Vehicle's air-bag injury protection system

• US 20020109342A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwin Zenith Gabriel
• Original Assignee: Edwin Zenith Gabriel
• Inventors: Gabriel, Edwin Zenith
• Granted Patent: US 6,669,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/751
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0293 Additional pads or cushions in vehicle compartments, e.g. movably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839

Abstract

Air bags in vehicles, upon exploding when a collision occurs, can injure one'"'"'s face and head. To avoid such bodily injury to a motorist, a soft pillow of the proper size is attached to the top of the steering wheel. The pillow, with a rip-resistant, fire and water resistant enclosure, may be removably attached to the steering wheel by means of either velcro or snap-on fasteners. Such pillows for bodily-injury protection may be attached to other passenger injury, vulnerable locations of a vehicle, removably fastened. In the event of a collision with an object, now the soft pillow will strike the person first instead of the air bag'"'"'s plastic cover. The top of the soft pillow, with perhaps an elastic, expandable puncture-resistant enclosure, could be ornately, colorfully, pleasingly decorated with flowers, birds, butterflies, berries. The pillow may be attached to a steering wheel without an air bag, using the illustrated straps.

Claims

1. An air-bag, bodily injury protection apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle'"'"'s existing air bag has a pillow attached to the air-bag'"'"'s cover, said apparatus being a pillow, removably attached to the cover of said air bag, said pillow being present for enabling motorist'"'"'s head initially to make contact with said pillow rather than with said air bag'"'"'s cover, thus sparing injury to the motorist'"'"'s head by said cover.

2. An air-bag bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow being attached to said cover of said air bag by velcro strips so that said pillow may be removed and replaced, when in need of repair.

3. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow being attached to said cover of said auto air bag by snap-on fasteners, so that said pillow may be removable and replaced, said fasteners not interfering with the air bag'"'"'s operation.

4. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, said vehicle has a steering wheel wherein said pillow being attached to said cover of said steering wheel by means of straps which are capable of being removed, so that said pillow can be replaced, said straps not interfering with the air-bag'"'"'s operation.

5. An air-bag bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is filled with sponge rubber.

6. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is filled with polyester fiber.

7. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow having an enclosure and said enclosure being fire, water and puncture resistant.

8. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the enclosure of said pillow is colorfully decorated to be pleasing to the human eye.

9. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the enclosure of said pillow having suction cups fastened to its underside, said cups adhering to said air-bag'"'"'s cover by suction, and not interfering with said air-bag'"'"'s operation.

13. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plastic cover fits over the vehicle'"'"'s existing air-bag and when said air bag suddenly inflates said cover breaks into two pieces and wherein said apparatus includes two smaller pillows, one pillow attached to one-half of said cover and the other pillow attached to the other appropriate half of said cover.

10. A bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle, wherein said vehicle has a steering wheel and a soft pillow is removably attached to the top of said steering wheel, said pillow being able to protect the head of the motorist in the event of the vehicle'"'"'s collision with an object and the motorist is thrown forward.

11. A bodily-injury protection apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein said soft pillow is filled with cotton to enhance its softness.

12. A bodily-injury protection apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein said soft pillow has an enclosure and is filled with both air and cotton, and said enclosure is air tight, water resistant, including puncture resistant.

14. An air-bag, bodily-injury protection apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with claim 13, wherein said vehicle has a steering wheel and each said pillow includes Velcro strips attached to the underside of said pillow for adhering to clinging pile on the top of said plastic cover, said pillow also including a strap with Velcro to adhere to clinging pile on the rim of said steering wheel, said strap to enable a motorist to quickly and conveniently remove said pillow from said steering wheel, when needed to do so.