Automotive vehicle air bag system
First Claim
1. A vehicle having an air bag system for impact restraint, comprising:
- a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior space therein;
an occupant seat located within the interior space;
the air bag system comprising a primary gas emitting inflator for emitting inflation gas upon receiving a signal of an impact, a fill tube in fluid communication with the inflator to port the inflation gas from the inflator, and an air bag cushion in fluid communication with the fill tube to receive the inflation gas from the fill tube and deployable in the interior space adjacent to the occupant seat upon the impact;
the air bag system further comprising at least one tether operable to a restricted length and an unrestricted length and having a tether loop, and a dual depth mechanism operable in a non-actuated state to retain the tether loop and hold the tether to the restricted length and in an actuated state to release the tether loop.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is for a vehicle having an air bag system for impact restraint. The air bag system includes a gas emitting inflator for emitting inflation gas upon receiving a signal of an impact, a fill tube having a fill end in fluid communication with the inflator to port the inflation gas from the inflator, and an air bag cushion in fluid communication with the fill tube to receive the inflation gas from the fill tube and deployable in an interior space adjacent to a seat upon the impact. The air bag system also includes a tether operable to both a restricted and unrestricted length in conjunction with a dual depth mechanism. The air bag system may further include a vent operable to both an open and a closed state in conjunction with the dual depth mechanism.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A vehicle having an air bag system for impact restraint, comprising:
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a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior space therein; an occupant seat located within the interior space; the air bag system comprising a primary gas emitting inflator for emitting inflation gas upon receiving a signal of an impact, a fill tube in fluid communication with the inflator to port the inflation gas from the inflator, and an air bag cushion in fluid communication with the fill tube to receive the inflation gas from the fill tube and deployable in the interior space adjacent to the occupant seat upon the impact; the air bag system further comprising at least one tether operable to a restricted length and an unrestricted length and having a tether loop, and a dual depth mechanism operable in a non-actuated state to retain the tether loop and hold the tether to the restricted length and in an actuated state to release the tether loop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A vehicle having an air bag system for impact restraint, comprising:
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a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior space therein; an occupant seat located within the interior space; a side vehicle door adjacent the occupant seat; the air bag system packaged within the vehicle door comprising a primary gas emitting inflator for emitting inflation gas upon receiving a signal of an impact, a fill tube in fluid communication with the inflator to port the inflation gas from the inflator, and an air bag cushion in fluid communication with the fill tube to receive the inflation gas from the fill tube and deployable in the interior space adjacent to the occupant seat upon the impact; the air bag system further comprising at least one tether operable to a restricted length and an unrestricted length and having a tether loop, and a dual depth mechanism operable in a non-actuated state to retain the tether loop and hold the tether to the restricted length and in an actuated state to release the tether loop and the tether to the unrestricted length; the dual depth mechanism comprising a housing; a piston disposed in the housing and translatable from a non-actuated position to an actuated position; an actuator operable to selectively translate the piston from the non-actuated state to the actuated state; and a stud configured for releaseably retaining the tether loop, wherein the tether loop is releasable from the stud upon translation of the piston; wherein the cushion further includes; a horizontal tubular slot on a rear interior portion of the cushion; and the tether is routed through the tubular slot to the dual depth mechanism and has a first end, opposing the dual depth mechanism, fixed to a forward portion of the cushion. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A dual depth mechanism for a vehicle air bag system comprising:
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a dual depth mechanism housing having; a canister receiving portion; an inflation gas portion; a fill tube receiving portion; and a piston receiving portion; said piston receiving portion defining; a piston housing; an expandable piston chamber in communication with said piston housing, and an exterior wall opening; a piston reciprocatable in said piston housing; and an actuator in said exterior wall opening and in communication with said expandable piston chamber; said piston having one position in said piston housing for facilitating one depth for the air bag and another position in said piston housing for facilitating another depth for the air bag.
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Specification