Inflatable dash-panel construction

Claim 2

Inflatable means for a vehicle dash-panel construction comprising a hollow inflatable bag, said bag including a cover part overlying and secured to said dash; a laterally elongated skirt depending from the rear of said cover part secured to said dash and positioned rearward of the instrument panel below the dash; a resilient padding normally folded into L-shape to loosely overlie said cover part and skirt; a lower portion of said padding being secured to said skirt; and a reverse folded webbing element normally overlying said cover part with one end connected to a forward portion of the cover part and with its other end connected to the forward end of said padding; said cover part, said webbing and a portion of said padding normally lying on the dash below the windshield; means controlled by emergency impact only for inflating the bag to expand and unfold said webbing element to a planar position and said padding to a substantially upright position between the dash panel windshield grouping and the occupants of the vehicle; said padding forming a substantially monoplanar screen reaching from the vehicle header to the panel below the dash; and releasable fastening means interconnecting the outer forward ends of said reverse folded webbing.

Claim 3

Inflatable means for a vehicle dash-panel construction comprising a hollow inflatable bag, said bag including a cover part overlying and secured to said dash; a laterally elongated skirt depending from the rear of said cover part secured to said dash and positioned rearward of the instrument panel below the dash; a resilient padding normally folded into L-shape to loosely overlie said cover part and skirt; a lower portion of said padding being secured to said skirt; and a reverse folded webbing element normally overlying said cover part with one end connected to a forward portion of the cover part and with its other end connected to the forward end of said padding; said cover part, said webbing and a portion of said padding normally lying on the dash below the windshield; means controlled by emergency impact only for inflating the bag to expand and unfold said webbing element to a planar position and said padding to a substantially upright position between the dash panel windshield grouping and the occupants of the vehicle; said padding forming a substantially monoplanar screen reaching from the vehicle header to the panel below the dash; a tubular deflating line at one end extending into said bag; and a pressure release valve on the other end of said deflating line, whereby on actuating of said valve, the parts of said bag will collapse to its original position.

Claim 4

Inflatable means for a vehicle dash-panel construction comprising a hollow inflatable bag, said bag including a cover part overlying and secured to said dash; a laterally elongated skirt depending from the rear of said cover part secured to said dash and positioned rearward of the instrument panel below the dash; a resilient padding normally folded into L-shape to loosely overlie said cover part and skirt; a lower portion of said padding being secured to said skirt; and a reverse folded webbing element normally overlying said cover part with one end connected to a forward portion of the cover part and with its other end connected to the forward end of said padding; said cover part, said webbing and a portion of said padding normally lying on the dash below the windshield; means controlled by emergency impact only for inflating the bag to expand and unfold said webbing element to a planar position and said padding to a substantially upright position between the dash panel windshield grouping and the occupants of the vehicle; said padding forming a substantially monoplanar screen reaching from the vehicle header to the panel below the dash; a tubular deflating line at one end extending into said bag; and a pressure release valve on the other end of said deflating line, whereby on actuating of said valve, the parts of said bag will collapse to its original position.

Claim 5

Inflatable means for a vehicle dash-panel construction comprising a hollow inflatable bag, said bag including a cover part overlying and secured to said dash; a laterally elongated skirt depending from the rear of said cover part secured to said dash and positioned rearward of the instrument panel below the dash; a resilient padding normally folded into L-shape to loosely overlie said cover part and skirt; a lower portion of said padding being secured to said skirt; and a reverse folded webbing element normally overlying said cover part with one end connected to a forward portion of the cover part and with its other end connected to the forward end of said padding; said cover part, said webbing and a portion of said padding normally lying on the dash below the windshield; means controlled by emergency impact only for inflating the bag to expand and unfold said webbing element to a planar position and said padding to a substantially upright position between the dash panel windshield grouping and the occupants of the vehicle; said padding forming a substantially monoplanar screen rEaching from the vehicle header to the panel below the dash.

Claim 6

Inflatable means for a vehicle dash-panel construction comprising a hollow inflatable bag, said bag including a cover part overlying and secured to said dash; a laterally elongated skirt depending from the rear of said cover part secured to said dash and positioned rearward of the instrument panel below the dash; a resilient padding normally folded into L-shape to loosely overlie said cover part and skirt; a lower portion of said padding being secured to said skirt; and a reverse folded webbing element normally overlying said cover part with one end connected to a forward portion of the cover part and with its other end connected to the forward end of said padding; said cover part, said webbing and a portion of said padding normally lying on the dash below the windshield; means controlled by emergency impact only for inflating the bag to expand and unfold said webbing element to a planar position and said padding to a substantially upright position between the dash panel windshield grouping and the occupants of the vehicle; said padding forming a substantially monoplanar screen rEaching from the vehicle header to the panel below the dash.