

3. A safety apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including fourth and fifth air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.

4. A safety apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including additional air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.

5. A safety apparatus for helping to protect the lower legs of a vehicle occupant during a vehicle collision, said apparatus comprising:

an inflatable air bag inflatable into a position to engage the back of at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs; and

an inflator for inflating said inflatable air bag.

6. A safety apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said inflatable air bag, when inflated by said inflator, has a portion which engages the back of the at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs and which raises the at least one lower leg to unlock the vehicle occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

7. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 6 further including a second inflatable air bag which, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s shoes and lifts the at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the at least one lower leg to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

8. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 7 further including additional air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.

9. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 6 further including a second air bag inflatable into engagement with the shin of each of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs to help pivot the lower legs at the occupant'"'"'s knees rearwardly in the vehicle.

10. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 9 further including a third inflatable air bag which, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s shoes and lifts at least a corresponding one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the corresponding lower leg to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

11. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 6 further including a second air bag which is inflatable in front of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cushion forward movement of the lower legs in a vehicle collision.

12. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 11 further including third and fourth air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.

13. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 6 further including additional air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.

14. A safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a vehicle collision, said apparatus comprising:

an air bag system including at least one inflatable air bag having a deflated condition and an inflated condition,

said air bag, when inflated, unlocking at least one of the occupant'"'"'s knees to minimize forces transmitted through at least the corresponding one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to the occupant'"'"'s pelvis; and

seat belt webbing for restraining forward movement of the occupant relative to the vehicle when the at least one of the occupant'"'"'s knees is unlocked;

said at least one air bag being inflated into engagement with the at least one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the at least one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee;

said at least one air bag engaging the back of the at least one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs and raising the at least one lower leg to cause the at least one lower leg to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

15. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 14 further including another air bag which is inflatable in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cushion forward movement of the lower legs in a vehicle collision.

16. A safety apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, said safety apparatus comprising:

a first air bag inflatable into a first position adjacent one side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant;

a second air bag inflatable into a second position adjacent the other side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant; and

a third air bag inflatable into engagement with the back of at least one of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs.

17. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 16 further including a fourth air bag inflatable into engagement with the front of the vehicle occupant'"'"'s lower legs.

18. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 17 further including a fifth inflatable air bag which, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s shoes and lifts at least a corresponding one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the corresponding one of the lower legs to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

19. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further including a fourth inflatable air bag which, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s shoes and lifts at least a corresponding one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the corresponding one of the lower legs to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

20. A safety apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, said safety apparatus comprising:

a first air bag inflatable into a first position adjacent one side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant;

a second air bag inflatable into a second position adjacent the other side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant; and

a third inflatable air bag which, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s shoes and lifts at least a corresponding one of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to cause the corresponding one of the lower legs to pivot at the occupant'"'"'s corresponding knee.

21. The safety apparatus as defined in claim 20 further including a fourth inflatable air bag wherein said fourth air bag is inflatable into engagement with the shin of each of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to help pivot the lower legs at the occupant'"'"'s knees rearwardly in the vehicle and to cushion forward movement of the lower legs in a vehicle collision.

22. A safety apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, said safety apparatus comprising:

a first air bag inflatable into a first position adjacent one side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant;

a second air bag inflatable into a second position adjacent the other side of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant; and

a third air bag inflatable into engagement with the shin of each of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs to help pivot the lower legs at the occupant'"'"'s knees rearwardly in the vehicle and to cushion forward movement of the lower legs in a vehicle collision.