Vehicle safety system

Claim 2

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restaining movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement to said operative condition during a collision which may be critical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a diffuser means inelastically deformable as a result of occupant impact thereagainst during a collision which is noncritical to the occupant, the deformation of said diffuser means absorbing at least a part of the occupant''s energy of impact to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant, said diffuser means being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle, said means for expanding said confinement further including a fluid reservoir disposed on the vehicle in spaced relationship relative to said diffuser means to minimize the chance of impact therewith by the occupant of the vehicle, and said fluid reservoir being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle in a position adjacent a door of the vehicle.

Claim 3

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement to said operative condition during a collision which may be critical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a diffuseR means inelastically deformable as a result of occupant impact thereagainst during a collision which is noncritical to the occupant, the deformation of said diffuser means absorbing at least a part of the occupant''s energy of impact to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant, said diffuser means being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle, said means for expanding said confinement further including a fluid reservoir disposed on the vehicle in spaced relationship relative to said diffuser means to minimize the chance of impact therewith by the occupant of the vehicle, and said fluid reservoir being supported on the dashboard of the vehicle and extending downwardly and angularly therefrom away from the occupant.

Claim 4

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement to said operative condition during a collision which may be critical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a diffuseR means inelastically deformable as a result of occupant impact thereagainst during a collision which is noncritical to the occupant, the deformation of said diffuser means absorbing at least a part of the occupant''s energy of impact to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant, said diffuser means being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle, said means for expanding said confinement further including a fluid reservoir disposed on the vehicle in spaced relationship relative to said diffuser means to minimize the chance of impact therewith by the occupant of the vehicle, and said fluid reservoir being supported on the dashboard of the vehicle and extending downwardly and angularly therefrom away from the occupant.

Claim 5

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle, said confinement in said expanded condition extending for a first distance transversely of said vehicle, and means for expanding said confinement to the expanded condition during a collision critical to the occupant, said means including a fluid reservoir disposed adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle and extending transversely of the vehicle for a second distance which is less than one-fourth of said first distance to thereby minimize the possibility of impact of the occupant with the fluid reservoir during a collision noncritical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement during a critical collision further including diffuser means extending transversely of the vehicle for directing a flow of fluid into the confinement, said fluid reservoir being mounted at one end of said diffuser means, and further including a member having first and second threaded end portions for interconnecting said fluid reservoir and said diffuser means, said first end portion being connected to said fluid reservoir and said second end portion being connected to said diffuser means.

Claim 6

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle, said confinement in said expanded condition extending for a first distance transversely of said vehicle, and means for expanding said confinement to the expanded condition during a collision critical to the occupant, said means including a fluid reservoir disposed adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle and extending transversely of the vehicle for a second distance which is less than one-fourth of said first distance to thereby minimize the possibility of impact of the occupant with the fluid reservoir during a collision noncritical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement during a critical collision further including diffuser means extending transversely of the vehicle for directing a flow of fluid into the confinement, said fluid reservoir being mounted at one end of said diffuser means, and further including a member having first and second threaded end portions for interconnecting said fluid reservoir and said diffuser means, said first end portion being connected to said fluid reservoir and said second end portion being connected to said diffuser means.

Claim 7

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle, said confinement in said expanded condition extending for a first distance transversely of said vehicle, means for expanding said confinement to the expanded condition during a collision critical to the occupant, said means including a fluid reservoir disposed adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle and a diffuser adapted to receive fluid from said reservoir and direct the fluid into the confinement, said diffuser being of a generally tubular configuration and having the longitudinal axis thereof extending at substantially 90* relative to an axis of the reservoir, connector means cooperating with said diffuser and said reservoir for directing fluid from said reservoir into said diffuser, said reservoir extending downwardly and away from the occupant as it extends from said connector means, and means associated with said connector means and said reservoir and actuatable to effect a flow of fluid from said reservoir through the connector means and into said diffuser.

