Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-02
2001-02-20
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189921
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an air belt device, more particularly to an air bag device which is equipped in a vehicle to protect an occupant who sits in a seat, in a collision. This air belt device reduces the force that the occupant receives from a webbing, when an inflatable body that is attached to the webbing of the seat belt device is inflated along the webbing at the time of a collision.
A seat belt device having an inflatable body attached to a webbing is shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 63-39462. The air bag is folded into a cover in this seat belt device. The air bag folded into the cover is attached to the webbing. A gas generator device is provided inside the air bag to expand the air bag. All the weight of the gas generator device loads on the webbing in this air belt device. This device has a disadvantage that the weight of gas generator device presses against the chest or abdomen of the occupant as a result.
The purpose of this invention is to provide an air belt device that does not allow the weight of the gas generator device to press against the chest or abdomen of the occupant. Thus the occupant feels comfortable when the air belt device is used.
THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention comprises a seat belt device for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, an inflatable body being attached to a webbing of the seat belt device and a gas generator device supplying a gas to inflate the inflatable body characterized in that said gas generator device is mounted in the upper portion of a seat back.
According to this air belt device, the gas generator device is mounted in the upper portion of a seat back so that no weight of the gas generator device loads to the occupant.
It is preferred that the air belt device has an inflatable body including an air bag being disposed along the webbing and a cover enveloping the air bag, said cover having hooks that are fastened along the webbing to attach the inflatable body to the webbing. According to this air belt device, it becomes easy to attach or detach the inflatable body to or from the webbing.
It is preferred that an air belt device has a gas generator device further including a freely rotating cap connected to the inflatable body for supplying the gas from the gas generator device into the inflatable body. According to this air belt device, the rotating cap can rotate following the movement of the webbing. As a result, the torsion or twisting stress and the like load to the inflatable body is reduced.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3706463 (1972-12-01), Lipkin
patent: 3929205 (1975-12-01), Takada et al.
patent: 4348037 (1982-09-01), Law et al.
patent: 5288104 (1994-02-01), Chen
patent: 5472231 (1995-12-01), France
patent: 5511820 (1996-04-01), Hatfield
patent: 5556129 (1996-09-01), Coman et al.
patent: 5839753 (1998-11-01), Yaniv et al.
patent: 5851055 (1998-12-01), Lewis
patent: 43 05 505 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 0 592 815 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 10236256 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 97/23367 (1997-03-01), None
Dickson Paul N.
Foley & Lardner
Takata Corporation
LandOfFree
Air belt device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Air belt device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Air belt device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2595531