Vehicle restraint system
AssigneeIndiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsSteve Gale, Chris P. Jessup
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle safety system comprises a gate movably coupled to the vehicle, and a collapsible barrier coupled to the gate and to the vehicle. The gate is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the stowed position, the gate collapses the collapsible barrier into a position adjacent to the vehicle such that the occupant may egress through an exit of the vehicle substantially unimpeded by the collapsible barrier or gate. In the deployed position, the gate and the collapsible barrier extend at least partially across the exit to impede egress of the occupant through the exit.
Claims29
A vehicle safety system for impeding the egress of an occupant through an exit of a vehicle, the safety system comprising:
- a gate movably coupled to the vehicle, and
- a collapsible barrier coupled to the gate and to the vehicle, the gate movable between a stowed position with the gate collapsing the collapsible barrier into a position adjacent to the vehicle such that the occupant may egress through the exit substantially unimpeded by the collapsible barrier or gate, and a deployed position with the gate and the collapsible barrier extending at least partially across the exit to impede egress of the occupant through the exit,
- wherein the gate is an elongate rigid member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the rigid member configured to be movably coupled to the vehicle,
- and wherein the gate includes a pair of projections extending from the distal end of the gate, the projections configured to gather the collapsible barrier therebetween for movement to the stowed position.
A vehicle safety system for impeding the egress of an occupant through an exit of a vehicle, the safety system comprising:
- a gate movably coupled to the vehicle,
- a collapsible barrier coupled to the gate and to the vehicle, the gate movable between a stowed position with the gate collapsing the collapsible barrier into a position adjacent to the vehicle such that the occupant may egress through the exit substantially unimpeded by the collapsible barrier or gate, and a deployed position with the gate and the collapsible barrier extending at least partially across the exit to impede egress of the occupant through the exit, and
- a retractor mounted to the vehicle, the retractor having one end of an elongated flexible member attached thereto, the opposite end of the elongated flexible member attached to the collapsible barrier,
- wherein the elongated flexible member retracts into the retractor as the gate moves from the deployed position to the stowed position to thereby facilitate collapsing of the collapsible barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.