APPARATUS FOR DEFLATING AN INFLATABLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT DEVICE

• US 3,861,712 A
• Filed: 08/04/1971
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenzo Hirashima, Shunji Matsui, Yoshikazu Hayakawa
• Original Assignee: Kenzo Hirashima, Shunji Matsui, Yoshikazu Hayakawa
• Inventors: Matsui, Shunji, Hayakawa, Yoshikazu, Hirashima, Kenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/168,819
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 137/67,68
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1647 Explosive actuation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1707 Disc burst after destruction of additional element

Abstract

A gas bag type safety device having an inflatable confinement which is expanded to a protective condition at the time of a collision the inflated confinement being adapted to be gradually deflated upon being hit by the vehicle occupants so as to reduce an otherwise large repulsive force tending to bounce the occupants violently back against the seats or other structural parts of the vehicle. Such deflation of the inflated confinement is effected through an exhaust duct having its outlet outside of the passenger compartment. The outlet is closed by a cover which opens after a given time interval from the moment of triggering off the inflation of the confinement which cover opens substantially at the same time as the occupants hit the inflated confinement. Instead of a cover one or more membranes can be used which rupture at the time when the occupants hit the inflated confinement.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle safety device having an inflatable confinement which is normally stored in a folded condition and is inflatable to a protective condition by a vaporized gas upon triggering said safety device in response to a sudden impact, in which pressure in the interior of the inflated confinement reaches a first peak value at the time of triggering the safety device while reaching a second peak value at a predetermined time after triggering the safety device, substantially at which a vehicle occupant crashes against the inflated confinement:

apparatus for exhausting the fluid from the confinement comprising;

an exhaust duct communicating with said confinement to gradually discharge the vaporized gas from the inflated confinement;

a closure member removably secured to an outlet of said exhaust duct for closing same and preventing exhausting of said vaporized gas during inflation of said confinement;

means for removing said closure member away from said outlet to open said exhaust duct at said given time after triggering said safety device so as to deflate the confinement simultaneously as the vehicle occupant bumps against the inflated confinement;

a bolt and nut securing said closure member to said outlet at one point and a pin disposed at another point circumferentially spaced from said bolt;

said means for removing comprising an electrically actuable detonation element provided in said bolt and explosible in response to triggering of said safety device, and said detonation element including explosion delaying means for delaying the time of explosion of said detonation element until said predetermined time.

2. In a vehicle safety device of the type having an inflatable confinement normally stored in a collapsed and unexpanded condition, an impact sensing switch closed in response to a predetermined deceleration condition of the vehicle and actuable inflating means for inflating said confinement with a fluid to an expanded position between the vehicle and an occupant of the vehicle at the instant when the impact seNsing switch is closed, apparatus for exhausting the fluid from the confinement after the fluid inflates said bag and an occupant impacts against the inflated confinement, said apparatus comprising an exhaust duct communicating with said confinement for exhausting said fluid from said inflated confinement, closure means removable secured to said exhaust duct for releasably closing said exhaust duct and preventing said fluid from exhausting through said exhaust duct, removing means responsive to the closure of the impact sensing switch for removing automatically said closure means from said exhaust duct at a predetermined time after the impact sensing switch closes to effect opening of said exhaust duct, said closure means comprising a closure member secured to the exhaust duct, fastening means removably securing said closure member, and said removing means comprising an electrically actuable detonation element ignitable upon closure of said impact sensing switch and having means for delaying the time of explosion to said predetermined time, said detonation element upon explosion breaking said fastening means for removing said closure member away from the exhaust duct.