EP0459545A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Occupant restraint system
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
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Filing: 1991-04-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A container (54) for a folded inflatable cushion (42) of an occupant restraint system (20) is of a substantially rectangular shape and includes an elongated I-shaped tear line configuration (80,82) which permits the long side walls (74) of the container (54) to open outwardly about their secured lower edges for deployment of the inflating cushion along an alternative path laterally of the container (54) should the inflating cushion (42) be unable to deploy along a normal path towards an occupant for the system (20) through oppositely-opening flaps (88) of a base wall (72) of the container (54).
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory Allen Miller
- 👤 Robert Lee Jones
- 👤 Jeffery Lynn Pearson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 12:52
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; B60R21/20; B60R21/215; B60R21/2165; B60R21/21656; B60R2021/161
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
461 words
An occupant restraint system (20) comprising a support (32); a box-like container (54) including a base wall (72) and pairs of spaced side walls (74) and end walls (76) joined to the base wall (72) along upper edges thereof and joined to each other along corner edges (78) thereof; a folded inflatable occupant restraint cushion (42) within the container (54), the cushion (42) being folded to provide a first portion (106) opposite the base wall (72) of the container (54) and spaced second portions (104), each of which second portions (104) is located opposite a respective side wall (74) of the container (54); first separable means (80) in the base wall (72) of the container (54) adjacent each juncture thereof with the upper edge of a side wall (74) of the container (54), second separable means (82) joining the first separable means (80) intermediate the end walls (76) of the container (54) and defining therewith a pair of oppositely-opening separable first flaps (88) in the base wall (72) of the container (54) which are hinged to the upper edges of the side walls (74), the first flaps (88) being separable from the container (54) and movable to an open position by the first portion (106) of the cushion (42) upon initial inflation of the cushion (42) so as to permit initial deployment of the inflating cushion (42) along an intended path towards an occupant for the system (20); the first separable means (80) including extensions (86) thereof defining a pair of oppositely-opening second flaps (89), and, should the first portion (106) of the cushion (72) be unable to open the first pair of flaps (88) to permit initial deployment of the cushion (42) along the intended path towards said occupant upon inflation of the cushion (42), the second flaps (89) are separable from the container (54) and are moved to an open position by the second portions (104) of the inflating cushion (42) so as to permit initial deployment of the inflating cushion (42) along paths parallel to said occupant, characterised in that each of the extensions (86) of each of the first separable means (80) is located adjacent the corner edges (78) of the end walls (76); each of the second flaps (89) includes a complete side wall (74) of the container (54) hinged to the support (32) about a lower edge thereof, and the portion of the base wall (72) joined thereto; and, in the event of the initial deployment of the inflating cushion (42) along paths parallel to said occupant, the end walls (76) move with the first flaps (88) to an open position about hinged lower edges of said end walls (76) upon subsequent deployment of the inflating cushion (42) along the intended path towards said occupant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
An occupant restraint system (20) according to claim 1, characterised in that the first separable means (80) and the second separable means (82) both comprise lines of perforations formed in the walls of the container (54); and in that each of the first separable means (80) comprises a major portion (84), in which the perforations are formed in the base wall (72) of the container (54), and two co-linear extensions (86), in each of which the perforations are formed along a respective corner juncture (78) between a respective side wall (74) and a respective end wall (76), and are co-planar with the line of perforations forming the major portion (84) of the respective first separable means (80).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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