Inflatable side curtain with fill tube

Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:

• 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, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device defining an inflatable volume and having a length extending along the side structure of the vehicle;
• an inflation fluid source that provides inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid consisting essentially of helium;
• and
• a fill tube having a portion located in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device extending into said inflatable volume, said fill tube being in fluid communication with said inflation fluid source, said inflation fluid source, when actuated, providing said inflation fluid to said fill tube, said fill tube including outlet apertures positioned along said portion of said fill tube for directing said inflation fluid into said inflatable volume to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device initially to a first desired pressure and maintain said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflated above a second desired pressure for a predetermined period of time, said predetermined period of time being at least 5-7 seconds;
• said inflation fluid being directed through said outlet apertures into said inflatable volume to inflate said inflatable volume, said inflation fluid directed into said inflatable volume having a temperature that is generally the same and a pressure that is generally the same throughout the length of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device during initial inflation of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a temperature about equal to an ambient temperature in which said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated for at least 95% of said predetermined period of time.

Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:

• 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, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device defining an inflatable volume and having a length extending along the side structure of the vehicle, said inflatable volume including a forward portion for location forwardly in the vehicle and a rearward portion for location rearwardly in the vehicle;
• and
• an inflation fluid source that provides inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid source, when actuated, providing said inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device initially to a first desired pressure and maintain said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflated above a second desired pressure for a predetermined period of time, said predetermined period of time being at least 5-7 seconds, said inflation fluid source comprising a stored gas inflator containing said inflation fluid under pressure, said inflation fluid consisting essentially of helium;
• said inflation fluid being directed into said forward portion and said rearward portion of said inflatable volume to inflate said forward and rearward portions, said inflation fluid directed into said forward portion and said inflation fluid directed into said rearward portion having a temperature that is generally the same during initial inflation of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid directed into said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a temperature about equal to an ambient temperature in which said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated for at least 95% of said predetermined period of time.

A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing 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, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device defining an inflatable volume and having a length extending along the side structure of the vehicle, said inflatable volume including a forward portion for location forwardly in the vehicle and a rearward portion for location rearwardly in the vehicle;
• providing an inflation fluid source that provides inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid source, when actuated, providing said inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device initially to a first desired pressure and maintain said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflated above a second desired pressure for a predetermined period of time, said predetermined period of time being at least 5-7 seconds, said inflation fluid consisting essentially of helium;
• and
• directing said inflation fluid into said forward portion and said rearward portion of said inflatable volume, said inflation fluid directed into said forward portion and said inflation fluid directed into said rearward portion having a temperature that is generally the same and a pressure that is generally the same during initial inflation of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to cause said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to inflate evenly throughout the length of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid directed into said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a temperature about equal to an ambient temperature in which said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated for at least 95% of said predetermined period.

Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof, said apparatus comprising:

• 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, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device defining an inflatable volume and having a length extending along the side structure of the vehicle;
• an inflation fluid source for providing inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflation fluid consisting essentially of helium;
• and
• a fill tube having a portion located in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said fill tube being in fluid communication with said inflation fluid source, said inflation fluid source, when actuated, providing said inflation fluid to said fill tube, said fill tube directing said inflation fluid into said inflatable volume to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device initially to a first desired pressure and maintain said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflated above a second desired pressure for a predetermined period of time, said predetermined period of time being at least 5-7 seconds, said fill tube being adapted to deliver said inflation fluid into said inflatable volume such that said inflation fluid directed into said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device has a temperature about just above an ambient temperature in which said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated.