Aspirating apparatus and method for crash restraint system

Claim 1

In a vehicle having an interior within which is an occupant carrying location and having structure spaced from said location, a crash restraint apparatus for protecting an occupant in said location from impact with said structure, said apparatus comprising: a. a housing frame having lateral wall means defining a through aspirating passageway with an upstream inlet opening and a downstream outlet opening, b. a collapsed inflatable mounted within said passageway proximate said outlet opening, and arranged to be moved from said passageway and through said outlet opening and inflated by gas flowing from said outlet opening to an inflated position between said passenger location and said structure, c. a plurality of laterally spaced aspirating jet units mounted to said frame and positioned across substantially all of said passageway and upstream of said collapsed inflatable, said jet units arranged to direct a plurality of laterally spaced high velocity aspirating streams of a gaseous discharge in said passageway in a downstream direction, d. valve means mounted to said housing frame positioned at said passageway upstream of said jet units, said valve means having: 1. an initially closed position during a first portion of the time of gas flow from said jet units, with said valve means substantially blocking said passageway upstream of said jet units, so that initial gas flow from said jet units into said passageway creates a positive pressure in said passageway sufficient to move said inflatable at a relatively high velocity out through said passageway toward said inflated position, and 2. a subsequent open position during a second portion of the time of gas flow from said jet units to permit an inflow of aspirated air through said passageway inlet opening aspirating action of the high velocity Streams of gas from said jet units to make a gas mixture of the aspirating gas and the aspirated air to inflate the inflatable to its protective position, e. said valve means being a flap type check valve having a closed position generally transverse to said passageway and movable to an open position generally parallel to direction of flow in said passageway in response to pressure reduction downstream in said passageway and movable to its closed position upon pressure increase downstream of said passageway, and f. said flap valve having at least one support member disposed generally transverse of said passageway and a lateral surface extending downstream, with at least one flexible flap member mounted on said support member, which flap member is movable against the lateral surface of the support member to an open position and away from the lateral surface of the support member to a transverse position to close the passageway.