Vehicle safety apparatus including an inflatable confinement

Claim 2

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device including a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant of the vehicle during a collision, and means for generating one volume of gas and directing it into said confinement and for effecting a flow of a larger volume of air into said confinement to inflate said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition.

Claim 3

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 further including conduit means for continuously connecting said confinement in fluid communication with the atmosphere inside of the vehicle to thereby enable said larger volume of air to be drawn from within the vehicle upon expansion of said confinement.

Claim 4

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for generating said one volume of gas includes a solid-propellant rocket-type device which is at least partially cooled by the flow of said larger volume of air into said confinement.

Claim 5

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said confinement and said means for generating one volume of gas and directing it into said confinement are mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

Claim 6

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said larger volume of air is at least four times greater than said one volume of gas.

Claim 7

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for generating said one volume of gas includes a nozzle for directing said one volume of gas and said larger volume of air into said confinement and a gas generator having a combustion chamber in which fuel is burned to thereby generate said one volume of gas, said gas generator being mounted in a coaxial relationship with said nozzle to enable said gas generator to be at least partially cooled by a flow of said larger volume of air around said gas generator.

Claim 8

A safety device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said confinement is made of a fluidtight material and is sealingly connected to said nozzle to prevent an escape of gas from said confinement into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Claim 9

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a nozzle connected in fluid communication with a source of air and having one end portion opening into said confinement and a gas-generating assembly for directing a stream of high-velocity gas into said nozzle.

Claim 10

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a nozzle connected in fluid communication with a source of air and having one end portion opening into said confinement and a gas-generating assembly for directing a stream of high-velocity gas into said nozzle.

Claim 11

A safety device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said gas generating assembly is located in the path of the air to enable the air to at least partially cool the gas generated by said generating assembly.

Claim 12

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition, and passage means for connecting said confinement in fluid communication with the atmosphere outside of the safety device to enable air to be drawn through said passage means and into said confinement and to enable gas to be exhausted from said confinement to the atmosphere outside of the safety device.

Claim 13

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition, and passage means for connecting said confinement in fluid communication with the atmosphere outside of the safety device to enable air to be drawn through said passage means and into said confinement and to enable gas to be exhausted from said confinement to the atmosphere outside of the safety device.

Claim 14

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a nozzle opening into said confinement and a rocket motor fixedly connected to the vehicle and positioned to direct a high-velocity stream of gas into said nozzle.

Claim 15

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a nozzle opening into said confinement and a rocket motor fixedly connected to the vehicle and positioned to direct a high-velocity stream of gas into said nozzle.

Claim 16

A safety device as set forth in claim 11 further including means for sealingly connecting said confinement with said nozzle to prevent an escape of gas from said confinement into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Claim 17

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition, and wherein said confinement and means for drawing air into said confinement are mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

Claim 18

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition, and wherein said confinement and means for drawing air into said confinement are mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

Claim 19

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a source of fluid for providing a volume of fluid which is substantially smaller than the volume of air drawn into said confinement.

Claim 20

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed inoperative condition to an expanded operative condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, and means for drawing air into said confinement to expand said confinement to said expanded condition including a source of fluid for providing a volume of fluid which is substantially smaller than the volume of air drawn into said confinement.

Claim 21

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere outside of the vehicle to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition without exhausting gas into the passenger compartment.

Claim 22

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere outside of the vehicle to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition without exhausting gas into the passenger compartment.

Claim 23

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement including a gas generator which burns fuel to form a gas which flows into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere outside of said confinement to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition to the collapsed condition by flowing gas through said passage means to the atmosphere outside of said confinement.

Claim 24

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement including a gas generator which burns fuel to form a gas which flows into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere outside of said confinement to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition to the collapsed condition by flowing gas through said passage means to the atmosphere outside of said confinement.

Claim 25

A safety device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said confinement and gas generator are mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle for rotation therewith relative to a steering wheel support assembly.

Claim 26

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere inside of said vehicle to enable air from the interior of the vehicle to flow into said confinement during expansion thereof to thereby tend to minimize the variation in fluid pressure within the passenger compartment during expansion of said confinement and to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition to the collapsed condition by flowing gas through said passage means to the atmosphere outside of said confinement.

Claim 27

A safety device for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a collision, said safety device comprising a confinement which is expansible from a collapsed condition to an expanded condition in which said confinement is adapted to restrain movement of the occupant during a collision, means for expanding said confinement from said collapsed condition to said expanded condition by effecting a flow of air from the atmosphere outside of said confinement into said confinement, and fluid passage means for continuously connecting the interior of said confinement with the atmosphere inside of said vehicle to enable air from the interior of the vehicle to flow into said confinement during expansion thereof to thereby tend to minimize the variation in fluid pressure within the passenger compartment during expansion of said confinement and to enable said confinement to be deflated from the expanded condition to the collapsed condition by flowing gas through said passage means to the atmosphere outside of said confinement.