U.S. patent application number 09/568685 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-18 for air bag contoured for safety.
Invention is credited to Barnes, Berton O..
Application Number | 20020043791 09/568685 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24272299 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020043791 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Barnes, Berton O. |
April 18, 2002 |
Air bag contoured for safety
Abstract
An air bag whose envelope is a front panel and a rear panel
joined around a common periphery and having a tether having one
edge joined to an inside surface of the front panel and another
edge joined to the inside surface of the rear surface near the
entry port. The tether has two members, an elastic member that is
shorter than an inelastic member in its unstretched state. The
elastic member controls the rate of inflation of the air cushion
thereby lessening the chance of injury due to the sudden inflation
of the air bag. The inelastic member controls the shape of the air
cushion to accommodate the face and head of the passenger
Inventors: |
Barnes, Berton O.; (Carmel,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Robert Samuel Smith
1263 Emory St
San Jose
CA
95126
US
|
Family ID: |
24272299 |
Appl. No.: |
09/568685 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/743.1 ;
280/729; 280/743.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2021/23382
20130101; B60R 21/233 20130101; B60R 21/2338 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
280/743.1 ;
280/743.2; 280/729 |
International
Class: |
B60R 021/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An inflatable air bag attachable to an inflater for deployment
in an automobile for the protection of passengers, said bag
comprising: an envelope having an entry port for admitting gas. a
tether having an edge; said tether positioned inside said envelope
having one length of said edge secured to an inside surface of said
envelope at one location and another length of said edge secured to
said inside surface at another location of said edge; said one
location and said another location operably selected in combination
with a dimension of said tether to form a concavity in said surface
of said envelope arranged to increase protection of said passenger
when said bag is suddenly inflated; said envelope adapted to being
secured to an inflater and communicating with said inflater through
said entry port.
2. The inflatable air bag of claim 1 wherein: said envelope is a
flexible rear panel and a flexible front panel joined together
around a common periphery; said entry port is located about in a
center of said rear panel; said tether is at least one strap, each
said at least one strap having one end joined to an inside surface
of said front panel and another end joined to an inside surface of
said rear panel proximal to said entry port; each said at least one
strap having a length selected to provide that when said envelope
is inflated through said entry port, said strap limits expansion of
said envelope whereby a concavity centrally located in a center of
said front panel is formed.
3. The inflatable air bag of claim 1 wherein: said envelope is a
flexible rear panel and a flexible front panel joined together
around a common periphery; said entry port is located about in a
center of said rear panel; said tether is a tether panel of
flexible material having an outer boundary and a centrally located
aperture defined by an inner boundary; said outer boundary attached
to an inside surface of said front panel and said inner boundary
joined to an inside surface of said rear panel and surrounding and
proximal to said entrance port; said tether panel having a
plurality of openings permitting gas to enter every region inside
said envelope. said tether panel having a size selected to provide
that when said envelope is inflated through said entry port, a
concavity centrally located in a center of said front panel is
formed.
4. The inflatable air bag of claim 1 wherein said inflater is
installable in one of a steering column and a glove compartment of
said automobile and said envelope is adapted to provide that, when
said air bag is fully inflated, a length of an edge of said
periphery of said envelope lies substantially against an inside
surface of a door of said automobile and a front surface of said
envelope is forced against said passenger sitting in said car
adjacent said door.
5. The air bag of claim 1 wherein said envelope is made of a sheet
of material selected from a group of materials that consists of an
air proof vegetable fiber cloth and a plastic sheet.
6. The air bag of claim 1 wherein said tether is a composite
comprising an elastic member an inelastic member; said elastic
member and inelastic member having a common end secured to said one
location and another common end secured to said another location;
said elastic member having a length that is shorter than a length
of said inelastic member providing that when said air bag is
deflated, both said inelastic and elastic members are unextended,
and when gas initially enters said bag, said elastic member will
first extend until said elastic member is fully extended, and, as
said bag continues to inflate, said elastic member will stretch and
said inelastic member will extend until said inelastic member is
fully extended whereby an area of said bag adjacent said second
location will cease to unfold while areas of said air bag distal
from said second location contnue to unfold providing that a
concavity is formed in said expanded air bag.
