Air bag vent
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An air bag, comprising:
- a wall defining an interior in which a gas is received to inflate the air bag, and at least one vent opening through the wall; and
a vent valve carried by the wall and having a valve panel including at least one valve opening, the vent valve being moveable between a first position where the at least one valve opening is in registration with the at least one vent opening and a second position where the at least one valve opening is at least partially misaligned with the at least one vent opening to at least partially close the at least one vent opening, and wherein the vent valve is in its first position until deployment of the air bag beyond a threshold which moves the vent valve to its second position;
wherein the valve panel is folded within the interior of the air bag when the vent valve is in its first position, and movement of the air bag when deployed beyond the threshold at least partially unfolds the valve panel to move the vent valve to its second position;
wherein the valve panel folded onto itself provides a first leg and a second leg with a bight between them, the first leg and second leg each being connected to the wall, and at least one of the first and second legs including the at least one valve opening that is aligned with the at least one vent opening when the vent valve is in its first position, and wherein the valve panel is extended and increasingly unfolds when the air bag is deployed beyond the threshold to lengthen the second leg and shorten the first leg so that the at least one valve opening is moved relative to and at least partially out of registry with the at least one vent opening, which reduces extrusion of the valve panel therethrough under force of pressurized gas.
20 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag includes a wall defining an interior in which a gas is received to inflate the air bag, and at least one vent opening through the wall and a vent valve carried by the wall. The vent valve has at least one valve opening, and the vent valve is moveable between a first position where the valve opening is aligned with at least one vent opening and a second position where the valve opening is at least partially misaligned with at least one vent opening to at least partially close the vent opening. The vent valve is in its first position until deployment of the air bag beyond a threshold which moves the vent valve to its second position.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. An air bag, comprising:
-
a wall defining an interior in which a gas is received to inflate the air bag, and at least one vent opening through the wall; and a vent valve carried by the wall and having a valve panel including at least one valve opening, the vent valve being moveable between a first position where the at least one valve opening is in registration with the at least one vent opening and a second position where the at least one valve opening is at least partially misaligned with the at least one vent opening to at least partially close the at least one vent opening, and wherein the vent valve is in its first position until deployment of the air bag beyond a threshold which moves the vent valve to its second position; wherein the valve panel is folded within the interior of the air bag when the vent valve is in its first position, and movement of the air bag when deployed beyond the threshold at least partially unfolds the valve panel to move the vent valve to its second position; wherein the valve panel folded onto itself provides a first leg and a second leg with a bight between them, the first leg and second leg each being connected to the wall, and at least one of the first and second legs including the at least one valve opening that is aligned with the at least one vent opening when the vent valve is in its first position, and wherein the valve panel is extended and increasingly unfolds when the air bag is deployed beyond the threshold to lengthen the second leg and shorten the first leg so that the at least one valve opening is moved relative to and at least partially out of registry with the at least one vent opening, which reduces extrusion of the valve panel therethrough under force of pressurized gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An air bag, comprising:
-
a wall defining an interior in which a gas is received to inflate the air bag, and at least one vent opening through the wall; and a vent valve having a valve panel folded onto itself and including first and second legs with a bight between them, the first and second 1egs each being connected to the wall and having a valve opening, the valve opening of the first leg being aligned with the at least one vent opening, the vent valve being moveable between a first position where the valve opening of the second leg is aligned with the at least one vent opening and a second position where the valve panel is extended to lengthen the second leg and shorten the first leg to at least partially misalign the valve opening of the second leg with the at least one vent opening and at least partially close the at least one vent opening, and wherein the vent valve is in its first position until deployment of the air bag beyond a threshold which moves the vent valve to its second position; wherein the vent valve when in its first position is folded within the interior of the air bag, and movement of the air bag when deployed beyond the threshold at least partially unfolds the valve panel to move the vent valve to its second position.
-
-
12. An air bag, comprising:
-
a wall defining an interior in which a gas is received to inflate the air bag, and at least one vent opening through the wall; and a vent valve having a valve panel folded onto itself and including first and second legs with a bight between them, the first and second legs each being connected to the wall and having a valve opening, the valve opening of the first leg being aligned with the at least one vent opening, the vent valve being moveable between a first position where the valve opening of the second leg is aligned with the at least one vent opening and a second position where the valve panel is extended to lengthen the second leg and shorten the first leg to at least partially misalign the valve opening of the second leg with the at least one vent opening and at least partially close the at least one vent opening, and wherein the vent valve is in its first position until deployment of the air bag beyond a threshold which moves the vent valve to its second position; wherein the vent valve when in its first position is folded within the interior of the air bag, and movement of the air bag when deployed beyond the threshold at least partially unfolds the valve panel to move the vent valve to its second position; wherein the valve opening of the first leg remains aligned with the vent opening when the vent valve is in its second position.
-
Specification