Side impact and roll over inflatable head protector

• US 6,312,009 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Håland, Yngve, Andersson, Sture, Florberger, Lars-Erik, Valkenburg, Simomn, Svensson, I. Jörgen
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/589,402
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/728.1, 280/753, 280/749
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A safety device for a motor vehicle which has a door frame and a door contained within the door frame. The safety device includes: a gas generator; a sensor for sensing at least one of a side impact and a roll-over for activating the gas generator; and an inflatable element connected to the gas generator for being inflated with gas from the gas generator upon activation of the gas generator. The inflatable element can thus assume a non-inflated mode and an inflated mode and can further be positioned adjacent the door in an inflated-mode thereof. The inflatable element is further made of fabric and includes: a first fabric layer defining a front part thereof; a second fabric layer defining a back part thereof, selected parts of the first fabric layer and second fabric layer being interconnected for defining one of linear and point shaped links where the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer are directly secured together. The inflatable element thus incorporates a plurality of substantially parallel elongated cells defined between the links, the cells being configured such that, upon inflation of the inflatable element with the gas from the gas generator, a lower edge portion of the inflatable element is tensioned. The inflatable element further includes an upper edge portion which is configured to be secured to the door frame all along a non-linear part of the door frame.

Claims

1. A safety device in a motor vehicle having a door frame comprising:

a gas generator;

a sensor associated with said gas generator for sensing one of a side impact and a roll-over that activates said gas generator;

an inflatable element connected to said gas generator to be inflated by gas from said gas generator upon activation of said gas generator, said inflatable element comprising;

a first layer to define a front part of said inflatable element;

a second layer to define a back part of said inflatable element, with selected parts of the first layer and the second layer being interconnected to define regions where the front part and the back part of said inflatable element are secured together forming elongated cells; and

an upper edge portion secured at selected points to a non-linear part of the door frame, said upper edge portion being non-linear and conforming to the non-linear part of the door frame whereby, when inflated, said inflatable element is positioned adjacent a window of a door contained in the door frame and said cells being designed such that on inflation of the inflatable element, a line of tension is created along said inflatable element; and

a strap connected to a part of the inflatable element and to the door frame.

2. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable element, in a non-inflated mode, is initially stored in a recess provided in the door frame.

3. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein said inflatable element is made of fabric and said first and second layers are first and second fabric layers.

4. A safety device according to claim 3, wherein the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer are interconnected at the selected parts thereof by being interwoven with on another at said regions.

5. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the cells are configured to be in gas flow communication with one another.

6. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the cells are spaced apart from each other.

7. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the cells have a conical shape when the inflatable element is inflated.

8. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable element, when inflated, extends past a B-post of the vehicle.

9. A safety device in a motor vehicle having a door frame comprising:

a gas generator;

a sensor associated with said gas generator for sensing one of a side impact and a roll-over that activates said gas generator;

an inflatable element connected to said gas generator to be inflated by gas from said gas generator upon activation of said gas generator, said inflatable element comprising;

a first layer to define a front part of said inflatable element;

a second layer to define a back part of said inflatable element, with selected parts of the first layer and the second layer being interconnected to define regions where the front part and the back part of said inflatable element are secured together forming elongated cells; and

an upper edge portion secured at selected points to a non-linear part of the door frame, said upper edge portion being non-linear and conforming to the non-linear part of the door frame whereby, when inflated, said inflatable element is positioned adjacent a window of a door contained in the door frame and said cells being designed such that on inflation of the inflatable element, a line of tension is created along said inflatable element; and

a tensioning device for applying tension to the inflatable element when it is inflated.

10. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein the inflatable element, in a non-inflated mode, is initially stored in a recess provided in the door frame.

11. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein said inflatable element is made of fabric and said first and second layers are first and second fabric layers.

12. A safety device according to claim 11, wherein the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer are interconnected at the selected parts thereof by being interwoven with one another at said regions.

13. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein the cells are configured to be in gas flow communication with one another.

14. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein the cells are spaced apart from each other.

15. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein at least some of the cells have a conical shape when the inflatable element is inflated.

16. A safety device according to claim 9, wherein the inflatable element, when inflated, extends past a B-post of the vehicle.

17. A safety device in a motor vehicle having a door frame comprising:

a gas generator;

a sensor associated with said gas generator for sensing one of a side impact and a roll-over that activates said gas generator;

an inflatable element connected to said gas generator to be inflated by gas from said gas generator upon activation of said gas generator, said inflatable element comprising;

a first layer to define a front part of said inflatable element;

a second layer to define a back part of said inflatable element, with selected parts of the first layer and the second layer being interconnected to define regions where the front part and the back part of said inflatable element are secured together forming elongated cells; and

an upper edge portion secured at selected points to a non-linear part of the door frame, said upper edge portion being non-linear and conforming to the non-linear part of the door frame whereby, when inflated, said inflatable element is positioned adjacent a window of a door contained in the door frame and said cells being designed such that on inflation of the inflatable element, a line of tension is created along said inflatable element; and

position retaining means connected to a part of the inflatable element for retaining a position of the part of the inflatable element on the door frame when the inflatable element is inflated, the position retaining means comprising;

a component adapted to move from an initial position to a further position upon inflation of the inflatable element; and

means operatively connected to the component for retaining the component in said further position.

18. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein the inflatable element, in a non-inflated mode, is initially stored in a recess provided in the door frame.

19. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein said inflatable element is made of fabric and said first and second layers are first and second fabric layers.

20. A safety device according to claim 19, wherein the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer are interconnected at the selected parts thereof by being interwoven with one another at said regions.

21. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein the cells are configured to be in gas flow communication with one another.

22. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein the cells are spaced apart from each other.

23. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein at least some of the cells have a conical shape when the inflatable element is inflated.

24. A safety device according to claim 17, wherein the inflatable element, when inflated, extends past a B-post of the vehicle.