Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-15
2004-02-10
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S743100, C280S808000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06688642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag system disposed about a seatbelt. More specifically, the present invention relates to an airbag system for seatbelts including a housing and an elongated tubular inflatable structure disposed within the housing, where the housing and inflatable structure include a seatbelt passageway so that a seatbelt may pass therethrough unhindered and unaffected during normal seatbelt use, while the inflatable structure remains in an uninflated state. In a collision event, an inflator causes the inflatable structure to unfold or unroll and extend from the housing along the seatbelt, so that the inflatable structure surrounds the seatbelt over an extended length thereof to provide a cushion between the seatbelt and an occupant.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore, seatbelt systems have been attached to the seats of vehicles such as automobiles and airplanes. A typical seatbelt system is arranged to restrain the occupant's body by a webbing upon the occurrence of an emergency situation such as a collision of the vehicle, thereby protecting the occupant from injury which would otherwise be done to him or her by collision with a part of the vehicle body. In such a seatbelt system, however, the width of the webbing, which constitutes a belt for restraining the occupant's body, is relatively small. Therefore, the occupant's body receives a heavy load in this small area in contact with the belt when restrained by the webbing.
A variety of inflatable seatbelt systems have been proposed in which the webbing is formed in the shape of a bag, and under normal circumstances, the bag shaped webbing is maintained in a strap like configuration so as to function as an ordinary seatbelt. When a collision event occurs, the bag shaped webbing is inflated by a gas introduced thereinto from a gas-generating device so as to function as an air belt. The inflatable element is generally disposed either sandwiched inside two outside layers of the load-bearing belt, or inside of a hollow load-bearing belt. The load bearing structure then splits or otherwise opens up to present the inflatable structure. One problem associated with this arrangement is that the inflatable belt tends to be bulky and heavy, which causes discomfort to an occupant, and the bag may become worn out through normal usage of the seatbelt system.
Another structure that has been previously developed provides the inflatable element adjustably attached to the outside of the load bearing belt in the vicinity of its final position along the length of the belt. This arrangement requires that the structure be positioned after the belt has been secured about or over the occupant. Further, the structure is bulky, and in its optimal position, sits directly on the stomach, chest or lap of the occupant.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts, where the bag is not stored within the seatbelt or on top of an occupant, in order to prevent wearing of the bag through normal use of the seatbelt system and to improve comfort. It would further be advantageous to provide such a system that would not affect or interfere with the normal use of the seatbelt, and that could be employed in existing airplanes and back seats of land vehicles, where other types of airbag systems are not currently feasible.
Objects of the Invention
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts that is concentrically disposed about a seatbelt, having a passageway formed in a middle portion thereof so that a seatbelt may freely pass therethrough while the bag is in the deflated state.
It is another object of one embodiment of the present invention to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts that may be used in combination with pre-existing seatbelts in a variety of vehicles, including automobiles and airplanes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts, so that in a collision event, the inflatable portion extends from a module or housing and concentrically rolls along the seatbelt, so that it is disposed about an extended portion of the seatbelt in a slidable manner during an inflated state.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts where the module housing the inflatable portion is in a convenient, out-of-the-way position with respect to the seatbelt and the occupant, so that it causes no discomfort during normal use, and so that it is not subjected to general wear and tear from normal use.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts having a one-piece inflatable structure with an open end that is attached and sealed to a housing member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable airbag system for seatbelts that is inexpensive to manufacture, and which overcomes some of the problems associated with other types of inflatable seatbelt systems.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3618979 (1971-11-01), Gulette
patent: 3682498 (1972-08-01), Rutzki
patent: 3836168 (1974-09-01), Nonaka et al.
patent: 3841654 (1974-10-01), Lewis
patent: 3848887 (1974-11-01), Fox
patent: 3933370 (1976-01-01), Abe et al.
patent: 4348037 (1982-09-01), Law et al.
patent: 4971354 (1990-11-01), Kim
patent: 5062662 (1991-11-01), Cameron
patent: 5125682 (1992-06-01), Hensler et al.
patent: 5162006 (1992-11-01), Yandle, II
patent: 5184844 (1993-02-01), Goor
patent: 5393091 (1995-02-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5642902 (1997-07-01), France
patent: 5794971 (1998-08-01), Boydston et al.
patent: 5863065 (1999-01-01), Boydston et al.
patent: 5871230 (1999-02-01), Lewis
patent: RE36661 (2000-04-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6189921 (2001-02-01), Takeuchi
patent: 6237945 (2001-05-01), Aboud et al.
patent: RE37280 (2001-07-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6352282 (2002-03-01), Hirose
patent: 6382666 (2002-05-01), Devonport
patent: 6428042 (2002-08-01), Fischer et al.
patent: 6505851 (2003-01-01), Frisch
patent: 6536801 (2003-03-01), Frisch
International Search Report for US02/20213 filed Jun. 26, 2002 for Case No. 2672 “Concentrically Disposed Airbag System for Seats” (copy enclosed).
Dickson Paul N.
Draper Deanna
Milliken & Company
Moyer Terry T.
Vick, Jr. John E.
LandOfFree
Concentrically disposed airbag system for seatbelts does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Concentrically disposed airbag system for seatbelts, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Concentrically disposed airbag system for seatbelts will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3342820