Claim 8

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety apparatus comprising a confinement expandable from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle, said confinement in said expanded condition extending for a first distance transversely of said vehicle, means for expanding said confinement to the expanded condition during a collision critical to the occupant, said means including a fluid reservoir disposed adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle and a diffuser adapted to receive fluid from said reservoir and direct the fluid into the confinement, said diffuser being of a generally tubular configuration and having the longitudinal axis thereof extending at substantially 90* relative to an axis of the reservoir, connector means cooperating with said diffuser and said reservoir for directing fluid from said reservoir into said diffuser, said reservoir extending downwardly and away from the occupant as it extends from said connector means, and means associated with said connector means and said reservoir and actuatable to effect a flow of fluid from said reservoir through the connector means and into said diffuser.

Claim 9

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement to said operative condition during a collision which may be critical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a fluid reservoir, means for establishing a fluid flow from said reservoir, a diffuser member which receives said flow, and connector means for providing fluid communication between said fluid reseRvoir and said diffuser member, said diffuser member being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle and having a wall positionable to receive the impact of an occupant thereagainst, said wall being unyielding to the pressure of the fluid and being inelastically deformable as a result of occupant impact thereagainst during a collision which is noncritical to the occupant, the deformation of said diffuser wall absorbing at least a part of the occupant''s energy of impact to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant, and said fluid reservoir being disposed on the vehicle in spaced relationship relative to said diffuser member to minimize the chance of impact therewith by the occupant of the vehicle.

Claim 10

Safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle comprising a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement to said operative condition during a collision which may be critical to the occupant, said means for expanding said confinement including a fluid reservoir, means for establishing a fluid flow from said reservoir, a diffuser member which receives said flow, and connector means for providing fluid communication between said fluid reseRvoir and said diffuser member, said diffuser member being supported by the dashboard of the vehicle and having a wall positionable to receive the impact of an occupant thereagainst, said wall being unyielding to the pressure of the fluid and being inelastically deformable as a result of occupant impact thereagainst during a collision which is noncritical to the occupant, the deformation of said diffuser wall absorbing at least a part of the occupant''s energy of impact to minimize the possibility of injury to the occupant, and said fluid reservoir being disposed on the vehicle in spaced relationship relative to said diffuser member to minimize the chance of impact therewith by the occupant of the vehicle.

Claim 11

A safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during both a critical collision and a noncritical collision comprising a confinement which is expandable to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle during said critical collision by at least partially absorbing the kinetic energy of the occupant, a reservoir for supplying fluid to effect an expansion of said confinement upon the occurrence of said critical collision, said reservoir being located adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle and extending transversely from the side portion into said passenger compartment for a distance which is less then one fourth of the transverse extent of said confinement when it is expanded, and means connected in fluid communication with said reservoir and said confinement for directing a flow of fluid from said reservoir into said confinement during said critical collision and for inelastically crushing under the influence of impact of the occupant of the vehicle during said noncritical collision to thereby at least partially absorb the kinetic energy of the occupant of the vehicle during said noncritical collision, said means being unyieldable to the pressure of fluid therein and positionable to receive an occupant''s impact thereagainst during said noncritical collision.

Claim 12

A safety apparatus for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during both a critical collision and a noncritical collision comprising a confinement which is expandable to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle during said critical collision by at least partially absorbing the kinetic energy of the occupant, a reservoir for supplying fluid to effect an expansion of said confinement upon the occurrence of said critical collision, said reservoir being located adjacent to a longitudinally extending side portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle and extending transversely from the side portion into said passenger compartment for a distance which is less then one fourth of the transverse extent of said confinement when it is expanded, and means connected in fluid communication with said reservoir and said confinement for directing a flow of fluid from said reservoir into said confinement during said critical collision and for inelastically crushing under the influence of impact of the occupant of the vehicle during said noncritical collision to thereby at least partially absorb the kinetic energy of the occupant of the vehicle during said noncritical collision, said means being unyieldable to the pressure of fluid therein and positionable to receive an occupant''s impact thereagainst during said noncritical collision.