7. The air bag of claim 6 wherein: said tether is at least one
strap; each said at least one strap including an elastic strap and
an inelastic strap; said inelastic strap being longer than said
elastic strap; said inelastic strap and said elastic strap having
one common end joined at said first location and another common end
joined at said second location.
8. The air bag of claim 7 wherein said inelastic strap is made of
material selecting from a group of materials consisting of
vegetable fiber cloth impregnated with an air tight coating and a
plastic sheet and said elastic strap is made of material selected
from a group of materials consisting of rubber, neoprene,
urethane.
9 The air bag of claim 1 wherein said envelope comprises: a pair of
panels joined around a common periphery; said entry port is
proximal to a location on said periphery; said one location where
one edge of said tether is secured is about in the center of one
said panel and said another location where another edge of said
tether is secured is about in the center of said other panel.
providing that, when said air bag is inflated from a ceiling and
over a seat of said vehicle, said air bag unfolds in front of said
seat with concavity formed located adjacent a face of an occupant
of said seat.
10. 1. An inflatable air bag attachable to an inflater for
deployment in an automobile for the protection of passengers, said
bag comprising: an envelope having an entry port for admitting gas.
said envelope being a a rear panel and a front panel joined around
a common periphery of said front and rear panels; a tether being
one of: (i) at least one strap, each one of said at least one strap
having one end secured to said front panel near a center of said
front panel and another end secured to said rear panel near a
center of said rear panel and near said entry port; (ii) a tether
panel having an opening positioned in about a center of said tether
panel and with an outer edge secured to an inside surface of said
front panel and an edge of said opening secured to an inside
surface of said rear panel around said entry port; said tether
comprising an elastic member and an inelastic member joined where
edges of said elastic and inelastic members are secured to said
front and rear panels; said elastic member being smaller than and
inelastic member such that, when said air bag is being inflated,
said elastic member will be fully extended and then as said air bag
is further inflated, said elastic member is stretched until said
inelastic member is fully extended.
11. The air bag of claim 1 wherein: said tether is a composite
fabric comprising elastic threads interwoven with inelastic
threads; said elastic threads, when unstretched<having a length
that is shorter than a length of said inelastic threads providing
that when said air bag is deflated, both said inelastic and elastic
threads are unextended, and when gas initially enters said bag,
said elastic threads will first extend until said elastic thread is
fully extended, and, as said bag continues to inflate, said elastic
threads will stretch and said inelastic threads will extend until
said inelastic threads is fully extended whereby an area of said
bag adjacent said second location will cease to unfold while areas
of said air bag distal from said second location continue to unfold
providing that a concavity is formed in said expanded air bag.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to air bags to prevent injuries from
crashes to passengers, particularly children, riding in
automobiles.
BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
[0002] Air bags in vehicles that expand suddenly in the space
between the dash board and passenger when a crash occurs have been
shown to be an important means for preventing many deaths or
injuries since their adoption by the automobile industry.
[0003] An ambiguity exists however in the operation of the bag
which, on the one hand, requires great force by the expanding gas
in order for the bag to expand very quickly and immobilize the
passenger during the split second after the crash, but the
passenger must not be injured by the force driving the rapidly
expanding bag.
[0004] The consequence of this ambiguity has been that, although
many thousands of drivers and passengers have been saved from
injury and death by deployment of air bags, some passengers and
especially children, have been killed when these bags have been
deployed.
[0005] A number of disclosures have appeared related to the various
designs of air bags intended to address the problem of air bag
design especially devoted to the protection of children.
[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 57168995 to Lopez discloses a
child's seat for an automobile in which a safety shield attached to
the seat is positionable in front of the child to protect against
the force of the suddenly expanding bag.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,939 to Yamaji discloses an air bag
having a diffuser that controls rate of expansion of the bag.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,092 to Fischer discloses a child's car
seat with an air bag protection bar.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,726 to Pan discloses an air bag package
designed in combination with a safety belt.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,498 to Keshavaraj discloses an
inflatable air bag comprising two sections. One section is
constructed with a pyramidal panel and the other section is
constructed with a rectangular panel. The sections are joined and
configured to conform to the shape of the dash board. U U.S. Pat.
No. 5,957,485 to Hirai discloses an air bag structure including an
outer bag having an internal cavity and an inner bag disposed in
the cavity.
[0011] The problem with these examples of the prior art is that,
when deployed and in use for their intended purpose, they over
extend the safe distance for contact with the human face and
body.with a force that threatens the safety (and life of the
individual it is intended to protect. None of these disclosures
accommodate the condition where the bag must protect various parts
of the anatomy, each having its own requirements for protection. in
terms of the distribution of mass of the body vs. restraining force
of the bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is an object of this invention to provide an air bag
whose dynamic action in terms of force and rate of displacement
vary in various parts of the bag in order to accommodate parts of
the passengers body that come in contact with the bag.
[0013] It is an object that the bag be adapted to the protection of
children.
[0014] This invention is directed toward an air bag having an
internal checkrein restraining construction that shortens the
extent of the forward movement of the bag the air bag is deployed
by a crash. The check rein construction comprises (in one
embodiment) a front panel and rear panel, and are joined round
their common periphery. The panels lay against one another when the
bag is fully deflated. A tether inside the bag has one edge secured
to an inside surface of the front panel and an opposite edge
secured to the inside surface of the rear panel.
[0015] When fully inflated, the air bag of this invention assumes a
bulbous shape with a concavity in its center so that the air bag
"Wraps partially around the head and body as the air bag is
deployed. The shape of the inflated bag including the concavity is
selected according to the shape of the body or object (e.g., a
small child) it is intended to protect.
[0016] In one embodiment, the tether has an elastic component that
controls not only the rate and extent of expansion of the central
area of the bag facing the face of the user, but also the rate of
expansion of the peripheral areas of the bag.
[0017] The various features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings,
where
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective assembly view of the air bag.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1.;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a view with the top panel removed.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a partially inflated air bag
of this invention.
[0022] FIGS. 5A-D illustrate action of the composite tether.
[0023] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment featuring vertical deployment of
the bag.
DISCUSSION OF EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Turning now to a discussion of the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a
perspective assembly view of the inflated air bag of this invention
and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1. There are shown an
envelope 10 having an inside containing a tether 16. The envelope
comprises a rear panel 12 joined to a front panel 14 around a
common periphery 15. The tether 16 is shown which in the example of
FIG. 1 is a pair of straps 16 shown in phantom in fig, 1. Each
strap has one end secured to the inside surface of the rear panel
12 and another end secured to the inside surface of the front
panel. 14.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view (the front panel is cut
away) showing another embodiment in which the tether is a disk 20
of material, sewn around its outer periphery 22 to the front panel
14 (front panel 14 is partially cutaway in FIG. 3) and around its
inner periphery 23 to the rear panel 12. The tether is shown as a
cone 20 in FIG. 3 because the bag has been inflated however, when
the bag is deflated, the tether will be flat inside the bag.
[0026] The gas is generated by an inflater 13 and admitted into the
bag through the central opening in the disk and rear panel.
Inflater technology for generating gas under pressure is well known
in the art of safety air bags for automobiles.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the bag partially
deflated and the tether 20 partially folded.
[0028] FIGS. 5 A-D are sectional views illustrating a construction
of the tether, applicable to either a strap, disk or other
configuration of the tether for controlling the rate of expansion
of one area of the Air bag (the center) relative to another area of
the air bag. The tether has an elastic member 24 and an inelastic
member 26.
