Inflatable body and head restraint system

A method for protecting the occupants of a vehicle equipped with an impact sensor and an occupant restraint system comprising at least one shoulder strap having a front surface and a back surface, one normally uninflated bladder having a vertical central portion attached to the back surface of the shoulder strap, a vertical inner side portion and a vertical outer side portion which extend around the shoulder strap and lie folded on top of the shoulder strap, said bladder comprising two vertical webs extending across the bladder, said webs forming a vertical central chamber in the central portion of the bladder, a vertical inner side chamber in the inner side portion of the bladder, and a vertical outer side chamber in the outer side portion of the bladder, and one gas generator means within a housing on the front face of each of said at least one shoulder strap for generating gas to inflate said bladder member, wherein the housing comprises no ports leading directly into the vertical central chamber, such that the vertical central chamber is fluidly connected to the gas generator only through the vertical inner side chamber and the vertical outer side chamber, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an impact with the impact sensor;
• (b) transmitting an electrical signal from the impact sensor to the gas generator;
• (c) igniting the gas generator and generating an inflating gas;
• (d) inflating the inner vertical portion and the outer vertical portions of the bladder such that the inner vertical portion and the outer vertical portion start to deploy;
• and
• (e) inflating the central portion of the bladder when the deployment of the inner vertical portion and the outer vertical portion is substantially complete.

A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

• (a) at least one shoulder strap having a front surface and a back surface;
• (b) gas generating means located on the front surface of each shoulder strap, each gas generating means having an igniter;
• (c) an impact sensor electrically connected to each igniter;
• (d) one inflatable bladder, having side portions in fluid communication with said gas generating means and a central portion positioned between each shoulder strap and the occupant in fluid communication with said side portions, for lifting each shoulder strap away from the occupant's body, thereby eliminating any slack between the shoulder strap and the occupant, wherein said central portion is attached to the back surface of said shoulder strap, and the side portions lie folded on top of the shoulder strap, said bladder comprising two vertical webs extending across the bladder, said webs forming a vertical central chamber in the central portion of the bladder, a vertical inner side chamber in the inner side portion of the bladder, and a vertical outer side chamber in the outer side portion of the bladder;
• and
• (e) means for controlling the deployment of said inflatable bladder such that the inflatable bladder does not roll out from between the shoulder strap and the occupant,
• wherein the gas generator means is located in a housing on the front face of each of said at least one shoulder strap for generating gas to inflate said bladder member, and wherein the housing comprises no ports leading directly into the vertical central chamber, such that the vertical central chamber is fluidly connected to the gas generator only through the vertical inner side chamber and the vertical outer side chamber.

A method for protecting the occupants of a vehicle equipped with an impact sensor and an occupant restraint system comprising (i) two shoulder straps, each strap having a front surface and a back surface, (ii) two normally uninflated bladders, each bladder having a vertical central portion, a vertical inner side portion and a vertical outer side portion, the vertical central portion of each bladder being attached to the back surface of one shoulder strap, and the vertical inner portions and the vertical outer portions lie folded on top of a shoulder strap, each of said two bladders comprising two vertical webs extending across the bladder, said webs forming a vertical central chamber in the central portion of the bladder, a vertical inner side chamber in the inner side portion of the bladder, and a vertical outer side chamber in the outer side portion of the bladder, and (iii) one gas generator means positioned within a housing on the front face of each of said shoulder straps for generating gas to inflate each of said two bladder members, wherein the housing comprises no ports leading directly into the vertical central chamber, such that the vertical central chamber is fluidly connected to the gas generator only through the vertical inner side chamber and the vertical outer side chamber, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting an impact with the impact sensor;
• (b) transmitting an electrical signal from the impact sensor to the gas generator;
• (c) igniting each gas generator and generating an inflating gas;
• (d) inflating the inner vertical portions and the outer vertical portions of each bladder such that the inner vertical portion and the outer vertical portion start to deploy;
• and
• (e) inflating the central portion of each bladder when the deployment of the inner vertical portion and the outer vertical portion is substantially complete.

A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

• (a) two shoulder straps;
• (b) two normally uninflated bladders having side portions and a central portion, the central portion of each bladder being attached to the back surface of one of said two shoulder straps, wherein the side portions of each of said two bladders extend around the shoulder straps such that each side portion lies folded on top of the shoulder straps, wherein each of said two bladders comprises two vertical webs extending across the bladder, said webs forming a vertical central chamber in the central portion of the bladder, a vertical inner side chamber in the inner side portion of the bladder, and a vertical outer side chamber in the outer side portion of the bladder;
• (c) one housing positioned on the front face of each shoulder strap, said housing comprising an airtight manifold, said manifold having two ports, one port leading into said vertical inner side chamber, and one port leading into said vertical outer side chamber, said manifold having no ports leading directly into the vertical central chamber, such that the vertical central chamber is fluidly connected to the gas generator only through the vertical inner side chamber and the vertical outer side chamber;
• (d) one gas generator means positioned within each of said housing for generating gas to inflate the side portions of the bladder;
• and
• (e) means for controlling the flow of gas from the side portions to the central portion of each bladder, such that the vertical chambers in the vertical inner and vertical outer side portions of each bladder inflate before the vertical central chambers in the central portions of the bladders inflate.