Assembly including a gas bag

• US 6,540,253 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Acker, Dominique, Heigl, Jürgen, Hofmann, Sven, Heilig, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/833,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/728.2, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0072 Convertible cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

An assembly consists of a vehicle door, an A-pillar of a vehicle and an inflatable gas bag. In the inflated condition, the gas bag is supported by the vehicle door and in the region of the A-pillar of the vehicle. The internal overpressure exceeds 10⁵ Pa (14.5 psi) in at least one part of the inflated gas bag.

Claims

1. An assembly consisting of:

a vehicle door,

an A-pillar of a vehicle, and

an inflatable gas bag located in said vehicle door,

said gas bag being supported by said vehicle door and in the region of said A-pillar of said vehicle in an inflated condition of said gas bag, and

said gas bag having an internal overpressure in said inflated state, said internal overpressure exceeding 10⁵ Pa (14.5 psi) in at least one part of said inflated gas bag.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gas bag is gas tight.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vehicle door comprises a windowsill, said gas bag being supported along a majority of said windowsill.

4. An assembly consisting of:

a vehicle door,

an A-pillar of a vehicle, and

an inflatable gas bag,

said gas bag being supported by said vehicle door and in the region of said A-pillar of said vehicle in an inflated condition of said gas bag,

said gas bag having an internal overpressure in said inflated state, said internal overpressure exceeding 10⁵ Pa (14.5 psi) in at least one part of said inflated gas bag,

said gas bag comprising two chambers, a first of said chambers forming an outer chamber and being configured tubular and having a high internal overpressure, and a second of said chamber forming an inner chamber and being cushion-shaped and having a lower internal overpressure, said first chamber surrounding said second chamber.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first chamber and said second chamber are not in flow connection with each other.

6. An assembly for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle without a roof contour upon the occurrence of a vehicle crash event, the assembly comprising:

a vehicle door including a window and a windowsill,

an A-pillar of a vehicle, and

an inflatable gas bag located in the vehicle door,

the A-pillar engaging and supporting at least a portion of the gas bag when inflated to stabilize the position of the inflated gas bag,

the gas bag, when inflated, having a rim extending along the windowsill, the windowsill engaging and supporting the rim of the gas bag to further stabilize the position of the inflated gas bag,

the gas bag having an internal overpressure when inflated, the internal overpressure exceeding 10⁵ Pa (14.5 psi) in at least one portion of the inflated gas bag.