Inflating mechanism for vehicle safety crash bag

Claim 2

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: springoperated piercing means including spring means and a piercing member, said piercing means having a first position in which the piercing member is spaced from said gas pressure source and a piercing position in which the piercing member is in piercing engagement with said gas pressure source under the biasing force of said spring means; a sear element normally holding said piercing means in its first position; an inertia member unitary with said sear element and movable from a normal position to an actuated position when said assembly undergoes a predetermined deceleration and operable upon movement to said actuated position to mechanically move said sear element away from said piercing means; and frangible means normally restraining said inertia member in its normal position and frangible under the force of the decelerating inertia member so as to permit the latter to move toward its actuated position.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said spring means is constructed and arranged to remove its biasIng force before said piercing member reaches its piercing position whereby the inertia of said piercing member carries it to its piercing position and whereby said piercing member is thereafter free to move away from said gas pressure source so as not to obstruct flow of gas from said source.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 including additional spring means acting on said piercing member only when the latter is near its piercing position and arranged to store energy as said piercing member reaches said position so as to move said piercing member away from said gas pressure source after the latter has been pierced.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 including guide means associated with said inertia member for limiting movement of the latter in a straight line and guide means associated with said piercing means for limiting movement of said piercing member in a straight line which is at a right angle to the direction of movement of said inertia member, said sear element extending from said inertia member and obstructing movement of said piercing member.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4 including a rigid housing enclosing said inertia member, said frangible means, said piercing means and both said guide means, said housing having at least one gas outlet for permitting gas to escape when the gas pressure source is pierced.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said inertia member is an elongated body and wherein the guide means associated therewith guides the body for movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the body.

Claim 8

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: a piercing member movable between a cocked position spaced from said gas pressure source and a piercing position in engagement with said gas pressure source; spring means for applying a force to said piercing member in a direction to move the latter from its cocked position toward its piercing position; a movable sear element normally restraining said piercing member against the biasing action of said spring means and holding said piercing member in its socked position; an inertia member movable from a normal position to an actuated position when said assembly undergoes a predetermined deceleration and operable upon movement to said actuated position to mechanically move said sear element away from said piercing member; frangible means normally restraining said inertia member in its normal position and frangible under the force of the decelerating inertia member so as to permit the latter to move toward its actuated position, a rigid housing enclosing said gas pressure source and said improved inflating means, said housing having at least one gas aperture therethrough to permit gas to escape when said gas pressure source is pierced, said inflatable bag being sealed to said housing in a position to receive the gas issuing from said aperture.

Claim 9

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: a piercing member movable between a cocked position spaced from said gas pressure source and a piercing position in engagement with said gas pressure source; spring means for applying a force to said piercing member in a direction to move the latter from its cocked position toward its piercing position; a movable sear element normally restraining said piercing member against the biasing action of said spring means and holding said piercing member in its socked position; an inertia member movable from a normal position to an actuated position when said assembly undergoes a predetermined deceleration and operable upon movement to said actuated position to mechanically move said sear element away from said piercing member; frangible means normally restraining said inertia member in its normal position and frangible under the force of the decelerating inertia member so as to permit the latter to move toward its actuated position, a rigid housing enclosing said gas pressure source and said improved inflating means, said housing having at least one gas aperture therethrough to permit gas to escape when said gas pressure source is pierced, said inflatable bag being sealed to said housing in a position to receive the gas issuing from said aperture.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said housing is of flattened boxlike construction including a removable top wall of substantial area and sidewalls defining the perimeter of said housing, said top wall being provided with said gas aperture, and said inflatable bag being sealed to said perimeter of said housing.

Claim 11

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: a piercing member movable in a given direction between a cocked position spaced from said gas pressure source and a piercing position in engagement with said gas pressure source; spring means for applying a force to said piercing member in a direction to move the latter from its cocked position towarD its piercing position; a movable sear element normally restraining said piercing member against the biasing action of said spring means and holding said piercing member in its cocked position; an elongated inertia member mounted adjacent and in the same plane as said piercing member, said inertia member being movable, in a direction which is transverse to its longitudinal axis and at the same time parallel to said given direction from a normal position to an actuated position when said assembly undergoes a predetermined deceleration and operable upon movement to said actuated position to mechanically move said sear element away from said piercing member, said sear element being unitary with and projecting laterally from said inertia member into engagement with a shoulder on said piercing member when the latter is in its cocked position; and frangible means normally restraining said inertia member in its normal position and frangible under the force of the decelerating inertia member so as to permit the latter to move toward its actuated position.

Claim 12

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: a piercing member movable in a given direction between a cocked position spaced from said gas pressure source and a piercing position in engagement with said gas pressure source; spring means for applying a force to said piercing member in a direction to move the latter from its cocked position towarD its piercing position; a movable sear element normally restraining said piercing member against the biasing action of said spring means and holding said piercing member in its cocked position; an elongated inertia member mounted adjacent and in the same plane as said piercing member, said inertia member being movable, in a direction which is transverse to its longitudinal axis and at the same time parallel to said given direction from a normal position to an actuated position when said assembly undergoes a predetermined deceleration and operable upon movement to said actuated position to mechanically move said sear element away from said piercing member, said sear element being unitary with and projecting laterally from said inertia member into engagement with a shoulder on said piercing member when the latter is in its cocked position; and frangible means normally restraining said inertia member in its normal position and frangible under the force of the decelerating inertia member so as to permit the latter to move toward its actuated position.

Claim 13

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: an elongated housing having a longitudinal dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension of lesser magnitude than the longitudinal dimension; a movable elongated inertia member disposed longitudinally within said housing, said inertia member having a sear element fixed to and projecting from said member in a direction parallel to the width dimension of said housing; guide means associated with said inertia member for guiding the latter for movement in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of said housing; means normally restraining said inertia member in a first position and releasable under the force of said inertia member in the event of a predetermined deceleration of the housing in a direction parallel to said thickness dimension whereby said inertia member moves to a second position; spring-biased piercing means normally restrained in an inactive position by said sear element when said inertia member is in said first position and releasable upon movement of said inertia member to said second position, said piercing means including a piercing member moveable under the force of a spring into piercing engagement with the gas source and further including guide means associated with said piercing member for guiding the latter for movement in a direction parallel to said longitudinal dimension of said housing.

Claim 14

In an inertia-actuated safety crash bag assembly for a vehicle of the type including an inflatable bag and inflating means responsive to a predetermined deceleration of the vehicle for rapidly inflating the bag from a rupturable source of gas pressure, the improved inflating means which comprises: an elongated housing having a longitudinal dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension of lesser magnitude than the longitudinal dimension; a movable elongated inertia member disposed longitudinally within said housing, said inertia member having a sear element fixed to and projecting from said member in a direction parallel to the width dimension of said housing; guide means associated with said inertia member for guiding the latter for movement in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of said housing; means normally restraining said inertia member in a first position and releasable under the force of said inertia member in the event of a predetermined deceleration of the housing in a direction parallel to said thickness dimension whereby said inertia member moves to a second position; spring-biased piercing means normally restrained in an inactive position by said sear element when said inertia member is in said first position and releasable upon movement of said inertia member to said second position, said piercing means including a piercing member moveable under the force of a spring into piercing engagement with the gas source and further including guide means associated with said piercing member for guiding the latter for movement in a direction parallel to said longitudinal dimension of said housing.