Shock-absorbing occupant protection

• US 7,500,695 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Andersson, Bjorn, Johansson, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Application Number:
  US11/160,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20050230951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.03, 296/187.05, 296/187.06, 280/728.1, 280/732, 280/748, 280/751, 280/752, 280/753, 280/727, 297/216.1, 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/216.14
• US Class Current: 280/752
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0407 using gas or liquid as energy absorbing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/05 associated with the steering wheel, steering hand lever or steering column yieldable steering columns B62D1/18

Abstract

Shock-absorbing occupant protection (8) for the passenger compartment of a vehicle (1) comprising a container (9) of flexible design which is gas-filled in an original expanded rest position and is designed to be compressed when absorbing energy under impact by a passenger.

Claims

1. A shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement (8) for the passenger compartment of a vehicle (1), said shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement (8) comprising:

a flexible container (9) that is gas-filled when in an original expanded rest configuration and that is configured to be compressed when absorbing energy under impact by a passenger; and

means (13) for returning the container (9) to the original expanded rest configuration following compression thereof, said means for returning comprising a control unit (17) configured

     1) to regulate, via an air inlet valve (15), the working pressure of the flexible container (9) as a function of the amount of energy the container (9) potentially must absorb in the event of passenger impact; and

(2) to repressurize the flexible container (9) following passenger impact with the container (9).

2. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said means (13) for returning further comprises a pressure tank (14) connected to said flexible container (9) by way of the air inlet valve (15), which pressure tank (14) delivers the working pressure for the flexible container (9).

3. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein said flexible container (9) is formed with at least one outlet valve (16) configured to open at a higher pressure than the working pressure for the container (9).

4. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the pressure at which the at least one outlet valve (16) opens as a function of at least one of (i) the speed of the vehicle and (ii) the weight of the occupant.

5. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the working pressure in said flexible container (9) as a function of the speed of the vehicle.

6. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the working pressure in said flexible container (9) as a function of the weight of the occupant.

7. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit (17) is configured to maintain the working pressure at between 1.05 and 3 bars over atmospheric pressure.

8. The shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit (17) is configured to maintain the working pressure at between 1.6 and 2 bars over atmospheric pressure.

9. A vehicle (l), comprising:

a pressure tank (14) coupled to a compressed air supply system (26), and

a shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement (8) for the passenger compartment of the vehicle (1), said shock-absorbing occupant protection arrangement (8) comprising

a flexible container (9) that is gas-filled when in an original expanded rest configuration and that is configured to be compressed when absorbing energy under impact by a passenger; and

means (13) for returning the container (9) to the original expanded rest configuration following compression thereof, said means for returning comprising a control unit (17) configured

     1) to regulate, via an air inlet valve (15), the working pressure of the flexible container (9) as a function of the amount of energy the container (9) potentially must absorb in the event of passenger impact; and

     2) to repressurize the flexible container (9) following passenger impact with the container (9).

10. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein said means (13) for returning further comprises a pressure tank (14) connected to said flexible container (9) by way of the air inlet valve (15), which pressure tank (14) delivers the working pressure for the flexible container (9).

11. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein said flexible container (9) is formed with at least one outlet valve (16) configured to open at a higher pressure than the working pressure for the container (9).

12. The vehicle as recited in claim 11, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the pressure at which the at least one outlet valve (16) opens as a function of at least one of (i) the speed of the vehicle and (ii) the weight of the occupant.

13. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the working pressure in said flexible container (9) as a function of the speed of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein said control unit (17) is configured to regulate the working pressure in said flexible container as a function of the weight of the occupant.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the control unit (17) is configured to maintain the working pressure at between 1.05 and 3 bars over atmospheric pressure.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the control unit (17) is configured to maintain the working pressure at between 1.6 and 2 bars over atmospheric pressure.