Air bag module with vent
First Claim
1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
- a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining that said inflatable device has been inflated into the inflated condition;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said inflatable device; and
vehicle electric circuitry for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said inflatable device when said seat belt system is determined to be in the buckled condition and after said inflatable device has been determined to have reached the inflated condition.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) comprises a seat belt system (50) having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition, and a sensor (56) for determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system. An inflatable occupant protection device (12) has a deflated condition and an inflated condition. An inflator (32) is actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device (12). The protection apparatus (10) includes an electrically energizable mechanism (44) for venting inflation fluid from the protection apparatus (10). Electric circuitry (40) is responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system (50) and the inflated condition of the inflatable device (12), for actuating the electrically energizable mechanism (44) to vent inflation fluid.
22 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining that said inflatable device has been inflated into the inflated condition;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said inflatable device; and
vehicle electric circuitry for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said inflatable device when said seat belt system is determined to be in the buckled condition and after said inflatable device has been determined to have reached the inflated condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
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3. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus, wherein said means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device comprises clock means for determining the passage of a predetermined period of time after actuation of said inflator. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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9. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus;
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
means for sensing occupant position relative to said reaction canister, and wherein said vehicle electric circuitry is responsive to a determination of occupant position for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus, wherein a determination is made whether and when to actuate said electrically energizable mechanism on the basis of sensed occupant position, wherein said inflator is a dual stage inflator having first and second independently actuatable stages, said vehicle electric circuitry being responsive to actuate said electrically energizable mechanism only in response to actuation of both stages of said inflator, and wherein said means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device comprises clock means for determining the passage of a predetermined period of time after actuation of said inflator.
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11. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus;
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus;
means for sensing occupant position relative to said reaction canister, and wherein said vehicle electric circuitry is responsive to a determination of occupant position for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
a crash sensor operative to provide an output signal indicative of vehicle deceleration over time, said vehicle electric circuitry being operative to calculate or predict occupant movement toward said reaction canister on the basis of the output signal of said crash sensor and to compare calculated or predicted occupant movement with sensed occupant position in determining actuation of said electrically energizable mechanism, wherein said inflator is a dual stage inflator having first and second independently actuatable stages, said vehicle electric circuitry being responsive to actuate said electrically energizable mechanism only in response to actuation of both stages of said inflator, and wherein said means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device comprises clock means for determining the passage of a predetermined period of time after actuation of said inflator.
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12. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said protection apparatus; and
vehicle electric circuitry, responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system and the inflated condition of said inflatable device, for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus, said inflator being a dual stage inflator having first and second independently actuatable stages, said vehicle electric circuitry being responsive to actuate said electrically energizable mechanism only in response to actuation of both stages of said inflator;
wherein said means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device comprises clock means for determining the passage of a predetermined period of time after actuation of said inflator; and
wherein said apparatus includes a controller, said controller including said means for determining the inflated condition of said inflatable device, said controller including said vehicle electric circuitry for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said protection apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising:
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a seat belt system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat, said seat belt system having a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition;
means for determining the buckled condition of said seat belt system;
an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat;
an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;
an electrically energizable mechanism for venting inflation fluid from said inflatable device;
a crash sensor operative to provide output signals, each output signal having a value that is indicative of vehicle deceleration; and
vehicle electric circuitry being responsive to a determination of the buckled condition of said seat belt system for actuating said electrically energizable mechanism to vent inflation fluid from said inflatable device after said inflatable device has been inflated into the inflated condition;
said vehicle electric circuitry being operative to calculate or predict occupant movement toward said inflatable device on the basis of the output signals of said crash sensor and to determine when the occupant will contact said inflatable device when said inflatable device is in the inflated condition, said vehicle electric circuitry controlling actuation of said electrically energizable mechanism based upon a determination of when the occupant will contact said inflatable device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device with an inflated condition and a deflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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inflating the protection device;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining the inflated condition of the protection device; and
venting inflation fluid from the protection device in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system and a determination that the protection device has been inflated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device with an inflated condition and a deflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining occupant position in the vehicle relative to the inflatable device when the inflatable device is in the deflated condition;
sensing vehicle deceleration and providing an output signal having a value that is indicative of vehicle deceleration;
inflating the protection device in response to sensing vehicle deceleration in excess of a threshold value;
calculating occupant movement toward the protection device in response to vehicle deceleration, on the basis of the output signal;
predicting a time of engagement of the occupant with the inflated protection device by comparing calculated occupant movement with determined occupant position;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining the inflated condition of the protection device; and
venting inflation fluid from the protection device at the predicted time of engagement in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system and a determination that the protection device is in the inflated condition. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat having an associated seat belt system with a buckled condition and an unbuckled condition and having an associated inflatable protection device inflatable by an inflator to an inflated condition, said method comprising the steps of:
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actuating the inflator for inflating the protection device;
determining the buckled condition of the seat belt system;
determining occupant position;
predicting or calculating a time of engagement of the occupant with the protection device when the protection device is in the inflated condition; and
venting inflation fluid from the protection device at the predicted time of engagement in response to a determination of the buckled condition of the seat belt system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification