Extendible safety impact bags for vehicles

An apparatus for intercepting an object in the path of a passenger vehicle during impact with said object and passenger vehicle while said vehicle is traveling at a predetermined unsafe impact speed which comprises:

• a detection means on said moving vehicle that anticipates a possible impending impact with an object in the path of said moving vehicle or with an object coming upon said vehicle from behind;
• a forwardly or rearwardly extending mechanism within a frame of said vehicle for actuating an extension procedure of the bumpers of said vehicle prior to an impending impact of said vehicle as determined by said detection means;
• a releasable retaining apparatus for keeping said extending mechanism either from being actuated from an initial retracted condition or for keeping said retaining apparatus in an extended condition when it has been moved into that position while preparing for possible impending impact with another object;
• a dually compartmented impact shock absorbing air cushioning apparatus at either front or back, or both, of said moving vehicle at a point between said frame of said vehicle and bumpers of said vehicle;
• air filling and air extracting means for filling or emptying said air cushioning apparatus;
• and
• a retracting mechanism for returning the bumpers of the vehicle to an initial inoperative condition if no impact is detected to be imminent, or if no impact takes place.

The method of intercepting an object in the path of a moving passenger vehicle during impact or impending impact and for preparing such vehicle for such impact while said vehicle is traveling at a predetermined unsafe impact speed which comprises:

• a. providing a detection means on said moving vehicle that anticipates a possible impending impact with an object in the path of said moving vehicle or with an object coming from behind;
• b. inserting a forwardly or rearwardly extending mechanism within the frame of said vehicle for actuating an extension procedure of the bumpers of said vehicle prior to an impending impact of said vehicle as predetermined by said detection means;
• c. providing a releasable retaining apparatus for keeping said extending mechanism either from being actuated from an initial retracted condition or for keeping said retaining apparatus in an extended condition when it has been moved into that position while preparing for possible impending impact with another object;
• d. placing at least one elongated air bag between said bumper and said frame of said vehicle wherein the longer dimension of said elongated bag is parallel with said frame and said bumper when sald extending apparatus is in a retracted condition;
• e. pivotally attaching said elongated air bag at its end closest to said extending mechanism;
• f. providing a cradle arrangement at the other end of said elongated air bag;
• g. interconnecting said pivotally attached end and said cradle with a frictionally secured pair of connectors;
• h. attaching said air bag to said cradle;
• i. providing a latching device for retaining said elongated air bag from returning to its parallel position to said frame;
• and
• j. providing a retracting mechanism for retracting said bumpers to an inactive condition.