Occupant restraint system

An occupant restraint system comprising, support means, an inflatable occupant restraint cushion including a lower wall portion mounted to the support means, an upper wall portion spaced from the support means, and folded wall portions interconnecting the upper and lower wall portions, means mounting the lower wall portion to the support means, a source of pressure fluid mounted to the support means for supplying pressure fluid to inflate and deploy the occupant restraint cushion, a pressure fluid reaction member covering the inside of the upper wall portion, flexible strap means interconnecting the reaction member and the support means adjacent the source of pressure fluid to mount the reaction member to the support means in spaced overlying relationship to the source of pressure fluid, and means pocketing the pressure fluid reaction member to the inside of the upper wall portion of the cushion to seal the interface between the reaction member and upper wall portion against the entry of pressure fluid during initial deployment of the cushion and maintain the upper wall portion stationary as the folded wall portions of the cushion deploy generally laterally of the occupant, the pocketing means being released from the reaction member when predetermined levels of volume and pressure of the pressure fluid are attained to permit the pocketing means and upper wall portion to move normal to or toward the occupant.

An occupant restraint system comprising, support means, an inflatable occupant restraint cushion including a lower wall portion mounted to the support means, an upper wall portion spaced from the support means, and folded wall portions interconnecting the upper and lower wall portions, means mounting the lower wall portion to the support means, a source of pressure fluid mounted to the support means for supplying pressure fluid to inflate and deploy the occupant restraint cushion, a pressure fluid reaction member covering the inside of the upper wall portion, a flexible continuous strap looped through the reaction member and having the ends thereof mounted to the support means to flexibly mount the reaction member to the support means in overlying spaced relationship to the source of pressure fluid, and means pocketing the pressure fluid reaction member to the inside of the upper wall portion of the cushion to seal the interface between the reaction member and upper wall portion against the entry of pressure fluid during initial deployment of the cushion and maintain the upper wall portion stationary as the folded wall portions of the cushion deploy generally laterally of the occupant, the pocketing means being released from the reaction member when predetermined levels of volume and pressure of the pressure fluid are attained to permit the pocketing means and upper wall portion to move normal to or toward the occupant.

An occupant restraint system comprising, support means, an inflatable occupant restraint cushion including a lower wall portion mounted to the support means, an upper wall portion spaced from the support means, and folded wall portions interconnecting the upper and lower wall portions, means mounting the lower wall portion to the support means, a source of pressure fluid mounted to the support means for supplying pressure fluid to inflate and deploy the occupant restraint cushion, a generally planar pressure fluid reaction member covering the inside of the upper wall portion, flexible means interconnecting the inner portion of the reaction member and the support means to mount the reaction member in overlying spaced relationship to the source of pressure fluid, and means pocketing the outer peripheral area of the pressure fluid reaction member to the inside of the upper wall portion of the cushion to seal the interface between the reaction member and upper wall portion against the entry of pressure fluid during initial deployment of the cushion and maintain the upper wall portion stationary as the folded wall portions of the cushion deploy generally laterally of the occupant, the pocketing means being released from the reaction member when predetermined levels of volume and pressure of the pressure fluid are attained to permit the pocketing means and upper wall portion to move normal to or toward the occupant.

An occupant restraint system comprising, support means, an inflatable occupant restraint cushion including a lower wall portion mounted to the support means, an upper wall portion spaced from the support means, and folded wall portions interconnecting the upper and lower wall portions, means mounting the lower wall portion to the support means, a source of pressure fluid mounted to the support means for supplying pressure fluid to inflate and deploy the occupant restraint cushion, a pressure fluid reaction member covering the inside of the upper wall portion, flexible means interconnecting the reaction member and the support means to mount the reaction member in overlying spaced relationship to the source of pressure fluid, flap means secured to the inside of the upper wall portion and overlying the peripheral area of the reaction member to seal the interface between the reaction member and the upper wall portion of the cushion, against the entry of pressure fluid during initial deployment of the cushion and maintain the upper wall portion stationary as the folded wall portions of the cushion deploy generally laterally of the occupant, and means releasably securing the flap means to the reaction member until the pressure and volume of pressure fluid within the cushion attain predetermined levels, the pocketing means being released from the reaction member when such predetermined levels of volume and pressure of the pressure fluid are attained to permit the pocketing means and upper wall portion to move normal to or toward the occupant.