Safety enclosures and systems for high speed vehicles

Claim 2

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; said protective safety enclosure having thermal insulation between an exterior surface of said enclosure shell and said interior cabin; at least one passenger seat adapted to support a passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to restrain a passenger within the at least one passenger seat and to in combination with the passenger seat resist passenger movement within the cabin; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin relative to outside the enclosure, to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 3

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the enclosure shell has at least two spaced wall members which enclose at least portions of said thermal insulation therebetween.

Claim 4

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the enclosure shell has at least two spaced wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween.

Claim 5

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to join with other similar safety enclosures to form a modular array.

Claim 6

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 1 wherein enclosure shells of said plurality of safety enclosures are adjoined into a tubular array.

Claim 7

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of safety enclosures are joined into a modular array which share at least one common wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of the modular array.

Claim 8

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 and further comprising at least a single row having a plurality of passenger seats.

Claim 9

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 and further comprising opposed facing rows having a plurality of passenger seats.

Claim 10

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag.

Claim 11

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said crash bag is automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces.

Claim 12

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 13

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein: said crash bag is adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag; and, said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 14

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein: said crash bag is adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; and, said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall adjacent passengers to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag.

Claim 15

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 and further comprising at least one passenger restraint harness for restraining a passenger in said at least one passenger seat.

Claim 16

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one passenger seat is deformable under crash conditions to alleviate acceleration or deceleration forces on a passenger riding therein.

Claim 17

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said enclosure shell includes at least one cabin exhaust vent which allows breathable gas to exhaust from the cabin, but which maintains a positive cabin pressure to prevent inflow of combustion gases and fumes into the cabin during fire conditions.

Claim 18

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 16 wherein at least one cabin exhaust vent includes check valve means.

Claim 19

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the cooling system includes a supply of compressed refrigerant which is controllably passed through at least one coolant expansion tube which causes the refrigerant to expand and cool, thus cooling the cabin.

Claim 20

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 18 wherein: the enclosure shell has at least inner and outer spaced wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; there are a plurality of coolant expansion tubes mounted to the inner wall member which exhaust refrigerant gas between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell; and, the outer wall member of the enclosure shell is provided with at least one refrigerant escape opening to allow the expanded refrigerant, exhausted from the coolant expansion tubes, to pass from between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell.

Claim 21

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 18 wherein the cooling system includes means to detect high temperatures to which the safety enclosure is subjected and to automatically cause cooling of the cabin.

Claim 22

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said door means is power driven and automatically controlled to close during appropriate risk periods.

Claim 23

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said door means further comprises an escape hatch means allowing passenger escape without opening of the door means.

Claim 24

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein said door means is constructed to retract into an overhead position.

Claim 25

A protective safety enclosure for use within aircraft to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein against crash forces, fire and noxious gases, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one passenger seat within said cabin to support at least one passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one power operated automatic door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one automatically controlled gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to restrain a passenger within the at least one passenger seat and to in combination with the passenger seat limit and cushion passenger movement within the cabin; an automatic cooling system adapted to sense the temperature of the safety enclosure and to automatically cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; an automatic contained compressed breathable gas supply for automatically supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted; at least one controller for automatically controlling the door means, crash bag, cooling system, and breathable gas supply.

Claim 26

A protective safety enclosure for use within aircraft to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein against crash forces, fire and noxious gases, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one passenger seat within said cabin to support at least one passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one power operated automatic door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one automatically controlled gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to restrain a passenger within the at least one passenger seat and to in combination with the passenger seat limit and cushion passenger movement within the cabin; an automatic cooling system adapted to sense the temperature of the safety enclosure and to automatically cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; an automatic contained compressed breathable gas supply for automatically supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted; at least one controller for automatically controlling the door means, crash bag, cooling system, and breathable gas supply.

Claim 27

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to join with other similar safety enclosures to form a modular array.

Claim 28

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to share a common shell wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of a modular array of at least two safety enclosures.

Claim 29

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag.

Claim 30

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 31

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said crash bag is automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces.

Claim 32

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 further comprising at least one passenger restraint harness for restraining a passenger in said at least one passenger seat.

Claim 33

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein the at least one passenger seat is deformable under crash conditions to alleviate acceleration or deceleration forces on a passenger riding therein.

Claim 34

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said enclosure shell includes at least one cabin exhaust vent which allows breathable gas to exhaust from the cabin, but which maintains a positive cabin pressure to prevent inflow of combustion gases and fumes into the cabin during fire conditions.

Claim 35

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 32 wherein at least one cabin exhaust vent includes check valve means.

Claim 36

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein the cooling system includes: a plurality of coolant expansion tubes mounted to the inner wall member of the enclosure shell which exhaust refrigerant gas between inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell; and wherein, the outer wall member of the enclosure shell is provided with at least one refrigerant escape opening to allow the expanded refrigerant, exhausted from the coolant expansion tubes, to pass from between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell.

Claim 37

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said door means further comprises an escape hatch means allowing passenger escape without opening of the door means.

Claim 38

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 24 wherein said door means is constructed to retract into an overhead position.

Claim 39

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; passenger seating within said cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; said cooling system including a contained supply of refrigerant connected to supply a plurality of coolant expansion tubes mounted to the enclosure shell at spaced locations to exhaust refrigerant gas between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell; and wherein, the outer wall member of the enclosure shell is provided with refrigerant escape openings to allow the expanded refrigerant gas exhausted from the coolant expansion tubes to pass from between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell.

Claim 40

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; passenger seating within said cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; said cooling system including a contained supply of refrigerant connected to supply a plurality of coolant expansion tubes mounted to the enclosure shell at spaced locations to exhaust refrigerant gas between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell; and wherein, the outer wall member of the enclosure shell is provided with refrigerant escape openings to allow the expanded refrigerant gas exhausted from the coolant expansion tubes to pass from between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell.

Claim 41

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 37 and further comprising a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 42

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 37 wherein the cooling system includes means to detect high temperatures to which the safety enclosure is subjected and to automatically cause cooling of the cabin.

Claim 43

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall in said crash bag adjacent to at least one passenger to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a contained, compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 44

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall in said crash bag adjacent to at least one passenger to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a contained, compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 45

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 40 wherein said crash bag is automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods of when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces.

Claim 46

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 40 wherein said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 47

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 40 wherein: said crash bag is adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; and said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 48

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 40 wherein said crash bag and door means are automatically controlled and powered to provide coordinated deployment of the crash bag as the door means closes to thereby allow cabin air to be efficiently displaced by the crash bag through the closing door means.

Claim 49

A crash bag system for use in a protective safety enclosure, comprising: a flexible bag envelope having at least one bag wall; a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through at least one bag wall of said bag envelope along passenger contacting panels; at least some of said breathable gas openings being formed to allow delivery of a breathable gas therethrough for supplying the breathable gas to a passenger.

Claim 50

A crash bag system for use in a protective safety enclosure, comprising: a flexible bag envelope having at least one bag wall; a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through at least one bag wall of said bag envelope along passenger contacting panels; at least some of said breathable gas openings being formed to allow delivery of a breathable gas therethrough for supplying the breathable gas to a passenger.

Claim 51

A crash bag system as defined in claim 45 and further comprising: sensor means for sensing an event for which deployment of the crash bag is desired; at least one supply of compressed, breathable gas for deploying the crash bag; at least one valve means for controlling the flow of compressed, breathable gas from said supply of compressed, breathable gas to the crash bag; control means for receiving information from the sensor means and controlling said valve means to deploy the crash bag and supply breathable gas therethrough.

Claim 52

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 53

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 54

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag being adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted; said breathable gas supply including at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 55

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag being adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted; said breathable gas supply including at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 56

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag being adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; said crash bag further including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall adjacent passengers to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 57

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passages riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag being adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; said crash bag further including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall adjacent passengers to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 58

A protective safety enclosure for use in aircraft and to accommodate and protect passages riding therein against crash forces, fire and noxious gases, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; passenger seating within said cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one automatically controlled gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 59

A protective safety enclosure for use in aircraft and to accommodate and protect passages riding therein against crash forces, fire and noxious gases, comprising: a protective enclosure shell; said enclosure shell having at least inner and outer spaced shell wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; said enclosure shell defining an interior cabin in which passengers ride; passenger seating within said cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; at least one automatically controlled gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to resist passenger movement within the cabin; said crash bag including a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall along at least one passenger contacting panel to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 60

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 18 wherein at least one coolant expansion tube is arranged at spaced locations about the enclosure shell to remove heat therefrom; said coolant expansion tube being arranged to provide for the exhausting expanded refrigerant to the exterior of the enclosure shell.

Claim 61

A safety enclosure according to claim 37 wherein the plurality of coolant expansion tubes are mounted to the inner wall member of the enclosure shell to transfer heat therefrom.

Claim 62

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; said protective safety enclosure having thermal and crash resistant insulation between an exterior surface of said enclosure shell and said interior cabin; at least one passenger seat adapted to support a passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to restrain a passenger within the at least one passenger seat and to in combination with the passenger seat resist passenger movement within the cabin; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 63

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; said protective safety enclosure having thermal and crash resistant insulation between an exterior surface of said enclosure shell and said interior cabin; at least one passenger seat adapted to support a passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one gas-expandable crash bag mounted for controlled deployment to restrain a passenger within the at least one passenger seat and to in combination with the passenger seat resist passenger movement within the cabin; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 64

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein said crash bag is connected to be filled with breathable gas from said compressed breathable gas supply and to supply breathable gas to the cabin through the crash bag.

Claim 65

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall in said crash bag adjacent at least one passenger to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passenger during deployment of said crash bag.

Claim 66

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein said crash bag is automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods of when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces.

Claim 67

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 68

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein: said crash bag is connected to be filled with breathable gas from said compressed breathable gas supply and to supply breathable gas to the cabin through the crash bag; said crash bag is adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces.

Claim 69

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 53 wherein: said crash bag is adapted and automatically controlled to deploy for use during periods when the safety enclosure is subjected to substantial acceleration or deceleration forces; and, said crash bag includes a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through a bag wall adjacent passengers to allow delivery of breathable gas to the passengers during deployment of said crash bag.

Claim 70

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 59 wherein said crash bag and door means are automatically controlled and powered to provide coordinated deployment of the crash bag as the door means closes to thereby allow cabin air to be efficiently displaced by the crash bag through the closing door means.

Claim 71

A crash bag system, comprising: at least one flexible bag envelope having at least one bag wall; a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through at least one bag wall of said bag envelope to allow delivery of a breathable gas therethrough for supplying the breathable gas to a passenger.

Claim 72

A crash bag system, comprising: at least one flexible bag envelope having at least one bag wall; a plurality of breathable gas openings formed through at least one bag wall of said bag envelope to allow delivery of a breathable gas therethrough for supplying the breathable gas to a passenger.

Claim 73

A crash bag system according to claim 61 and further comprising at least one supply of compressed, breathable gas for deploying the crash bag.

Claim 74

A crash bag system as defined in claim 61 and further comprising: sensor means for sensing an event for which deployment of the crash bag is desired; at least one supply of compressed, breathable gas for deploying the crash bag; at least one valve means for controlling the flow of compressed, breathable gas from said supply of compressed, breathable gas to the crash bag; control means for receiving information from the sensor means and controlling said valve means to deploy the crash bag and supply breathable gas therethrough.

Claim 75

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; said protective safety enclosure having thermal insulation between an exterior surface of said enclosure shell and said interior cabin; at least one passenger seat adapted to support a passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one safety harness system to restrain a passenger within the passenger seat and to limit passenger movement with the cabin; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 76

A protective safety enclosure for mounting within a vehicle to accommodate and protect passengers riding therein, comprising: a protective enclosure shell having an interior cabin in which passengers ride; said protective safety enclosure having thermal insulation between an exterior surface of said enclosure shell and said interior cabin; at least one passenger seat adapted to support a passenger therein and, to restrain the passenger against movement relative to the interior cabin; at least one door opening in said enclosure shell allowing access into and from the cabin; at least one door means which is operable to open and close the door opening; the enclosure shell and door means forming a substantially fluid-tight interior cabin against inward migration of gases and liquids when the door means closes the door opening; at least one safety harness system to restrain a passenger within the passenger seat and to limit passenger movement with the cabin; a cooling system adapted to cool the cabin during periods of exposure of the safety enclosure to fire or other high temperature conditions; a contained compressed breathable gas supply for supplying a breathable gas to passengers within the cabin during periods when the door means is closed, and for creating a positive pressure within the cabin to exclude fumes and noxious gases which result during a fire within the vehicle in which the safety enclosure is mounted.

Claim 77

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the enclosure shell has at least two spaced wall members which enclose at least portions of said thermal insulation therebetween.

Claim 78

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the enclosure shell has at least two spaced wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween.

Claim 79

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to join with other similar safety enclosures to form a modular array.

Claim 80

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 64 wherein enclosure shells of said plurality of safety enclosures are adjoined into a tubular array.

Claim 81

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 64 wherein the plurality of safety enclosures are joined into a modular array which share at least one common wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of the modular array.

Claim 82

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to share a common shell wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of a modular array of at least two safety enclosures.

Claim 83

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 and further comprising at least a single row having a plurality of passenger seats.

Claim 84

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 and further comprising opposed facing rows having a plurality of passenger seats.

Claim 85

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein said breathable gas supply includes at least one supply outlet adjacent to a location where a passenger head is expected to be during travel.

Claim 86

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the at least one passenger seat is deformable under crash conditions to alleviate acceleration or deceleration forces on a passenger riding therein.

Claim 87

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein said enclosure shell includes at least one cabin exhaust vent which allows breathable gas to exhaust from the cabin, but which maintains a positive cabin pressure to prevent inflow of combustion gases and fumes into the cabin during fire conditions.

Claim 88

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 75 wherein at least one cabin exhaust vent includes check valve means.

Claim 89

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein the cooling system includes a supply of compressed refrigerant which is controllably passed through at least one coolant expansion tube which causes the refrigerant to expand and cool, thus cooling the cabin.

Claim 90

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 77 wherein: the enclosure shell has at least inner and outer spaced wall members with thermally insulating and impact resistant material contained therebetween; there are a plurality of coolant expansion tubes mounted to the inner wall member which exhaust refrigerant gas between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell; and the outer wall member of the enclosure shell is provided with at least one refrigerant escape opening to allow the expanded refrigerant exhausted from the coolant expansion tubes to pass from between the inner and outer wall members of the enclosure shell.

Claim 91

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 77 wherein the cooling system includes means to detect high temperatures to which the safety enclosure is subjected and to automatically cause cooling of the cabin.

Claim 92

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein said door means is power driven and automatically controlled to close during appropriate risk periods.

Claim 93

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein said door means further comprises an escape hatch means allowing passenger escape without opening of the door means.

Claim 94

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein said door means is constructed to retract into an overhead position.

Claim 95

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 64 wherein at least one passenger seat comprises a plurality of energy absorbing layers including at least one elastically deformable layer and at least one plastically deformable layer which is plastically deformable under crash conditions; both of said layers being deformable under crash conditions to alleviate acceleration or deceleration forces on a passenger riding therein.

Claim 96

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one passenger seat comprises a plurality of energy absorbing layers including at least one elastically deformable layer and at least one plastically deformable layer which is plastically deformable under crash conditions; both of said layers being deformable under crash conditions to alleviate acceleration or deceleration forces on a passenger riding therein.

Claim 97

A safety enclosure as defined in claim 1 wherein the safety enclosure shell is adapted to share a common shell wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of a modular array of at least two safety enclosures.

Claim 98

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 24 wherein enclosure shells of said plurality of safety enclosures are adjoined into a tubular array.

Claim 99

A combination including a plurality of safety enclosures as defined in claim 24 wherein the plurality of safety enclosures are joined into a modular array which share at least one common wall structure with another adjacent connected safety enclosure to allow formation of the modular array.