Apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant's legs

Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C280S730100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217059

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, and is particularly directed to an apparatus which helps to protect the lower legs and the pelvis of the vehicle occupant.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to help protect a vehicle occupant from injury during a vehicle collision by inflating an inflatable occupant restraint such as an air bag. Air bags are known to inflate into the passenger compartment of the vehicle from a variety of vehicle locations including the steering wheel, the instrument panel, the side doors, and the headliner. It is also known to position an inflatable restraint in the area of a knee bolster in the vehicle to help protect the knees of the vehicle occupant during a collision.
During a vehicle collision, it is possible for deformed portions of the vehicle body to penetrate into the footwell of the vehicle where the occupant's lower legs and feet are located. Accordingly, an apparatus which helps to protect the occupant's lower legs and feet from the penetrating vehicle body portions is desirable.
In addition, during a vehicle collision, it is possible that the vehicle occupant's knees can become locked. With the occupant's knees in a locked condition, forces on the occupant's lower extremities, such as the occupant's feet, can be transmitted through the occupant's legs to the occupant's pelvis and cause injuries to the occupant's hip and/or pelvic areas. Accordingly, an apparatus that unlocks the occupant's knees would decrease the transmission of such forces and would thus help to protect against injury to the occupant's hips and pelvis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a vehicle collision. The apparatus comprises an air bag system including at least one inflatable air bag having a deflated condition and an inflated condition. The air bag, when inflated, unlocks at least one of the occupant's knees to minimize forces transmitted through at least the corresponding one of the occupant's legs to the occupant's pelvis. Seat belt webbing restrains forward movement of the occupant relative to the vehicle when at the least one of the occupant's knees is unlocked.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the at least one air bag, as it inflates, engages the bottom of at least one of the occupant's shoes and lifts the at least one of the occupant's lower legs to cause the at least one of the lower legs to pivot at the occupant's knee.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the at least one air bag engages the shin of each of the occupant's lower legs and pivots the lower legs at the occupant's knees rearwardly in the vehicle.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the at least one air bag engages the back of the at least one of the occupant's lower legs and pivots the at least one of the lower legs at the occupant's knee.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus further includes additional air bags which are respectively inflatable into positions on opposite sides of the lower legs of the vehicle occupant.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2834606 (1958-05-01), Bertrand
patent: 3702706 (1972-11-01), Sobkow
patent: 4227717 (1980-10-01), Bouvier
patent: 5312131 (1994-05-01), Kitagawa et al.
patent: 19639467 (1998-01-01), None
patent: 197 35 915 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 3-281455 (1991-12-01), None
Håland, Y., Hjerpe, E., Lövsund, P., “An Inflatable Carpet to Reduce the Loading of the Lower Extremities—Evaluation by a New Sled Test Method with Toepan Intrusion”, Paper No. 98-S1-P-18, 16thESV Conference, Windsor, Canada, Jun. 1-4, 1998.

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