Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1993-04-21
1994-05-03
Focarino, Margaret A.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
290728R, 290730R, 290728A, B60R 2122
Patent
active
053081129
ABSTRACT:
A side impact air bag mounted in a door of a motor vehicle in an unfurled, deflated position for reducing deployment time and providing reliable orientation of the air bag upon deployment. The air bag is mounted in an upper portion of the door, and an actuable inflator is mounted in the lower portion of the door. The inflator is in communication with the air bag via a connecting air bag or flexible duct, which provides added padding to the door upon inflation. A soft flexible material overlies the air bag to hide the air bag from the occupant's view as well as retain the air bag in the unfurled position. The soft flexible material is adhesively attached or stapled to an inner trim panel of the door and becomes detached from the inner trim panel upon the air bag inflating and pushing the soft flexible material away from the inner trim panel so that the air bag reaches its inflated position. A second embodiment provides the soft flexible material with a weakened portion that tears upon the air bag inflating and pushing the soft flexible material away from the inner trim panel of the door.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3603535 (1971-09-01), DePolo
patent: 3791667 (1974-02-01), Haviland
patent: 4173356 (1979-11-01), Ross
patent: 4946191 (1990-08-01), Putsch
patent: 4966388 (1990-10-01), Warner et al.
patent: 5039035 (1991-08-01), Fitzpatrick
patent: 5072966 (1991-12-01), Nishitake et al.
Yngve Haland, Electrolux Autoliv AB, "Side Impact Protection By Airbag and Padded Door", pp. 311-315 of Automotive Technology International '92 pub. (pp. 85-101).
Charles Y. Warner; Charles E. Strother, Michael B. James, Donald E. Struble, Timothy P. Egbert, Collision Safety Engineering, "Crash Protection in Near-Side Impact Advantages of a Supplemental Inflatable Restraint", Paper #890602.
Desaele Kenneth H.
Hill Timothy W.
Lau Ian V.
Welch Jeffrey A.
Ellis Christopher P.
Focarino Margaret A.
General Motors Corporation
Leahy C. E.
Moore Todd L.
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