Reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly and methods for operating the same
First Claim
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1. An interior vehicle surface assembly, comprising:
- an energy absorbing assembly comprising a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
a flexible covering that defines an interior vehicle surface sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to form an expandable interior region, wherein the interior vehicle surface is configured to inflatably and flexibly expand outward relative to the rigid support structure;
a gas source in fluid communication with the at least one inlet;
an inlet control valve positioned intermediate the gas source and the at least one inlet, wherein the inlet control valve is a binary valve and is adapted to responsively open and close the valve within 1 millisecond; and
an actively controlled pressure relief valve in variable controlled fluid communication with the at least one outlet.
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Abstract
A reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly includes a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a flexible covering sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to define an inflatable interior region; a gas source in fluid communication with the at least one inlet; an inlet control valve positioned intermediate the gas source and the at least one inlet; and an actively controlled pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the at least one outlet. The inlet control valve and the pressure relief valve are adapted to provide a response suitable for use in vehicle impact management.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An interior vehicle surface assembly, comprising:
an energy absorbing assembly comprising a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
a flexible covering that defines an interior vehicle surface sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to form an expandable interior region, wherein the interior vehicle surface is configured to inflatably and flexibly expand outward relative to the rigid support structure;
a gas source in fluid communication with the at least one inlet;
an inlet control valve positioned intermediate the gas source and the at least one inlet, wherein the inlet control valve is a binary valve and is adapted to responsively open and close the valve within 1 millisecond; and
an actively controlled pressure relief valve in variable controlled fluid communication with the at least one outlet.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An interior vehicle surface assembly, comprising:
an energy absorbing assembly comprising a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and at least one outlet;
a flexible covering that defines an interior vehicle surface sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to form an expandable interior region, wherein the interior vehicle surface is configured to inflatably and flexibly expand outward relative to the rigid support structure;
a gas source in fluid communication with the at least one inlet;
an inlet control valve positioned intermediate the gas source and the at least one inlet, wherein the inlet control valve is a continuously variable valve and is adapted to responsively open and close the valve within 1 millisecond; and
an actively controlled pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the at least one outlet.- View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating an energy absorbing assembly, comprising:
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sensing or predicting an impact of an object; providing an activation signal to an energy absorbing assembly attached to a rigid support structure, wherein the energy absorbing assembly comprises a flexible cover that defines an interior vehicle surface that is sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to form an expandable interior region;
at least one inlet and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the interior region;
an inlet control valve in fluid communication with the at least one inlet;
an outlet pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the at least one outlet; and
a gas source in fluid communication with the inlet control valve; and
a pressure sensor in operative communication with the expandable interior region and configured to monitor a pressure within the expandable interior region;
wherein the activation signal signals the inlet control valve to open fluid communication between the gas source and the interior region;inflating the interior region to an inflated position within about 20 milliseconds, wherein inflating the interior region comprises outwardly expanding the interior vehicle surface relative to the rigid support structure; and closing a selected one or both of the inlet control valve and opening the pressure relief valve to decrease or maintain a pressure of the interior region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification