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US 7,093,854 B2Granted
Air bag with active tear stitch tethers
AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
InventorsKurt F. Fischer, Ken Taggart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bag (12) includes at least one tether (44) and an inflation fluid source (14) having two modes of operation. In the first mode of operation, the inflation fluid source (14) is activated to provide a first inflation fluid pressure in the air bag (12). In the second mode of operation, the inflation fluid source (14) is activated to provide a second inflation fluid pressure in the air bag (12) higher than the first pressure. The tether (44), which helps to control the shape of the air bag (12), tears in response to the second inflation fluid pressure in the air bag.
Claims20
A vehicle occupant safety apparatus comprising:
- an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for, when inflated, helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle;
- at least one tether for helping to control the shape of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflating;
- an inflation fluid source having two modes of operation,
- in the first mode of operation, said inflation fluid source is activated to provide inflation fluid to increase an inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to a first inflation fluid pressure,
- in the second mode of operation, said inflation fluid source is activated to provide inflation fluid to increase said inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to a second inflation fluid pressure that is higher than said first inflation fluid pressure,
- said tether remaining intact in response to said first inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said tether also remaining intact as said inflation pressure increases above said first inflation fluid pressure toward said second inflation fluid pressure;
- said tether releasing in response to said inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device reaching said second inflation fluid pressure.
4 more elements
A vehicle occupant safety apparatus comprising:
- an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for, when inflated, helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle;
- at least one tether for helping to control the shape of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device when said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflating;
- an inflation fluid source including separate first and second combustion chambers, said first and second combustion chambers including material that is ignitable to generate inflation fluid, a first igniter associated with said first combustion chamber and actuatable for igniting said material of said first combustion chamber, a second igniter associated with said second combustion chamber and actuatable for igniting said material of said second combustion chamber, said inflation fluid source having two modes of operation,
- in the first mode of operation, only said first igniter is actuated to ignite the material of said first combustion chamber, inflation fluid generated in the first mode of operation increasing an inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to a first inflation fluid pressure,
- in the second mode of operation, both said first and second igniters being actuated to ignite the material of both the first and second combustion chambers, inflation fluid generated in the second mode of operation increasing said inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to a second inflation fluid pressure that is higher than said first inflation fluid pressure,
- said tether remaining intact in response to said first inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said tether also remaining intact as said inflation pressure increases above said first inflation fluid pressure toward said second inflation fluid pressure;
- said tether releasing in response to said inflation fluid pressure in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device reaching said second inflation fluid pressure.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.