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US 5,503,178 AGranted
Pressure relief valve, airbag deployment
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsSteven J. Miskelley, Wilfred Jaeger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsSteven J. Miskelley, Wilfred Jaeger
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for relieving overpressure conditions in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprises a valve assembly that is mounted in an opening formed in an exterior wall of the compartment, the assembly includes a frame panel sized to fill the opening and having a passage formed therethrough to define an exhaust from the interior of the compartment to the exterior ambient space. Flap valve elements overlying the exhaust for allowing free flow of air in a direction from the interior of the compartment to the exterior while preventing air flow in the opposite direction. Overpressure relief support connectors mount the frame panel in the opening in the wall and are adapted to release the frame panel from its mounted position whenever the air pressure within the compartment exceeds a predetermined minimum level about atmospheric pressure.
In a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment defined at least partially by a wall, a valve assembly operative for relieving overpressure conditions in the compartment, said valve assembly including a frame panel mounted in an opening in said wall to fill the opening, at least one passage formed through the frame panel to define an exhaust passage from the interior of the passenger compartment to the exterior ambient space, a flap valve overlying the passage for allowing free flow of air in a direction from the interior of the passenger compartment to the exterior while preventing air flow in the opposite direction, and overpressure relief support means mounting the frame panel in the opening in said wall for releasing the frame panel from its mounted position in the opening in said wall whenever the air pressure within the passenger compartment exceeds a predetermined minimum.
In a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment defined at least partially by a wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface, a valve assembly operative for relieving overpressure conditions in the compartment, said valve assembly including a frame panel mounted in an opening in said wall to fill the opening, at least one passage formed through the frame panel to define an exhaust passage from the interior of the passenger compartment to the exterior ambient space, a one-way valve mechanism associated with the passage for allowing free flow of air in a direction from the interior of the passenger compartment to the exterior while preventing air flow in the opposite direction, and support means mounting the frame panel in the opening in said wall for releasing the frame panel from its mounted position in the opening in said wall whenever the air pressure within the passenger compartment exceeds a predetermined minimum.
For use in a compartment defined at least partially by a wall, a valve assembly operative for relieving overpressure conditions in the compartment, said valve assembly including a frame panel adapted for mounting in an opening in the wall to fill the opening, passage means formed through the frame panel adapted to define an exhaust passage from the interior of the compartment to the exterior ambient space, flap valve means overlying the exhaust passage for allowing free flow of air in a direction from the interior of the compartment to the exterior while preventing air flow in the opposite direction, and overpressure relief support means for mounting the frame panel in the opening in the wall and adapted to release the frame panel from its mounted position whenever the air pressure within the compartment exceeds a predetermined minimum level above atmospheric pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.