Passenger restraint system

A crash barrier protection system for an occupant of a vehicle having a support structure and trim covering said support structure, the crash barrier protection system comprising:

• a pair of spaced guide tubes concealed by said trim;
• a pair of expandable bellows, each bellows positioned within a respective guide tube in normally retracted stored relationship to said support structure, each bellows having a first end affixed with respect to said support structure on one side of an occupant and a second end expandably deployable to an opposite side of an occupant in said vehicle;
• a latch affixed with respect to said vehicle at said opposite side of an occupant to receive latchingly said second end of at least one of the bellows;
• a crash barrier normally concealed by said trim and having one portion affixed with respect to said support structure on said one side of an occupant and another portion attached to said second end of each bellows and deployable with said second end to said opposite side of an occupant to provide the crash barrier;
• a sensor operable for sensing when said vehicle is subjected to a high impact force;
• and
• an expander responsive to operation of said sensor for expanding said bellows from said normally retracted stored relationship to deploy said second end of each bellows to said opposite side of an occupant and thereby deploy said crash barrier.

A method of protecting an occupant in a vehicle having a header when the vehicle is subjected to an impact force, said method comprising:

• providing an expandable bellows adapted to be in normally retracted stored relationship to the header of the vehicle, the bellows having a first end affixed with respect to the vehicle on one side of the occupant, and a second end;
• providing a crash barrier having one portion affixed with respect to the vehicle on the one side of the occupant and another portion attached to the second end of the bellows;
• storing the crash barrier in a normally retracted relationship to the header of the vehicle;
• and
• expanding the expandable bellows in response to an impact force to deploy the second end of the bellows to an opposite side of the occupant.

A protection system providing a crash barrier for an occupant of a vehicle having a header when said vehicle is subjected to an impact force, said protection system comprising:

• an expandable bellows adapted to be in normally retracted stored relationship to said header of said vehicle, said bellows having a first end affixed with respect to said vehicle on one side of the occupant and a second end expandably deployable to an opposite side of the occupant;
• a latch adapted to be affixed with respect to said vehicle at said opposite side of the occupant to latchingly receive said second end of said bellows;
• a crash barrier having one portion adapted to be affixed with respect to said vehicle on said one side of the occupant and another portion attached to said second end of said bellows and deployable with said second end to said opposite side of the occupant to provide the crash barrier;
• a sensor operable for sensing when said vehicle is subjected to an impact force;
• and
• an expander responsive to operation of said sensor for expanding said bellows from said normally retracted stored relationship to deploy said second end of said bellows to said opposite side of said occupant and thereby deploy said crash barrier.

A crash barrier protection system for an occupant of a vehicle having a support structure and trim covering said support structure, the crash barrier protection system comprising:

• a guide tube concealed by said trim;
• an expandable bellows positioned within said guide tube in normally retracted stored relationship to said support structure, said bellows having a first end affixed with respect to said support structure on one side of an occupant and a second end expandably deployable to an opposite side of art occupant in said vehicle;
• a latch affixed with respect to said vehicle at said opposite side of an occupant to receive latchingly said second end of said bellows;
• a crash barrier normally concealed by said trim and having one portion affixed with respect to said support structure on said one side of an occupant and another portion attached to said second end of said bellows and deployable with said second end to said opposite side of an occupant to provide the crash barrier;
• a sensor operable for sensing when said vehicle is subjected to an impact force;
• and
• an expander responsive to operation of said sensor for expanding said bellows from said normally retracted stored relationship to deploy said second end of said bellows to said opposite side of an occupant and thereby deploy said crash barrier.

A method of protecting an occupant in a vehicle having a header when the vehicle is subjected to an impact force, said method comprising:

• storing a crash barrier in a normally retracted relationship to the header of the vehicle, the crash barrier having a first end affixed with respect to the vehicle on one side of the occupant, and a second end;
• deploying the second end of the crash barrier to an opposite side of the occupant in response to an impact force on the vehicle;
• latching the second end of the crash barrier at the opposite side of the occupant;
• and
• tautening the crash barrier after the second end of the crash barrier has been latched, wherein a latch is provided for latching the second end of the crash barrier and a tautening device is provided for tautening the crash barrier.

A method of protecting an occupant in a vehicle having a header when the vehicle is subjected to an impact force, said method comprising:

• storing a crash barrier in a normally retracted relationship to the header of the vehicle, the crash barrier having a first end affixed with respect to the vehicle on one side of the occupant, and a second end;
• moving the second end of the crash barrier a first distance to an opposite side of the occupant in response to an impact force on the vehicle to latch the second end of the crash barrier at the opposite side of the occupant;
• and
• moving the second end of the crash barrier a second distance, different from the first distance, to tauten the crash barrier after the second end of the crash barrier has been latched.