US3892425A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air bag
Assignee: GUMZE Ltd
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Filing: 1972-12-26
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Granted: 1975-07-01
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Expires: 1992-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle safety device to be usually installed in a vehicle in a folded form and inflatable within an appropriate period of time necessary to protect the occupant from a collision against the interior components of the vehicle. The device, namely air bag, is composed of a composite material comprising an air permeable and stretchable knitted fabric and a coating layer of elastomer or analogue thereof formed on the surface of the fabric and having microporous openings. When the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined level in an event of collision, the stretching stitches of the fabric are brought out of balance with the coating layer to form new openings other than the microporous openings, permitting an increased amount of pressurized gas to be released from both openings throughout the bag and causing the bag to reduce the energy of impact by virtue of deformation of the bag due to free stretching.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi Sakairi
- 👤 Tetuyosi Tezuka
- 👤 Noboru Watanabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; B60R21/23; B60R21/235; D; D06; D06N; D06N3/00; D06N3/0043; D06N3/0052; B60R2021/23504; B60R2021/23509; B60R2021/23514; B60R2021/23533; B60R2021/23552; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249978; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/20; Y10T442/2139; Y10T442/2148
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE CONFINEMENT NORMALLY STORED IN A NON-OPERATING STATE AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE CONFINEMENT TO INFLATE THE CONFINEMENT, AND WHEREIN THE CONFINEMENT IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN OCCUPANT WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS MOVED RELATIVE TO THE VEHICLE UPON THE VEHICLE BEING ABRUPTED BROUGHT TO A HALT, SAID CONFINEMENT BEING MADE OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPRISING A GAS PERMEABLE STRETCHABLE NYLON OR POLYESTER KITTED FABRIC AND AN ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ON ONE SURFACE OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND HAVING MICROPOROUS OPENINGS, THE KNITTED FABRIC HAVING HIGHER STRETCHABILITY THAN THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER SUCH THAT THE LOOPS OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE MICROPOROUS OPENINGS OF THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ARE ENLARGEABLE BY STORETCHING AS THE CONFINEMENT IS INFLATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT HALT TO MAINTAIN THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LEVEL, AND AT THE TIME THE OCCUPANT IS FORCED INTO THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT IN STRIKING CONTACT THEREWITH ARE FURTHER ENLARGEABLE BY THE RSULTING ENERGY OF IMPACT CAUSING THE FORMATION OF NEW OPENINGS IN THE ELASTOMER COATING BY THE DIFFERENCE IN STRETCHABILITY BETWEEN THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE COATING LAYER THEREBY MAINTAINING THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE CONFINEMENT AT A CONSTANT LEVEL.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
A VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE CONFINEMENT NORMALLY STORED IN A NON-OPERATING STATE AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE CONFINEMENT TO INFLATE THE CONFINEMENT, AND WHEREIN THE CONFINEMENT IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN OCCUPANT WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS MOVED RELATIVE TO THE VEHICLE UPON THE VEHICLE BEING ABRUPTED BROUGHT TO A HALT, SAID CONFINEMENT BEING MADE OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPRISING A GAS PERMEABLE STRETCHABLE NYLON OR POLYESTER KITTED FABRIC AND AN ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ON ONE SURFACE OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND HAVING MICROPOROUS OPENINGS, THE KNITTED FABRIC HAVING HIGHER STRETCHABILITY THAN THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER SUCH THAT THE LOOPS OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE MICROPOROUS OPENINGS OF THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ARE ENLARGEABLE BY STORETCHING AS THE CONFINEMENT IS INFLATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT HALT TO MAINTAIN THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LEVEL, AND AT THE TIME THE OCCUPANT IS FORCED INTO THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT IN STRIKING CONTACT THEREWITH ARE FURTHER ENLARGEABLE BY THE RSULTING ENERGY OF IMPACT CAUSING THE FORMATION OF NEW OPENINGS IN THE ELASTOMER COATING BY THE DIFFERENCE IN STRETCHABILITY BETWEEN THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE COATING LAYER THEREBY MAINTAINING THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE CONFINEMENT AT A CONSTANT LEVEL.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
