Vehicle partition compatible with side air bags
AssigneeSetina Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorTerry Setina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle partition for separating front and rear occupant areas (or other restricted and permitted areas) in a vehicle having side air bags, the vehicle partition comprising a partition frame with upright portions spaced apart from the vehicle's respective inner side surfaces such that the partition does not interfere with deployment of the air bags. In some embodiments, access through openings defined by the spaced apart upright portions and adjacent vehicle side surfaces is restricted by cover members. In some embodiments, one or more portions of the partition frame are electrified to shock an occupant in a restricted area attempting to gain access to a permitted area through an opening in the partition.
Claims25
A vehicle partition for separating front and rear occupant areas of a vehicle having side air bags, the vehicle partition comprising a partition frame with upright portions spaced apart from the vehicle's respective inner side surfaces such that the partition does not interfere with deployment of the air bags.
A vehicle partition for separating front and rear occupant areas of a vehicle having side air bags, the vehicle partition comprising:
- a partition frame comprising upright portions spaced apart from the vehicle's respective inner side surfaces in deployment regions of the air bags;
- a lateral frame member extending between the upright portions and positioned adjacent a ceiling of the vehicle;
- mounting points on the frame for mounting the frame to the vehicle, wherein the mounting points are positioned at heights above a floor of the vehicle.
A vehicle partition for separating front and rear occupant areas of a vehicle, the vehicle partition comprising a partition frame, electrodes mounted to the frame and a circuit that selectively allows the electrodes to be energized, wherein when the electrodes are energized, the electrodes are capable of shocking a user that contacts the frame.
A method of configuring a partition in a vehicle having side air bags, comprising:
- providing a partition sized to fit within an interior of the vehicle and to define a restricted occupant space on one side of the partition and a permitted occupant space on the other side of the partition, the partition being configured for attachment to the vehicle;
- determining dimensions of side air bag deployment zones within the interior, the deployment zones representing the size, shape and position of the respective air bags when inflated during a deployment;
- selectively shaping an outer periphery of the partition to fit closely to the interior of the vehicle, except in areas where the partition would intersect with the airbag deployment zones;
- in areas where the partition would intersect with airbag deployment zones, providing open areas defined by the outer periphery of the partition and the adjacent portions of the vehicle interior, the open areas being sized to allow contact between deployed airbags and the partition but not impeding full inflation of the airbags;
- and
- restricting access through the open areas from the restricted occupant space to the permitted occupant space to restrict an occupant in the restricted occupant space from gaining access to the permitted occupant space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.