Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-06
2001-08-28
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S729000, C280S740000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279944
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to air bag systems and more particularly to a side impact or rollover air bag system located in an outboard portion of a vehicle seat.
The prior art is replete with air bag systems to protect one or more occupants in a side impact and/or rollover event. These systems require that the air bag be mounted in or on a door adjacent to a vehicle seat, or on the vehicle seat.
FIG. 1
schematically illustrates an air bag safety system
20
mounted in an outboard portion
22
of a vehicle seat
24
adjacent a side of the vehicle. The system
20
comprises an inflator
26
and an expandable air bag
28
. Upon activation of the inflator, inflation gasses are produced causing the air bag
28
to tear open a seam
29
in the seat or open a movable door (not shown), also in the seat. Upon inflation, the air bag is positioned between an occupant, generally shown by phantom line
30
, and the side
32
of the vehicle. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the air bag
28
is relatively small and is designed to protect the torso area of an adult. Air bags may also include an upper appendage or second chamber generally shown by phantom line
28
′, which is illustrative of a head chamber of a larger air bag.
As can be seen from
FIG. 1
, the occupant
30
is shown relatively small and the head
36
of the occupant is positioned adjacent the torso portion or lower chamber of the air bag. This orientation is illustrative of one of the out-of-position (OOP) seating conditions of the occupant that might exist in a vehicle. As an example, the occupant
30
can be thought of as a small child, having his or her head cradled in the void between the outward side portion
22
of the seat and the vehicle side
32
. Upon inflation of the air bag
28
, the occupant's head
36
or other portions of the occupant's body may be unfavorably interfered with by the inflating air bag
28
.
Reference is made to
FIGS. 2A and 2B
which diagrammatically illustrate two air bags
28
and
28
′. Air bag
28
is typically manufactured utilizing two generally identical panels of woven material which are sewn about a peripheral edge shown as
40
. The air bag includes means, such as an opening, for receiving the inflator
26
therein.
FIG. 2B
illustrates the enlarged air bag
28
′ having a lower or torso chamber
28
a
and an upper or head chamber
28
b
. These chambers are separated by a separator panel or line of stitches generally shown as
42
which includes a plurality of vent openings
44
to allow the migration of the inflation gas from the lower chamber to the upper chamber.
Consider the operation of the air bags shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
in conjunction with the construction of the vehicle shown in FIG.
1
. As is known, the crush zone between the side of the vehicle
32
and the occupant
30
is relatively small in relationship to a side impact collision. Consequently, to protect the occupant from injury during this type of event, the inflator must relatively quickly (within 8-10 milliseconds) inflate the air bag and cause same to be repositioned between the occupant and the vehicle side. To achieve the repositioning of the air bag in the required timeframe requires that the inflator be rather aggressive, that is, it is capable of producing a significant amount of inflation gas within a few milliseconds. As the inflator
26
produces the gasses, experience has shown that air bags constructed similar to those shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
push the forward edge
46
of the torso chamber outwardly extremely quickly. Of course, prior to being inflated the air bag
28
is maintained in a compact folded orientation within a pocket located within the upholstered side or side wing of the vehicle seat. If the occupant
30
is in an out-of-position orientation, this type of deployment of the air bag may induce certain occupant injuries.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air bag which controls the pressure gradients generated within the torso or lower chamber of the air bag to lessen out-of-position-induced occupant injury. Accordingly the invention comprises: An air bag system for side impact protection comprising: an air bag (
50
) having an inflatable first chamber (
50
a
) formed of two joined-together first: (
52
a
) and second (
52
b
) panels of material, the first chamber including a forward part (
26
) and an opposite rear part (
60
); an inflator (
26
) for generating inflation gas to inflate the air bag, the inflator including exit ports (
26
a
) which channel the inflation gas into the first chamber in a determinable direction; the air bag further including a flow diverter (
70
,
90
) positioned to receive inflation gas and to divert at least a component of the inflation gas to flow generally perpendicular to the first direction. In one embodiment the flow diverter is formed as an open-topped tube; in another embodiment the flow diverter includes a plurality of vent openings in the side of the tube. In a third embodiment of the invention the diverter is formed by a permeable sack of material. In another embodiment of the invention the rear of each of the first and second panels includes a curved portion which is separated by a curved separator panel to form a pressure accumulator.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3618981 (1971-11-01), Leising et al.
patent: 3799575 (1974-03-01), Kurze et al.
patent: 3836169 (1974-09-01), Schiesterl
patent: 4265468 (1981-05-01), Suszko et al.
patent: 4290627 (1981-09-01), Cumming et al.
patent: 5172933 (1992-12-01), Strasser
patent: 5573270 (1996-11-01), Sogi et al.
patent: 5586782 (1996-12-01), Zimmerman, II et al.
patent: 5632506 (1997-05-01), Shellabarger
patent: 5791685 (1998-08-01), Lachat et al.
patent: 5848804 (1998-12-01), White, Jr. et al.
patent: 5853191 (1998-12-01), Lachat
patent: 5895070 (1999-04-01), Crimmins et al.
patent: 5899490 (1999-05-01), Wipasuramonton et al.
patent: 5918902 (1999-07-01), Acker et al.
patent: 5944342 (1999-08-01), White, Jr. et al.
Bailey Brian J.
Dillon Michael R.
Jost Markus
Jost Stefan
Kalandek Bruce A.
Breed Automotive Technology Inc.
Dickson Paul N.
Seitzman Markell
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