Air bag with height adaptive tether
First Claim
1. An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition, the protection device comprising a panel that faces the occupant when the protection device is in the inflated condition; and
a tether having a first connection to a first portion of the panel and a second connection to a second portion of the panel, the first portion being a lower, torso receiving portion of the panel, the second portion being an upper, head receiving portion of the panel, wherein the first and second portions are configured such that pressurization of the protection device results in the first portion of the panel exerting a force on the tether that is greater than a force that the second portion of the panel exerts on the tether, this force differential allowing substantially full deployment of the first portion of the panel and causing the tether to prevent full deployment of the second portion of the panel in response to unrestricted deployment of the protection device and to permit further deployment of the second portion of the panel in response to occupant penetration into the first portion of the panel.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition. The protection device (14) includes a panel (74) having a portion presented toward the occupant (20) when the protection device is in the inflated condition. A tether (60) has a first connection (78) to a first portion (80) of the panel (74) and a second connection (72) to a second portion (76) of the panel. The tether (60) is operative to limit deployment of the second portion (76) of the panel (74) in response to unrestricted deployment of the first portion (80) of the panel. The tether (60) is also operative to permit further deployment of the second portion (76) of the panel (74) in response to occupant penetration into the first portion (80) of the panel.
83 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition, the protection device comprising a panel that faces the occupant when the protection device is in the inflated condition; and a tether having a first connection to a first portion of the panel and a second connection to a second portion of the panel, the first portion being a lower, torso receiving portion of the panel, the second portion being an upper, head receiving portion of the panel, wherein the first and second portions are configured such that pressurization of the protection device results in the first portion of the panel exerting a force on the tether that is greater than a force that the second portion of the panel exerts on the tether, this force differential allowing substantially full deployment of the first portion of the panel and causing the tether to prevent full deployment of the second portion of the panel in response to unrestricted deployment of the protection device and to permit further deployment of the second portion of the panel in response to occupant penetration into the first portion of the panel. - 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)
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28. An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and an inflated condition; a guide on the protection device; and a tether that extends through the guide and shapes the protection device in the inflated condition, the tether comprising a first segment extending from the guide to a first connection with a first torso receiving lower portion of the protection device, and a second segment extending from the guide to a second connection with a second head receiving upper portion of the protection device; the first segment of the tether permitting full deployment of the first portion of the protection device and the second segment restricting deployment of the second portion of the protection device in response to uninhibited deployment of the first portion of the protection device, the tether being constructed and arranged so that occupant penetration into the first portion of the protection device causes the tether to move through the guide to shorten the first segment and lengthen the second segment to permit further deployment of the second portion of the protection device. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification