Inflatable seat belt using MEMS devices

A vehicle seat belt comprising:

• an expandable layer movable by inflation fluid to inflate at least a portion of said seat belt;
• and
• at least one multi-layered device for providing said inflation fluid to move said expandable layer, said multi-layered device including:
• an outer layer having a plurality of individually rupturable segments;
• a middle layer having a plurality of individual chambers associated in a one-to-one relationship with said rupturable segments of said outer layer and being closed by said rupturable segments, each one of said chambers having contents heatable to increase the pressure in said one chamber;
• and
• a flexible base layer having a plurality of individually energizable electric heating elements associated in a one-to-one relationship with said chambers for, when energized, heating the contents of said chambers;
• each one of said rupturable segments being rupturable due to an increase in pressure in its associated chamber to enable flow of said inflation fluid out of said chamber;
• and
• means for selectively energizing said individually energizable electric heating elements.

An inflatable seat belt comprising an expandable at least one multi-layered device, said multi-layered device comprising:

• an outer layer having a plurality of individually rupturable segments;
• a flexible middle layer having a plurality of individual chambers associated in a one-to-one relationship with said rupturable segments of said outer layer and being closed by said rupturable segments, each one of said chambers having contents heatable to increase the pressure in each one of said chambers;
• a base layer having a plurality of individually energizable electric heating elements associated in a one-to-one relationship with said chambers for, when energized, heating the contents of said chambers;
• each one of said rupturable segments being rupturable due to an increase in pressure in its associated chamber to enable flow of fluid out of said chamber;
• and
• means for selectively energizing said individually energizable electric heating elements.

An inflatable seat belt comprising:

• an expandable layer and
• an array of individually energizable devices for producing combustion products for inflating said seat belt;
• and
• means for energizing selected ones of said energizable devices,
• said energizing means including a flexible base that extends across said array and a plurality of electric heating elements associated one with each of said energizable devices,
• said energizing means further comprising control means for directing electric current into selected ones of said plurality of electric heating elements to energize said selected ones of said energizable devices.