Back to results
US 8,128,165 B2Granted
Energy-dissipation system
AssigneeCosco Management, Inc.
InventorsAndrew W. Marsden, Ward Fritz, Walter S. Bezaniuk, Joe Langley, David Amirault
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A child restraint includes a juvenile vehicle seat and an energy-absorption apparatus coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat. The energy-absorption apparatus is configured to absorb external energy associated with an external impact force applied to the energy-absorption apparatus.
Claims16
A child restraint comprising
- a juvenile vehicle seat;
- an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port;
- wherein the valveless-vent means is defined by a porous material configured to discharge therethrough pressurized air extant in the first air chamber during deformation of the first air bag and configured to provide means for readmitting air from surroundings outside the first air hag into the first air chamber once the first air bag is no longer exposed to the external impact force applied previously to the first air bag;
- wherein the first air bag includes a top portion, a bottom portion arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the top portion to define the first air chamber therebetween, and a side wall arranged to interconnect the top and bottom portions and to define a boundary of the first air chamber and the side wall is formed to include a first opening and a first portion of the porous material is coupled to the side wall and arranged to close the first opening;
- and
- wherein the side wall includes a strip comprising a first segment made of a non-porous material, a second segment made of a non-porous material, and a third segment made of a non-porous material, a first portion of the porous material is arranged to lie between and interconnect the first and second segments, and a second portion of the porous material is arranged to lie between and interconnect the second and third segments.
3 more elements
A child restraint comprising
- a juvenile vehicle seat;
- an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using any valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port;
- wherein the valveless-vent means is defined by a porous material configured to discharge therethrough pressurized air extant in the first air chamber during deformation of the first air bag and configured to provide means for readmitting air from surroundings outside the first air bag into the first air chamber once the first air bag is no longer exposed to the external impact force applied previously to the first air bag;
- and
- wherein the first air bag has a side wall, the side wall includes an endless opening extending about a perimeter of the first air bag, and the porous material is an endless strip arranged to close the endless opening.
2 more elements
A child restraint comprising
- a juvenile vehicle seat;
- an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using any valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port;
- wherein the valveless-vent means is defined by a porous material configured to discharge therethrough pressurized air extant in the first air chamber during deformation of the first air bag and configured to provide means for readmitting air from surroundings outside the first air bag into the first air chamber once the first air bag is no longer exposed to the external impact force applied previously to the first air bag;
- and
- wherein the first air bag includes an inner shell having a concave surface facing away from the juvenile vehicle seat, an outer shell having a concave surface facing toward the concave surface of the inner shell, and an endless strip interconnecting the inner and outer shells and having a lower edge coupled to the inner shell and an upper edge coupled to the outer shell, and wherein the endless strip is made of the porous material.
2 more elements
A child restraint comprising
- a juvenile vehicle seat;
- an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using any valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port;
- wherein the first ride-down pad further includes an inflatable auxiliary bag formed to include an air-receiving chamber and coupled to the first air bag to cause air discharged from the first air chamber formed in the first air bag to enter into the air-receiving chamber formed in the inflatable auxiliary bag and inflate the inflatable auxiliary bag;
- and
- wherein the first ride-down pad further includes a second air bag arranged to lie alongside the first air bag and formed to include a second air chamber and the second air bag is formed to include valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the second air chamber through a second air-discharge port during deformation of the second air bag caused by exposure of the second air bag to an external impact force associated with the external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using any valve for movement relative to the second air bag from a normally closed position closing the second air-discharge port to an opened position opening the second air-discharge port and wherein the auxiliary bag is also coupled to the second bag to cause air discharged from the second air chamber formed in the second air bag to enter the air-receiving chamber formed in the inflatable auxiliary bag and inflate the inflatable auxiliary bag.
2 more elements
A child restraint comprising
- a juvenile vehicle seat;
- an energy-dissipation system coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat, the energy-dissipation system including a first ride-down pad including a first air bag formed to include a first air chamber and valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a first air-discharge port only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to an external impact force associated with an external impact force applied to the juvenile vehicle seat without using any valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the first air-discharge port to an opened position opening the first air-discharge port;
- wherein the first ride-down pad further includes an inflatable auxiliary bag formed to include an air-receiving chamber and coupled to the first air bag to cause air discharged from the first air chamber formed in the first air bag to enter into the air-receiving chamber formed in the inflatable auxiliary bag and inflate the inflatable auxiliary bag;
- and
- wherein the first bag further includes second valveless-vent means for venting pressurized air developed in the first air chamber through a second air-discharge port in the first air bag only during deformation of the first air bag caused by exposure of the first air bag to the external impact force without using any valve mounted for movement relative to the first air bag from a normally closed position closing the second air-discharge port to an opened position opening the second air-discharge port and a second inflatable auxiliary bag formed to include a second air-receiving chamber and coupled to the first air bag to cause air discharged from the first air chamber through the second air-discharge port to enter into the second air-receiving chamber formed in the second inflatable auxiliary bag.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.