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US 5,181,737 AGranted
Safety apparatus for vehicle occupant
AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
InventorsReiner Lenzen, Ernst M. Faigle, John H. Semchena
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety apparatus for a vehicle occupant comprises an airbag which inflates outwardly from a housing into a vehicle occupant compartment. An ignitable material for facilitating outward movement of the inflating airbag past a closure panel is supported by the closure panel between the airbag and the occupant compartment.
Claims8
A safety apparatus for a vehicle occupant, said safety apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a deployment opening;
- an inflatable airbag in said housing;
- a source of gas for inflating said airbag to cause said airbag to move outwardly from said deployment opening;
- a door having a closed position in which said door closes said deployment opening and an open position, said door having an edge surface and a first inner surface defining a first cavity which opens into said edge surface;
- a door frame having a frame surface facing said edge surface of said door and a second inner surface defining a second cavity which opens into said frame surface;
- a locking pin having a locked position extending partially into said first cavity and partially into said second cavity to lock said door in said closed position;
- and
- explosive means for driving said locking pin out of said locked position to release said door for movement from said closed position to said open position.
5 more elements
A safety apparatus for a vehicle occupant compartment comprising:
- a housing having a deployment opening;
- an inflatable airbag in said housing;
- a source of gas for inflating said airbag to cause said airbag to move outwardly from said deployment opening into the vehicle occupant compartment;
- a door in a closed position extending across said deployment opening between said airbag and the vehicle occupant compartment, said door having an outer surface facing the vehicle occupant compartment and having an edge surface;
- means for supporting said door for pivotal movement relative to said housing from said closed position to an open position;
- a door frame having a frame surface facing said edge surface of said door;
- a movable locking member in a locking position extending from said frame surface to said edge surface, said locking member holding said door in said closed position;
- and
- unlocking means for permitting said airbag to move said door from said closed position to said open position when inflating, said unlocking means comprising an explosive material arranged to direct an explosive force against said locking member to move said locking member out of said locking position in a direction across said deployment opening.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.