Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-07-31
DePumpo, Daniel G. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S743100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267408
ABSTRACT:
THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to an air-bag arrangement, and more particularly relates to an air-bag arrangement for use in a motor vehicle.
It has been proposed previously to provide an air-bag within a motor vehicle, adapted to be inflated in the event that an accident should occur. Typically such an air-bag is formed of fabric and is associated with a gas generator that is adapted, when activated, to generate a substantial quantity of gas within a very short period of time. The air-bag is usually initially in a folded state, and the gas from the gas generator is directed to the interior of the air-bag. The air-bag thus unfolds and is inflated. When the air-bag is inflated, it is positioned in front of or adjacent an occupant of a motor vehicle in order to protect or cushion the occupant of the vehicle.
When an air-bag of this type is inflated, it is not unusual for the part of the air-bag which is located closest to the occupant of the vehicle to be given a very substantial acceleration in a direction towards the occupant of the vehicle. Thus, this part of the air-bag may impact with the occupant of the vehicle, especially if the occupant of the vehicle is sitting forwardly of the anticipated position. It is also not unusual for an air-bag of this type to become trapped if the air-bag is inflated when the occupant to be protected by the air-bag, is sitting forwardly and is thus located very near to the unfolded bag. The presence of the occupant prevents the bag from unfolding in the correct manner and as a consequence of the entrapment of the bag in this way, very high pressures can be generated within the bag. This can result in very high forces being applied to the occupant of the vehicle.
Various attempts have been made to provide air-bags in which this problem is reduced. DE-A-4,412,326 shows an air-bag having three super-imposed layers which define two chambers. Gas from the gas generator is initially supplied to the lower chamber which thus inflates first. Subsequently gas flows from this chamber into the second chamber through apertures formed in the intermediate layer. The movement of the intermediate layer is restricted by straps which are provided with tear seams. The arrangement is therefore relatively complex.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide an improved air-bag arrangement.
According to this invention there is provided an air-bag arrangement for use in a motor vehicle, the air-bag arrangement comprising a gas generator, means to activate the gas generator in response to an accident occurring, and an air-bag to receive gas from the gas generator, the air-bag comprising three super-imposed fabric layers, the outer peripheries of the three super-imposed layers being conjoined, there being a substantially centrally located aperture provided in the lower-most layer to receive the gas outlet of the gas generator, there being a plurality of apertures formed in the intermediate layer, there being means inter-connecting regions of the intermediate layer adjacent each of said apertures to the lower-most layer, said inter-connecting means partially surrounding each said aperture, but not being present in a region adjacent each aperture which is radially outwardly positioned relative to the centre of said intermediate layer.
Preferably the means inter-connecting the intermediate layer and the lower layer comprise a seam.
Conveniently the seam is a one-piece woven seam.
Advantageously means inter-connecting the intermediate layer and the base layer extend in an unbroken form adjacent the radially inner side of each said aperture and around the opposed ends of said aperture and extend partly along the radially outer-most side of each aperture.
Preferably said apertures lie on a notional circle.
Conveniently each said aperture is of oval form.
Alternatively each said aperture is of elongate arcuate form.
Preferably two groups of said apertures are provided, one group of apertures lying on the periphery of a notional circle, centred on the centre of the intermediate layer of relatively small diameter and the other group of apertures comprising a group of apertures located on the periphery of a notional circle centred on the centre of the intermediate layer of a great diameter.
Conveniently each aperture defines a re-entrant radially inner edge and each means inter-connecting the intermediate layer and the lower layer associated with said aperture defines a re-entrant radially inwardly directed edge.
Advantageously, the means inter-connecting the intermediate layer and the lower layer adjacent each aperture define side portions which diverge outwardly from the radially inner side of the aperture to the radially outer side of each aperture.
Advantageously the air-bag is adapted so that, on actuation of the gas generator, initially gas is supplied to a region located substantially centrally of the air-bag between the intermediate layer and the lower-most layer in order to inflate that region, and subsequently is passed to a radially outer substantially annular region located between the intermediate layer and the lower-most layer to inflate that region and, during the final stages of inflation of the bag, gas passes through the apertures in the intermediate layer to inflate the space between the intermediate layer and the upper layer.
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patent: 5586782 (1996-12-01), Zimmerman, II et al.
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patent: 5839755 (1998-11-01), Turnbull
patent: 41 42 326 (1993-06-01), None
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Jarboe Patrick G.
McGee Robert F.
Sonnenberg James N.
Autoliv Development AB
DePumpo Daniel G.
Dunn David R.
Kinberg Robert
Venable
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