Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-03
2001-06-26
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S729000, C280S743100, C280S749000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250667
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inflatable vehicle apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes a plurality of arc-shaped connections that define a plurality of arc-shaped chambers of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. Each of the arc-shaped chambers includes an arc-shaped upper side wall defined by one of the arc-shaped connections and an arc-shaped lower side wall defined by another of the arc-shaped connections. The arc-shaped chambers are positioned vertically adjacent to each other such that the lower side wall of one of the arc-shaped chambers forms the upper side wall of an adjacent arc-shaped chamber.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes a plurality of concentric arc-shaped connections that define a plurality of concentric arc-shaped chambers of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3953049 (1976-04-01), Surace et al.
patent: 5524924 (1996-06-01), Steffens, Jr. et al.
patent: 5788270 (1998-08-01), Haland et al.
patent: 5833265 (1998-11-01), Seymour
patent: 5865462 (1999-02-01), Robins et al.
patent: 5884937 (1999-03-01), Yamada
patent: 5899491 (1999-05-01), Tschaeschke
patent: 19743626 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 96/26087 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 98/07598 (1998-02-01), None
Culbreth Eric
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
LandOfFree
Inflatable side curtain does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Inflatable side curtain, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Inflatable side curtain will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2434991