EP0967128A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for reducing the impact to a pedestrian during a collision with a motor vehicle
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1999-06-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-06-22
Abstract
Abstract A device for reducing impact to a pedestrian involved in a collison with a motor vehicle includes a displacement mechanism (18) to raise a hood (12) from a rest position to an impact position elevated relative to the rest position, and an air bag module (19) including an air bag (33). The air bag module is operative to inflate the air bag after displacement of the hood from the rest position to the impact position has begun. When inflated, the air bag has its first cushion portion extending beneath the hood and its second portion extending out from the rear of the hood. The second cushion portion extends a lower portion of a windshield (15) of the vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuki Matsuura
- 👤 Tetsuo Maki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:14
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/34; B60R21/36; B60R21/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A device for reducing impact to a pedestrian involved in
interference with a motor vehicle having a hood extending in a
generally horizontal plane and covering a compartment in front
of a windshield of the vehicle, comprising: a displacement mechanism for the displacement of the
hood from a rest position to a impact position raised relative to
the rest position; and an air bag module including an air bag, said air bag
module being operative in cooperation with said displacement
mechanism to inflate the air bag, causing the air bag to have a
first cushion portion extending beneath the rear of the hood
across at most the entire width of the hood and a second
cushion portion extending out from the rear of the hood.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said air bag is restricted in vertical expansion
at a portion between said first and second cushion portions
and has a first chamber and a second chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said first cushion portion of said air bag defines
said first chamber and said second cushion portion of said air
bag defines said second chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said air bag
includes a restriction member interconnecting two vertically
spaced walls at said portion to restrict vertical expansion when
said air bag is inflated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
displacement mechanism includes actuator means operative to
push the rear of said hood toward the impact position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
121 words
The device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: a sensor to generate a sensor signal upon collision of a
pedestrian with the motor vehicle; and a controller operative upon receiving said sensor signal
to determine whether or not the hood is to be raised to the
impact position and to generate an actuator activation signal,
said controller being operative to apply said activation signal to
said actuators of said displacement mechanism, causing said
actuators to push said hood to the impact position, said controller being operative to apply an air bag
module activation signal to said air bag module after the
activation of said actuator means of said displacement
mechanism, causing said air bag module to inflate said air bag.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said portion that is restricted is less in vertical
dimension than the other portion is.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said portion at which said air bag is restricted is
disposed between said first and second chambers, and wherein
said first chamber extends underneath the hood and said
second chamber extends out in a rearward direction from the
rear of the hood.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said actuator
means include a pair of actuators mounted near lateral sides of
the hood, respectively, in symmetrical relation about a
longitudinal centerline of the motor vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
displacement mechanism includes retainers to hold the hood
after having been displaced from the rest position to the
impact position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first
cushion portion of said air bag extends underneath the hood in
a forward direction of the motor vehicle by the same length
over the entire width of the hood.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first
cushion portion of said air bag extends underneath the hood
less in a forward direction of the motor vehicle toward lateral
sides of the hood.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said second cushion portion has protrusions
from lateral ends thereof, said protrusions extend in a forward
direction of the motor vehicle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said second cushion portion has protrusions
from lateral ends thereof, said protrusions extend in a
rearward direction of the motor vehicle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said air
bag is inflated, said second cushion portion has protrusions
from lateral ends thereof, said protrusions extend in a forward
direction of the motor vehicle and also in a rearward direction
of the motor vehicle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air bag
includes and is divided into a plurality of air bag segments.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said air bag
module includes a distributor for distributing inflating gas
between said plurality of air bag segments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of said
air bag segments include a restriction member interconnecting
two vertically spaced walls to restrict vertical expansion at a
predetermined portion when said each air bag fragment is
inflated to facilitate expansion of said first cushion portion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said
restriction member includes a partition wall.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said
restriction member includes strings.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said
restriction member includes meshes.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of said
air bag fragments is a gourd-shaped air bag fragment.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
169 words
A device for reducing impact to a pedestrian involved in
interference with a motor vehicle having a hood extending in a
generally horizontal plane and covering a compartment in front
of a windshield of the vehicle, comprising: means for generating a signal upon collision of a
pedestrian with the motor vehicle; means for displacing the hood from a rest position to a
impact position raised relative to the rest position in response
to said signal; and an air bag module under the hood, said air bag module
including a gas generator and an inflatable air bag, said air bag
module being operative in response to the displacement of the
hood from the rest position to the impact position to admit gas
to said air bag, inflating the air bag to deploy a first cushion
portion beneath the rear of the hood across at most the entire
width of the hood and to deploy a second cushion portion out
from the rear of the hood to extend over the windshield.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process for reducing impact to a pedestrian involved in
interference with a motor vehicle having a hood extending in a
generally horizontal plane and covering a compartment in front
of a windshield of the vehicle, comprising: generating a signal upon collision of a pedestrian with
the motor vehicle; raising the hood from a rest position to a impact position
in response to said signal; and inflating an air bag after the hood has been raised from
the rest position to the impact position to deploy a first
cushion portion beneath the rear of the hood across at most
the entire width of the hood and to deploy a second cushion
portion out from the rear of the hood to extend over the
windshield.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4249632A
Cited
JPH07108902A
Cited
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