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US 6,149,195 AGranted
Elastomeric structure for deploying a vehicle occupant protection device
AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
InventorErnst M. Faigle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus (10) includes a vehicle occupant protection device (12) and an elastic structure (22) engaged with the protection device (12). The protection device (12) is movable to a deployed condition in which it is configured to restrain movement of a vehicle occupant under the influence of vehicle crash forces. The elastic structure (22) moves the protection device (12) toward the deployed condition upon deflecting elastically from a first stressed condition to a second, less stressed condition.
Claims17
Apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle occupant protection device movable to a deployed condition in which said protection device is configured to restrain movement of a vehicle occupant under the influence of vehicle crash forces;
- and
- an elastic structure which can deflect elastically, said elastic structure comprising an elastomeric band which is elastically contractible lengthwise from a first stressed condition to a second, less stressed condition, said elastomeric band being engaged with said protection device so as to move said protection device toward said deployed condition upon deflecting elastically from said first stressed condition toward said second, less stressed condition, said elastomeric band having an intermediate section engaging said protection device and a pair of opposite end sections extending away from said protection device.
Apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle occupant protection device mounted in a vehicle, said protection device being movable to a deployed condition in which said protection device is configured to restrain movement of a vehicle occupant under the influence of vehicle crash forces;
- and
- an elastomeric band mounted in said vehicle in a first stressed condition, said elastomeric band being engaged with said protection device and being elastically contractible lengthwise to move said protection device toward said deployed condition from said first stressed condition toward a second, less stressed condition, said elastomeric band having an intermediate section engaging said protection device and a pair of opposite end sections extending away from said protection device.
Apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle occupant protection device mounted in a vehicle, said protection device being movable to a deployed condition in which said protection device is configured to restrain movement of a vehicle occupant under the influence of vehicle crash forces;
- an elastic structure mounted in said vehicle in a first stressed condition, said elastic structure being engaged with said protection device so as to move said protection device toward said deployed condition upon deflecting elastically from said first stressed condition toward a second, less stressed condition, said elastic structure having an intermediate section engaging said protection device and a pair of opposite end sections extending away from said protection device;
- and
- a disengageable anchor structure engaged with said elastic structure so as to retain said elastic structure in said first stressed condition under ordinary vehicle operating conditions.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.