Inflatable vehicle occupant restraint and system therefor

Claim 2

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising: a. a fluid source means operative to emit fluid under pressure; b. an inflatable confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, wherein said confinement has, (i) an inflatable framework disposed adjacent the wall of said confinement and communicating with said fluid source means such that, upon inflation of said framework, said confinement is expanded to the operative condition, (ii) oneway valve means disposed in the wall of said confinement and operable to open upon inflation of said framework, and expansion of said confinement to permit atmospheric air to flow into the interior of said confinement, said valve means including at least one patch having an excess of material and having the entire periphery thereof attached to the wall of said confinement, said patch being expandable upon expansion of said confinement to define in cooperation with the confinement wall a secondary chamber and to open said valve means, said patch having at least one outlet aperture formed therein with the wall of said confinement having at least one inlet aperture formed therein, said wall aperture being staggered from said patch aperture, said patch being collapsible against the confinement wall to prevent air flow through said staggered apertures to close said valve means upon contact of the confinement by the vehicle occupant.

Claim 3

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising: a. a fluid source means operative to emit fluid under pressure; b. an inflatable confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, wherein said confinement has, (i) an inflatable framework disposed adjacent the wall of said confinement and communicating with said fluid source means such that, upon inflation of said framework, said confinement is expanded to the operative condition, (ii) one-way valve means disposed in the wall of said confinement and operable to open upon inflation of said framework, and expansion of said confinement to permit atmospheric air to flow into the interior of said confinement, said valve means including at least one patch having an excess of material and having the entire periphery thereof attached to the wall of said confinement, said patch being expandable upon expansion of said confinement to define in cooperation with the confinement wall a secondary chamber and to open said valve means, said patch having at least one outlet aperture formed therein with the wall of said confinement having at least one inlet aperture formed therein, said wall aperture being staggered from said patch aperture, said patch being collapsible against the confinement wall to prevent air flow through said staggered apertures to close said valve means upon contact of the confinement by the vehicle occupant.

Claim 4

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprising: a. a fluid source means operative to emit fluid under pressure; b. an inflatable confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, wherein said confinement has, (i) an inflatable framework disposed adjacent the wall of said confinement and communicating with said fluid source means such that, upon inflation of said framework, said confinement is expanded to the operative condition, (ii) one-way valve means disposed in the wall of said confinement and operable to open upon inflation of said framework, and expansion of said confinement to permit atmospheric air to flow into the interior of said confinement, said valve means including at least one patch having an excess of material and having the entire periphery thereof attached to the wall of said confinement, said patch being expandable upon expansion of said confinement to define in cooperation with the confinement wall a secondary chamber and to open said valve means, said patch having at least one outlet aperture formed therein with the wall of said confinement having at least one inlet aperture formed therein, said wall aperture being staggered from said patch aperture, said patch being collapsible against the confinement wall to prevent air flow through said staggered apertures to close said valve means upon contact of the confinement by the vehicle occupant.

Claim 5

The restraint system defined in claim 1, wherein a. said fluid source means includes diffuser means; and, b. said confinement includes inflatable manifold means interconnecting said inflatable framework and said fluid source means.

Claim 6

The restraint system defined in claim 1 wherein said excess material exceeds in surface length the corresponding adjacent part of said confinement wall forming a part of said secondary chamber.

Claim 7

The system defined in claim 1, wherein said excess material exceeds by 4 percent the surface length of the adjacent portion of said confinement wall forming said secondary chamber.

Claim 8

The restraint defined in claim 1 wherein said inflatable framework has a volume substantially smaller than the volume of said confinement.

Claim 9

The restraint system defined in claim 1, wherein said inflatable confinement includes vent means provided in the wall thereof such that, upon sufficient deformation of the confinement in the expanded condition by contact with the vehicle occUpant, said vent means is operable to permit air to escape from the interior of the confinement to prevent occupant rebound.

Claim 10

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint comprising: an inflatable confinement having a portion thereof communicating with a source of inflating fluid, said confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, wherein said confinement has, (a) means defining a plurality of first inflatable chambers disposed adjacent the wall of said confinement and adapted for communicating with a source of pressurized fluid such that, upon inflation of said first chambers, said confinement is expanded to the operative condition; (b) one-way valve means disposed in the wall of said confinement and operable to open upon inflation of said first chambers and expansion of said confinement to permit atmospheric air to flow into the interior of said confinement, said valve means including at least one patch having an excess of material and having the entire periphery thereof attached to the wall of the confinement, said patch being expandable upon inflation of said first chambers to open said valve means, said patch having at least one aperture formed therein with the wall of said confinement having at least one inlet aperture formed therein, said wall aperture being staggered from said patch aperture, said patch being collapsible to prevent air flow through said staggered apertures to close said valve means upon contact of the confinement by the vehicle occupant.

Claim 11

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint comprising: an inflatable confinement having a portion thereof communicating with a source of inflating fluid, said confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition, wherein said confinement has, (a) means defining a plurality of first inflatable chambers disposed adjacent the wall of said confinement and adapted for communicating with a source of pressurized fluid such that, upon inflation of said first chambers, said confinement is expanded to the operative condition; (b) one-way valve means disposed in the wall of said confinement and operable to open upon inflation of said first chambers and expansion of said confinement to permit atmospheric air to flow into the interior of said confinement, said valve means including at least one patch having an excess of material and having the entire periphery thereof attached to the wall of the confinement, said patch being expandable upon inflation of said first chambers to open said valve means, said patch having at least one aperture formed therein with the wall of said confinement having at least one inlet aperture formed therein, said wall aperture being staggered from said patch aperture, said patch being collapsible to prevent air flow through said staggered apertures to close said valve means upon contact of the confinement by the vehicle occupant.

Claim 12

The restraint defined in claim 7, wherein, a. said patch defines at least one secondary chamber formed in part by the wall of said confinement and said expandable portion, which portion is formed by excess material disposed on the inner periphery of said confinement.

Claim 13

The restraint defined in claim 8, wherein each of said second chambers has the said excess material at least 4 per cent greater in surface length than the adjacent confinement wall portion of each of said second chambers.

Claim 14

The restraint defined in claim 7, wherein a. said fluid source means includes diffuser means; and b. said confinement includes inflatable manifold means interconnecting each of said first chambers and said fluid source means.