Patent US1302092A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3909038A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3909038A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle safety system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1974-08-13
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Granted: 1975-09-30
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Expires: 1994-08-13
Abstract
Abstract Improvement in a vehicle safety system employing vehicle safety arrangement including a safety curtain having a latched safety curtain and a curtain gate therefor which gate is thrown from an elevated to a lowered position in a vehicle to achieve vehicle safety for an occupant of a seat in the vehicle, said improvement comprising providing a cross-piece for said gate which is off-set from its ends, the bottom of the curtain attached to the crosspiece, an arrangement for pulling the ends of the gate in a straight downward path, and an arrangement for rotating the gate during its downward travel so that the cross-piece thereof and the bottom of the curtain swing over and clear of the head of the occupant.
Inventors
- 👤 Leo G Mcdonnell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:04
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/24; B60N2/42; B60N2/427; B60N2/42727; B60N2/42736; B60N2/4207; B60N2/4214; B60N2/42772; B60N2/4279; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/06; B60R21/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
Improvement in a vehicle safety system employing vehicle safety means including safety curtain means having a latched safety curtain and a curtain gate therefor which gate is thrown from an elevated to a lowered position in a vehicle to achieve vehicle safety for an occupant of a seat in said vehicle, said safety curtain being a full body curtain, said improvement comprising a construction for said gate providing a cross-piece therefor which is offset from its ends, means for attaching the bottom of said curtain to said cross-piece, means for pulling the ends of said gate and guiding the same in a straight downward path, and means for rotating the gate during its downward travel so that the cross-piece thereof and the bottom of said curtain swing over and clear of the head of the occupant.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
Improvement in a vehicle safety system employing vehicle safety means including safety curtain means having a latched safety curtain and a curtain gate therefor which gate is thrown from an elevated to a lowered position in a vehicle to achieve vehicle safety for an occupant of a seat in said vehicle, said safety curtain being a full body curtain, said improvement comprising a construction for said gate providing a cross-piece therefor which is offset from its ends, means for attaching the bottom of said curtain to said cross-piece, means for pulling the ends of said gate and guiding the same in a straight downward path, and means for rotating the gate during its downward travel so that the cross-piece thereof and the bottom of said curtain swing over and clear of the head of the occupant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, projecting means on the ends of said gate, means providing stationary stops for said projecting means so that during the downward travel of said gate said projecting means strikes said stops to rotate said gate without impeding the downward travel thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, electrical means including solenoid means for latching said gate and means for energizing said solenoid means to unlatch said gate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 3, said electrical means including manual switch means closed upon manual actuation thereof for energizing said solenoid means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, means for locking said gate in its lowered thrown position comprising a locking device having a pivotally moveable arm having a socket in the free end thereof and yieldable means normally holding said arm in an elevated position so it can be struck by said gate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, a pair of hollow stanchions on opposite sides of said vehicle seat, a power pulling mechanism for said gate within each stanchion operative, respectively, upon the ends of said gate for pulling the ends Of said gate in a straight downward path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, a storage box for storing the middle section of said safety curtain, and means for pivotally mounting said box above said seat so that during the throw of said gate said box dumps said middle section therefrom over and forwardly of the head of said occupant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 1, a second curtain gate for said safety curtain, means for locking said second gate against movement during throw of the first-mentioned gate, said second gate locked in an elevated position in said vehicle, and manual means for unlocking said second gate so that subsequent to a collision of the vehicle said occupant can step out from behind the thrown safety curtain by manually lowering said second gate to the floor of said vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
122 words
Improvement in a vehicle safety system employing vehicle safety method including safety curtain means having a latched safety curtain and a curtain gate therefor which gate is thrown from an elevated to a lowered position in a vehicle to achieve vehicle safety for an occupant of a seat in said vehicle, said safety curtain being a full body curtain, said gate having a cross-piece which is offset from its ends, said improvement comprising attaching the bottom of said curtain to said cross-piece, pulling and guiding the ends of said gate in a straight downward path, rotating said gate during its downward travel so that said cross-piece and the bottom of said curtain swing over and clear of the head of said occupant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
122 words
Improvement in a vehicle safety system employing vehicle safety method including safety curtain means having a latched safety curtain and a curtain gate therefor which gate is thrown from an elevated to a lowered position in a vehicle to achieve vehicle safety for an occupant of a seat in said vehicle, said safety curtain being a full body curtain, said gate having a cross-piece which is offset from its ends, said improvement comprising attaching the bottom of said curtain to said cross-piece, pulling and guiding the ends of said gate in a straight downward path, rotating said gate during its downward travel so that said cross-piece and the bottom of said curtain swing over and clear of the head of said occupant.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, causing the ends of said gate to strike stop means during its downward travel to so rotate said gate without impeding the downward travel thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, electrically and mechanically latching said gate and energizing a circuit upon collision of said vehicle to unlatch said gate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, electrically and mechanically latching said gate and manually energizing a circuit in anticipation of a collision of said vehicle to unlatch said gate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, providing a yieldable pulling force enclosing said yieldable pulling force in a guarded enclosure for safety purposes, and pulling upon the ends of said gate with said yieldable pulling force.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, storing the middle section of said safety curtain above the rear of said seat and, during the throw of said gate, dumping said middle section over and forwardly of the head of said occupant.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
69 words
Improvement as claimed in claim 9, locking the top of the curtain in an elevated position in said vehicle against movement, said locking step being accomplished before and maintained during throw of said gate, manually unlocking the top of the curtain subsequent to collision of the vehicle and lowering it to the floor of the vehicle so that said occupant can step out from behind the thrown safety curtain.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-29 | 1979-03-31 | 1979-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-29 | 1983-03-31 | 1983-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-29 | 1987-03-31 | 1987-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |