Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-06
2003-01-21
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728300, C280S743100, C280S749000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508486
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates generally to restraint systems for vehicles. More specifically, this application relates to a door mounted restraint system.
BACKGROUND
Side air bags and inflatable curtains are installed in the door, pillar and vehicle seats for deployment. The air bag is designed to rapidly deploy or inflate an inflatable cushion.
Air bags are provided in a module having an inflatable cushion and an inflator. The cushion is stored in a folded position within the air bag module. A sensing system determines whether air bag deployment is necessary. The sensing system is either local to or remote of the air bag module and typically includes an accelerometer operatively coupled with a controller. If the sensing system determines that air bag deployment is necessary, it provides a signal to activate the inflator. Upon activation, the inflator provides a supply of inflating gas to the cushion to inflate the cushion. Some inflators are pure gas inflators wherein a pressure vessel contains stored pressurized gas. The pressure vessel communicates with the cushion through various types of rupturable outlets or diaphragms. Other inflators have a gas generator that employs a chemical reaction or combustion, such as the combustion of sodium azide, to produce the volume of gas required to inflate the cushion. Still other inflators are a hybrid of the gas generator and pressure vessel inflators discussed above (hereinafter hybrid inflators). Hybrid inflators include both a pressure vessel and a gas generator. When the gas generator is ignited, the resultant gas flows with the stored gas to the cushion through the pressure vessel outlet.
However, there is a continuing need for improved air bag and restraint systems.
SUMMARY
A restraint system having a door mounted air bag module is provided. The air bag module includes an inflatable cushion having a predetermined shape and an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable cushion. The inflator is activatable to inflate the inflatable cushion. The predetermined shape has an upper inflatable section, a lower inflatable section, and a recessed portion positioned between the upper and lower inflatable sections.
A door mounted restraint system having a retention mechanism to restrain an occupant in the vehicle is provided. The door mounted retention mechanism includes a retention strap and a tensioning device. The retention strap is connected to an upper rear comer of the side window and is connected to a pulley at a lower front corner of the side window. The tensioning device is connected to the retention strap at the pulley. The tensioning device is activatable to pull slack in the retention strap through the pulley to tighten the retention strap across the side window between the upper rear corner and the lower front corner.
A door mounted side restraint system including an air bag module and a retention mechanism is provided. The air bag module includes an inflatable cushion and an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable cushion. The inflator is activatable to inflate the inflatable cushion. The retention mechanism includes a retention strap and a tensioning device. The retention strap is connected to the inflatable cushion and is deployable across a side window of a vehicle such that a tarp-like effect is provided to the inflatable cushion by the retention strap.
A door mounted air bag module having a base plate connectable to a door of a vehicle is provided. A trim panel is connected to the base plate by one or more breakaway fasteners such that a cavity is formed between the base plate and the trim panel. An inflatable cushion is stored in the cavity. An inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable cushion is activated to inflate the inflatable cushion. The breakaway fasteners are released by inflation of the inflatable cushion such that the trim panel moves away from the base plate.
The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5439247 (1995-08-01), Kolb
patent: 5447326 (1995-09-01), Laske et al.
patent: 5865462 (1999-02-01), Robins et al.
patent: 5913536 (1999-06-01), Brown
patent: 5938233 (1999-08-01), Specht
patent: 6129377 (2000-10-01), Okumura et al.
patent: 6168193 (2001-01-01), Shirk et al.
patent: 6168194 (2001-01-01), Cuevas et al.
patent: 6276712 (2001-08-01), Welch et al.
patent: 5-139232 (1993-06-01), None
Anderson Gregg G.
Gopal Madana M.
Welch Jeffrey A.
Weston Douglas S.
Culbreth Eric
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Marra Kathryn A.
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