[0029] In the context of this specification, the term "extended".
and "extending" will be applied to both members when the ends of
the respective members are being separated. The elastic member will
be said to be "fully extended" when the ends of the elastic member
are separated by the maximum distance before stretching occurs. The
term stretched will describe the elastic member when the ends of
the elastic member have been displaced by a di stance greater than
the fully extended condition.
[0030] FIG. 5A shows the tether in a condition when the air bag is
partially inflated. The over all length of the inelastic member 26
is greater than the length of the elastic member 24.
[0031] As gas enters the bag, FIG. 5B shows the elastic member 24
extended to its full unstretched length. The inelastic member 26
has not been fully extended. At this point, the surface of the bag
has approached the face of the passenger at a relatively unlimited
speed.
[0032] As shown in fig. SC, continued inflation causes the elastic
component 24 to stretch to a full limit where the inelastic
component reaches its fullest extension. During this time of
stretching the elastic component 24, the elastic component slows
down rate of expansion of the central portion of the bag thereby
reducing the eventual force of impact against the face of the
passenger and increasing the rate at which the outside area of the
air bag wraps around the body and head of the passenger.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 5D, when the inelastic component 26 reaches
the limit of its extension, the only change in shape due to the
expansion of the air bag will be the continued extension and
wrapping around the head 27 and body of the outside regions 29 of
the bag. There will be no force against the face of the passenger
except the impulse generated by the momentum change of the head and
this impulse will be dampened by the cushion properties of the air
bag.
[0034] The principles of bag construction of this invention may be
applied to a system that relies on horizontal deployment of the bag
such as when the folded bag is stored adjacent the vizor overhead
the passenger or deployed horizontally such as when the bag is
stored in the steering column or dashboard of the car.
[0035] For example, FIGS. 1-5 show air bag configured for
horizontal deployment. The gas inlet 31 is in the center of the bag
and gas enters through an aperture in the center of the bag as
discussed above.
[0036] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the bag configured for
vertical deployment in which case the bag is suspended and gas is
admitted at the periphery of the panels but the tether is still
located in the center of the panels as discussed above.
[0037] While the bag has been described above as an envelope
comprising a front panel and rear panel joined at a common
periphery with the tether attached to the approximate center of the
panels, it will be understood that that the envelope may be
constructed as a single integral piece (such as a balloon
[0038] While the drawings and discussion above have shown a elastic
member distinct from an inelastic member, it should be understood
the the equivalent of a two member (elastic and inelastic)
comprises a fabric composed of elastic thread and inelastic thread
where the inelastic thread is longer than the elastic thread.
[0039] There has been described an air bag that features shape and
dynamic characteristics conducive to the protection of the
passenger during the crash of a vehicle in which the passenger is
riding.
[0040] Variations and modifications and modifications of the
invention may be contemplated which are within the scope of the
invention.
[0041] For example, in place of a disk or strap, the tether may be
a rectangle and the panels of the air bag may be rectangular or
other convenient shape depending on the requirement of the outer
edges of the expanded bag to conform to the conformation of the
door, dash board and/or ceiling of the interior of the
automobile.
[0042] The shape of the air bag when expanded determined by the
construction of the tether, may have any one of a number of shapes
depending on the object to be protected, particularly children,
adults or objects of value.
[0043] In one embodiment, the principles of the bag construction is
applied to a bag designed specifically for vertical or horizontal
deployment.
[0044] In one embodiment, the elastic part of the tether is any one
of a number of elastomeric materials such as rubber, neoprene, or
urethane.
[0045] In one embodiment, the inelastic component of the tether is
any one of a number of materials including cotton or other
vegetable fiber material impregnated with a coating to render the
bag air tight, leather or plastic sheet such as acetate, vinyl,
nylon, polyethylene, etc. or combinations thereof.
[0046] In view of these and other considerations prompted by
reading the specification and studying the drawings that are within
the scope of the invention, it is therefore wished to define the
scope of this invention by the appended claims.
* * * * *