206 words
A VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING AN INFATABLE CONFINEMENT NORMALLY STORED IN A NON-OPERATING STATE AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE CONFINEMENT TO INFLATE THE CONFINEMENT, AND WHEREIN THE CONFINEMENT IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN OCCOPANT WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS MOVED RELATIVE TO THE VEHICLE UPON THE VEHICLE BEING ABRUPT BROUGHT TO A HALT, SAID CONFINEMENT BEING MADE OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPRISING A GAS PERMEABLE STRETCHABLE NYLON OR POLYESTER KNITTED FABRIC AND AN ELSTOMER COATING LAYER ON ONE SURFACE OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND HAVING MACROPOROUS OPENINGS THE KNITTED FABRIC HAVING HIGHER STRETCHABILITY THAN THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER SUCH THAT THE LOOPS OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE MACROPOROUS OPENINGS OF THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ARE ENLARGEABLE BY STRETCHING AS THE CONFINEMENT IS INFLATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT HALT TO MAINTAIN THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LEVEL, AND AT THE TIME THE OCCUPANT IS FORCED INTO THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT IN STRIKING CONTACT THEREWITH ARE FURTHER ENLARGEABLE BY THE RESULTING ENERGY OF IMPACT CAUSING THE FORMATION OF NEW OPENINGS IN THE ELASTOMER COATING BY THE DIFFERENCE IN STRETCHABILITY BETWEEN THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE COATING LAYER THEREBY MAINTAINING THE INTERMAL PRESSURE OF THE CONFINEMENT AT A CONSTANT LEVEL
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
206 words
A VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE COMPRISING AN INFATABLE CONFINEMENT NORMALLY STORED IN A NON-OPERATING STATE AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE CONFINEMENT TO INFLATE THE CONFINEMENT, AND WHEREIN THE CONFINEMENT IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN OCCOPANT WHEN THE OCCUPANT IS MOVED RELATIVE TO THE VEHICLE UPON THE VEHICLE BEING ABRUPT BROUGHT TO A HALT, SAID CONFINEMENT BEING MADE OF A COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPRISING A GAS PERMEABLE STRETCHABLE NYLON OR POLYESTER KNITTED FABRIC AND AN ELSTOMER COATING LAYER ON ONE SURFACE OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND HAVING MACROPOROUS OPENINGS THE KNITTED FABRIC HAVING HIGHER STRETCHABILITY THAN THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER SUCH THAT THE LOOPS OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE MACROPOROUS OPENINGS OF THE ELASTOMER COATING LAYER ARE ENLARGEABLE BY STRETCHING AS THE CONFINEMENT IS INFLATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT HALT TO MAINTAIN THE INTERNAL PRESSURE OF THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LEVEL, AND AT THE TIME THE OCCUPANT IS FORCED INTO THE INFLATED CONFINEMENT IN STRIKING CONTACT THEREWITH ARE FURTHER ENLARGEABLE BY THE RESULTING ENERGY OF IMPACT CAUSING THE FORMATION OF NEW OPENINGS IN THE ELASTOMER COATING BY THE DIFFERENCE IN STRETCHABILITY BETWEEN THE KNITTED FABRIC AND THE COATING LAYER THEREBY MAINTAINING THE INTERMAL PRESSURE OF THE CONFINEMENT AT A CONSTANT LEVEL
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The safety device of claim 1 wherein the elastomer is a poolyurethane or chlorinated polyethylene elastomer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The safety device of claim 2 wherein the elastomer is a polyurethane or chlorinated polyethylene elastomer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-30 | 1978-12-30 | 1979-07-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-30 | 1982-12-30 | 1983-07-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-30 | 1986-12-30 | 1987-07-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |