Inflatable side curtain

Details Inflatable side curtain Inflatable side curtain

1999-12-17

2001-05-15

Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S743100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231073

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inflatable 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 vehicles 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. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises overlying panels connected together along a perimeter of the panels to define an inflatable volume and a connection that interconnects the overlying panels within the perimeter. The connection comprises a plurality of linear segment that extend in a generally horizontal direction and are spaced vertically apart. The linear segments are positioned relative to each other such that the second terminal end of one of the linear segments lies on a vertically extending line that intersects the first terminal end of another of the linear segments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a schematic view of an inflatable apparatus illustrating the apparatus in a deflated condition;
FIG. 2
is a schematic view of the apparatus of
FIG. 1
in an inflated condition; and
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of the apparatus taken generally along line
3
—
3
in FIG.
2
.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5280954 (1994-01-01), Henseler et al.
patent: 5788270 (1998-08-01), Haland et al.
patent: 5865462 (1999-02-01), Robins et al.
patent: 5884937 (1999-03-01), Yamada
patent: 5899491 (1999-05-01), Tschaeschke
patent: 6032977 (2000-03-01), Reh et al.
patent: 19743626 (1998-04-01), None
patent: WO9626087 (1998-02-01), None
patent: WO9807598 (1998-02-01), None

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