Arrangement for providing deployment of inflatable member coaxially with safety belt portion and related method

• US 6,382,666 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Universal Propulsion Company Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Devonport, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US09/524,352
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/733, 280/743.1, 280/801.1, 280/808
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

A safety belt system for a vehicle to protect an occupant having an inflatable member attached at one portion to the vehicle with the remainder of the inflatable member free to move along the safety belt during the inflation of the inflatable member. The safety belt system may be buckled up or not during such inflation.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety restraint system for protecting an occupant, wherein a seat belt arrangement has buckled-up and unbuckled-up modes, comprising:

a belt portion adjacent a seat;

an inflatable member adjacent the belt portion, wherein a portion of the inflatable member is part of the seat; and

an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable member in both buckled-up and unbuckled-up modes;

wherein, the inflatable member is elongated and having two spaced apart end portions with one end portion attached to the seat and the other end portion free to travel along the belt portion as the inflatable member inflated.

2. The vehicle safety restraint system of claim 1 in which the seat belt arrangement is buckled up during inflation of the inflatable member and in which the belt portion guides the inflatable member during such inflation.

3. The vehicle safety restraint system of claim 1 in which the inflatable member surrounds the belt portion prior to and after inflation.

4. The vehicle safety restraint system of claim 1 in which the seat belt arrangement is not buckled up during inflation of the inflatable member and the inflatable member guides the belt portion during such inflation.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the seat belt arrangement is a three point belt arrangement.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the seat belt arrangement is a four point belt arrangement.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the seat belt arrangement is a two point belt arrangement.

8. The vehicle restraint system of claim 1, wherein the seat further comprises a housing.

9. The vehicle restraint system of claim 8, wherein the housing is mounted on a top surface of the seat.

10. The vehicle restraint system of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises the inflator.

11. A method of restraining an occupant in a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing a seat with a safety belt system having buckled-up and unbuckled modes;

positioning an inflatable member adjacent the safety belt system within a housing, wherein the housing is part of the seat; and

deploying the inflatable member with an inflator in such a manner that the inflatable member is engaged by the belt system when inflated in a buckled-up or unbuckled-up mode;

wherein, the inflatable member is elongated and having two spaced apart end portion with one end portion attached to the housing and the other end portion free to travel along the belt portion during the deploying step.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the safety belt system is buckled up during the deploying step and the belt portion guides the inflatable member during such inflation.

13. The method of claim 11 in which the inflatable member is positioned to surround the belt portion prior to and after inflation.

14. The method of claim 11 in which the safety belt system is not buckled up during the deploying step and the inflatable member guides the belt portion during such inflation.

15. The method of claim 11 in which the seat belt system is a three point belt arrangement.

16. The method of claim 11 in which the seat belt system is a four point belt arrangement.

17. The method of claim 11 in which the safety belt system is a two point belt arrangement.

18. A method of restraining an occupant in a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing a seat with a safety belt system;

locating an inflatable member around a safety belt system, wherein the inflatable member has two end portions;

supplying an inflation arrangement for inflating the inflatable member;

providing a housing to contain the inflatable member and the inflation arrangement, wherein the housing is part of the seat; and

connecting one end portion of the inflatable member to a portion of the housing, whereby upon inflation of the inflatable member the connected end does not move relative to the safety belt while the other end travels along the safety belt system.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the safety belt system is a three point belt arrangement.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the safety belt system has buckled-up and unbuckled-up modes, and wherein the inflatable member is inflated in the unbuckled-up mode.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the safety belt system has buckled-up and unbuckled-up modes, and wherein the inflatable member is inflated in the buckled-up mode.