Impact protection device

Details Impact protection device Impact protection device

1999-04-27

2001-11-13

Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S728300, C280S730200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06315320

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an impact protection device for installation in the backrest of motor vehicle seats, including an air bag module with a gas bag, an inflator and an ignition device, as well as including a cap covering the installation opening, capable of being hinged from a closed position into an opened position and permitting in the opened position unobstructed forward deployment of the gas bag.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such impact protection devices are able to significantly diminish the risk of injury of the vehicle occupant when the vehicle is involved in a side collision, as long as the gas bag is totally inflated before the occupant comes into contact with side parts of the vehicle body in a crash situation. Whilst the protection devices effective in a head-on collision need to be inflated within 30 to 60 ms for the driver and front passenger, this time is only 10 to 20 ms in the case of side air bags since the reaction travel is substantially shorter. Depending on the nature of the side collision and the design configuration of the vehicle body parts involved there is the risk of the gas bag getting caught in its deployment phase by side structural parts intruding into the vehicle passenger compartment thus preventing total inflation. Accordingly, the protective effect of the gas bag is diminished.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of ensuring in the case of an impact protection device of the aforementioned kind that total deployment of the gas bag cannot be obstructed by intruding side structural parts, instead the gas bag being fully inflated prior to there being any contact between the side structural parts and the vehicle occupant.
To achieve this object it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the cap covering the installation opening for the gas bag is configured mechanically reinforced. The cap is capable of being hinged from a closed position, in which the cap is oriented substantially parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis, into a position in which the cap is oriented substantially perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal axis. The cap forms in the opened position a stable spacing means between the backrest of the vehicle seat and the portion of the vehicle body opposite thereto.
In the installation region of the air bag module the backrest of vehicle seats has a width of more than 100 mm, permitting the arrangement of a cap having a width of at least 70 to 80 mm. When this cap is configured in accordance with the invention and arranged such that it is oriented and arrested transversly to the vehicle longitudinal axis on activation of the air bag, it may be active as a spacing means between the backrest of the seat and the side structural parts of the vehicle body at least as long as is required until the gas bag is totally inflated. In addition, it is in this way that to any intrusion of side structural parts into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, an additional resistance is opposed via the seat structure and its attachment in the floor region of the vehicle body.


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