Door mounted side restraint

• US 6,508,486 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weston, Douglas S., Welch, Jeffrey A., Anderson, Gregg G., Gopal, Madana M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US09/875,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/749, 280/743.1, 280/728.3, 280/743.2, 280/801.1, 280/808, 280/807
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/1955 Linear actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195

Abstract

A door mounted side restraint system is provided. The door mounted side restraint system includes an air bag module and a retention mechanism. The air bag module includes an inflatable cushion and an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable cushion. The inflator is activatable to inflate the inflatable cushion. The retention mechanism includes a retention strap and a tensioning device. The retention strap is connected to the inflatable cushion and is deployable across a side window of a vehicle such that a tarp-like effect is provided to the inflatable cushion by the retention strap.

Claims

1. A door mounted side restraint system, comprising:

a base plate connectable to said door;

a trim panel connected to said base plate by one or more fasteners;

a cavity formed between said base plate and said trim panel;

an air bag module including an inflatable cushion and an inflator in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said air bag module being stored in said cavity, said inflatable cushion being connected to said base plate in a non-breakaway manner by said one or more fasteners, said inflator being activatable to inflate said inflatable cushion to cause said one or more fasteners to release said trim panel from said base plate while retaining said inflatable cushion to said base plate; and

a retention mechanism including a retention strap and a tensioning device, said retention strap being connected to said inflatable cushion and being deployable across a window frame of a vehicle such that said retention strap assists in suspending said inflatable cushion about said window frame.

2. The door mounted side restraint system of claim 1, wherein said tensioning device provides tension to said retention strap to tighten said retention strap during inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said retention strap pulls said cushion to a deployed position across said window frame.

3. The door mounted side restraint system of claim 1, wherein said tensioning device provides tension to said retention strap to remove slack from said retention strap after said inflatable cushion is inflated such that said inflatable cushion pulls said retention strap to a deployed position across said window frame.

4. The door mounted side restraint system of claim 1, wherein said tensioning device is a motor.

5. The door mounted side restraint system of claim 1, wherein said tensioning device is a piston actuatable by said inflator.

6. The door mounted side restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing sew-out area of said inflatable cushion for slidably associating said retention strap and said inflatable cushion.

7. A door mounted air bag module, comprising:

a base plate connectable to a door of a vehicle;

a trim panel connected to said base plate by one or more breakaway fasteners;

a cavity formed between said base plate and said trim panel;

an inflatable cushion stored in said cavity; and

an inflator in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said inflator being activatable to inflate said inflatable cushion upon receipt of an ignition signal and said one or more breakaway fasteners being releasable by inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said trim panel moves away from said base plate, wherein said one or more breakaway fasteners connect said inflatable cushion to said base plate in a non-breakaway manner.

8. The door mounted air bag module of claim 7, further comprising a retention mechanism for maintaining at least a portion of said inflatable cushion in a deployed state across a window of said vehicle to provide a tension to said inflatable cushion, said retention mechanism being stored in said cavity.

9. The door mounted air bag module of claim 8, wherein said retention mechanism further comprises:

a retention strap slidably connected through said inflatable cushion, said retention strap being connectable to said vehicle between an upper rear corner and a lower front corner of said window; and

a tensioning device for taking up slack in said retention strap.

10. The door mounted air bag module of claim 7, wherein said inflatable cushion has a predetermined shape comprising an upper inflatable section and a lower inflatable section, said upper inflatable section and said lower inflatable section defining a recessed portion when said inflatable cushion is inflated.

11. The door mounted air bag module of claim 7, wherein said one or more breakaway fasteners comprise:

a stud having a first end and a second, said first end having a head and said second end having a thread for receiving a nut, said stud is secured through said base plate such that said head is adjacent said base plate;

a collar placeable over said stud secured through said base plate, said inflatable cushion includes a hole that is placeable over said stud such that said hole fits over said collar;

a washer placeable over said second end to hold said cushion in place on said collar when said nut is threadably received on said second end; and

a breakaway portion secured to said washer and to said trim panel, said breakaway portion being releasable by inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said trim panel moves away from said base plate and said inflatable cushion remains secured on said stud.

12. The door mounted air bag module of claim 11, wherein said breakaway portion is selected from the group consisting of a breakaway adhesive connection and a hook and loop connection.

13. The door mounted air bag module of claim 7, further comprising one or more tethers connected to said base plate and said trim panel such that upon inflation of said inflatable cushion said trim panel moves away from said base plate but is extendably retained to said base plate by said tethers.

14. A side restraint system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an air bag module including an inflatable cushion and an inflator, said inflatable cushion being secured to a base plate by a plurality of fasteners, said inflator being disposed in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said base plate being connectable to a door of the vehicle;

a trim panel being connected to said base plate by said plurality of fasteners; and

a cavity defined by said base plate and said trim panel, said cavity being sufficient to store said inflatable cushion in a non-inflated state, said inflator being activatable to inflate said inflatable cushion to cause said plurality of fasteners to release said trim panel from said base plate such that said inflatable cushion expands from said cavity, while said plurality of fasteners maintain said inflatable cushion retained to said base plate.

15. The side restraint system as in claim 14, further comprising a retention mechanism for maintaining at least a portion of said inflatable cushion in a deployed state across an opening of said door, said retention mechanism being configured for storage in said cavity.

16. The side restraint system as in claim 15, wherein said retention mechanism comprises:

a retention strap being connected to said inflatable cushion and being deployable by a tensioning device across said opening such that a tension is provided to said inflatable cushion by said retention strap.

17. The side restraint system as in claim 14, wherein said inflatable cushion has a predetermined shape when said inflatable cushion is inflated, said predetermined shape comprising an upper inflatable section, a lower inflatable section, and a recessed portion defined by said upper and lower inflatable sections.

18. The side restraint system as in claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of said fasteners comprises:

a first portion not being releasable by inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said inflatable cushion remains retained to said base plate; and

a second portion being releasable by inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said trim panel moves away from said base plate.

19. The side restraint system as in claim 18, wherein said first portion comprises:

a stud extending from said base plate;

a collar disposed over said stud, said collar being configured for receipt in a hole of said inflatable cushion; and

means for retaining said inflatable cushion on said collar.

20. The side restraint system as in claim 19, wherein said second portion comprises:

a breakaway portion releasably securing said trim panel to said first portion, said breakaway portion being releasable by inflation of said inflatable cushion such that said trim panel moves away from said base plate.

21. The side restraint system as in claim 20, wherein said breakaway portion is selected from the group consisting of an adhesive connection and a hook and loop connection.

22. The side restraint system as in claim 14, further comprising one or more tethers connecting said base plate and said trim panel such that upon inflation of said inflatable cushion said trim panel moves away from said base plate but is extendably retained to said base plate by said tethers.

23. The side restraint system as in claim 22, wherein said one or more tethers are integral with or remote from said plurality of fasteners.