Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2001-05-29
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S749000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237939
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inflatable vehicle apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, when inflated, has a bottom edge spaced apart from the vehicle roof and front and rear bottom corners. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The apparatus includes a flexible elongated member that has a first end connected to the side structure of the vehicle at a first location and an opposite second end connected to the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device at a second location. The second location is spaced away from the corners of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5265903 (1993-11-01), Kuretake et al.
patent: 5462308 (1995-10-01), Seki et al.
patent: 5588672 (1996-12-01), Karlow et al.
patent: 5707075 (1998-01-01), Kraft et al.
patent: 5788270 (1998-08-01), Haland et al.
patent: 5865462 (1999-02-01), Robins et al.
patent: 5899491 (1999-05-01), Tschaeschke
patent: 6073961 (2000-06-01), Bailey et al.
patent: 6095551 (2000-08-01), O'Docherty
patent: 6106007 (2000-08-01), Kretschmer et al.
patent: 9743146 (1997-11-01), None
Dickson Paul N.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
LandOfFree
Inflatable curtain does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Inflatable curtain, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Inflatable curtain will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2472397