Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-10-02
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S730200, C280S790000, C280S736000, C280S737000, C280S740000, C280S742000, C102S530000, C102S531000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296274
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle safety apparatus and, in particular, to a side curtain assembly including a side curtain which remains inflated for an extended period of time for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to inflate a vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, to help protect a vehicle occupant. The protection device is inflated by inflation fluid from an inflator. One type of protection device is a side curtain. The side curtain is inflatable into a position between the vehicle occupant and the vehicle side structure to help protect the vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle.
It is known to inflate a side curtain initially with inflation fluid at a relatively high pressure and flow rate, then to maintain the side curtain inflated for an extended period of time with a continued flow of inflation fluid at a relatively low rate. One known inflator which can effect such an extended inflation of a side curtain uses one or more ignitable pyrotechnic charges which can burn for an extended period of time. Another known inflator uses two containers of stored gas that are released at different rates into the side curtain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a vehicle occupant safety apparatus comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and a container for storing gas under pressure. The container has an outlet. The apparatus includes a mechanism for opening the container to release the gas to flow from the outlet at supersonic speed. The apparatus also includes a pyrotechnic material, which is ignitable to generate gas for helping to inflate the inflatable device. The pyrotechnic material is ignitable in response to being impacted by the gas flowing from the outlet at supersonic speed. The apparatus further includes a conduit directing at least a first portion of the gas flowing from the container to the pyrotechnic material to ignite the pyrotechnic material.
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Article entitled “Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia”, Sixtth Edition, 1983, pp. 2560-2561.
Co-pending U.S. Patent appln. Ser. No. 946,152, filed Oct. 7, 1997, entitled “Staged Pyrotechnic Air Bag Inflator”.
Co-pending U.S. Patent appln. Ser. No. 09/259,362, filed Feb. 26, 1999, entitled “Stored Gas Inflator Assembly”.
Freesmeier Jon J.
O'Loughlin John P.
Stevens Halley O.
Mai Lanna
Tarolli, Sundhein, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
To Toan
TRW Inc.
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