Rollover air bag system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An airbag inflation system for protecting a vehicle occupant positioned in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
- an ambient air compression system including a holding and storage tank for providing compressed air to a plurality of vehicle systems;
vehicle interior sides defining the passenger compartment;
a passenger seat situated along one vehicle interior side in the passenger compartment;
a track positioned on the vehicle interior side adjacent the passenger seat;
an airbag mounted to deploy along the track between the vehicle occupant seated on the passenger seat and the vehicle interior side;
a pump for compressing ambient air;
the general purpose air storage tank connected to the pump to receive compressed air from the pump;
an air line connected between the tank and the airbag;
means for releasing compressed air from the tank to the air line; and
means responsive to a vehicle rollover event for actuating the means for releasing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag inflation system for a vehicle utilizes a truck'"'"'s an ambient air compression system including a holding tank for providing compressed air to vehicle systems and an air pump. An outlet is added to the holding tank with a frangible seal closing the outlet until discharge of the air is required to inflate the airbag. An air line connecting the outlet to the airbag is filled upon activation of a squib for breaking the frangible seal upon detection of a rollover related event.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An airbag inflation system for protecting a vehicle occupant positioned in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
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an ambient air compression system including a holding and storage tank for providing compressed air to a plurality of vehicle systems;
vehicle interior sides defining the passenger compartment;
a passenger seat situated along one vehicle interior side in the passenger compartment;
a track positioned on the vehicle interior side adjacent the passenger seat;
an airbag mounted to deploy along the track between the vehicle occupant seated on the passenger seat and the vehicle interior side;
a pump for compressing ambient air;
the general purpose air storage tank connected to the pump to receive compressed air from the pump;
an air line connected between the tank and the airbag;
means for releasing compressed air from the tank to the air line; and
means responsive to a vehicle rollover event for actuating the means for releasing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
a vehicle brake system actuable by compressed air; and
a valve for discharging compressed air from the tank to the vehicle brake system.
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3. The airbag inflation system of claim 2, wherein the means for releasing includes:
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an opening to the tank;
a frangible seat closing the opening; and
a squib responsive to the means for actuating disposed to open the frangible seal.
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4. The airbag inflation system of claim 2, wherein the means for releasing includes a valve responsive to the means for actuating.
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5. An airbag inflation system for a passenger compartment defined within interior sides of a vehicle, the airbag inflation system comprising:
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a plurality of compressed air actuated systems including a brake system;
an ambient air compression system including a holding tank for providing compressed air to the plurality of vehicle systems;
an outlet from the holding tank;
a frangible seal closing the outlet;
a track running along at least one interior side of the passenger compartment;
an airbag partly mounted in the track to expand upon inflation along the track;
an air line connecting the outlet to the airbag; and
a squib for breaking the frangible seal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
means responsive to vehicle rollover conditions for actuating the squib.
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7. An airbag inflation system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the ambient air compression system further includes a pump for delivering air to the holding tank through an inlet to the holding tank.
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8. An airbag inflation system as set forth in claim 7, and further comprising a plurality of air driven vehicle vocations coupled to the holding tank.
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9. An vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of differentiated compressed air actuable systems;
an air compression system;
a compressed air reservoir fed by the air compression system and connected to actuate the plurality of differentiated compressed air actuable systems;
a passenger compartment defined by interior sides of the vehicle;
a track along at least one interior side;
an inflatable airbag mounted with respect to the track to expand along the track upon inflation;
a rollover detector responsive to a vehicle rollover event for generating an airbag inflation signal;
an outlet from the compressed air reservoir;
an air line connecting the outlet to the airbag;
a frangible seal closing the outlet; and
a squib responsive to the airbag inflation signal for breaking the frangible seal.
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Specification