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WO2004089700A1 - Dispositif de protection a airbag - Google Patents

Dispositif de protection a airbag

Info

Publication number
WO2004089700A1
WO2004089700A1 PCT/GB2004/001610 GB2004001610W WO2004089700A1 WO 2004089700 A1 WO2004089700 A1 WO 2004089700A1 GB 2004001610 W GB2004001610 W GB 2004001610W WO 2004089700 A1 WO2004089700 A1 WO 2004089700A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
airbag
protection apparatus
steering wheel
cover
straps
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/GB2004/001610
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Terence J. Belton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BELTONROSS Ltd
Original Assignee
BELTONROSS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BELTONROSS Ltd filed Critical BELTONROSS Ltd
Publication of WO2004089700A1 publication Critical patent/WO2004089700A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R2021/162—Means for diverting, destroying or blocking the bag in case of dangerous deployment, e.g. during rescue operations or use of rear-facing children seats

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an airbag protection apparatus, particularly, though not exclusively, to an airbag safety cover that can easily be mounted over a vehicle airbag and dismounted therefrom.
  • airbags are useful in the prevention of serious injury and/or death when a motor vehicle, such as a car or truck (Heavy Goods Vehicle - HGV) having airbags installed therein, is involved in an accident.
  • the airbag which is usually mounted in a central portion of a steering wheel, includes an explosive actuation device which causes the airbag to explosively inflate in the event of an accident (crash) to protect the driver from being thrown forward into the steering column and/or the windscreen. It is also known to provide additional airbags in the dashboard in front of the passenger seat of a vehicle and, in some circumstances in the side doors of the vehicle to try to limit injury in the case of side impacts of the vehicle.
  • the actuation device generally contains an explosive charge which is detonated when a sensor, often an accelerometer, senses a sudden change in acceleration of the vehicle, which is interpreted as a sign that it has been involved in an accident.
  • airbags that are deployed in the event of an accident are very useful in the reduction of serious injury and/or death to persons within the vehicle at the time
  • airbags that deploy unexpectedly can be dangerous to persons nearby, since the explosive inflation of the airbag takes place with substantial force and causes the plastic fascia covering the airbag to explode outwardly.
  • Such unexpected airbag deployment has been known to kill or severely injure persons who have been hit by the explosion, especially if the person was in a different position than one for which the airbag was designed to explode into.
  • airbags do not always deploy in the event of an accident. This may be due to damage to the airbag or the actuation device during the accident, or due to manufacturing faults or for other reasons. Nevertheless, such airbags that have not deployed during the accident itself, may, sometimes, deploy unexpectedly some time after the accident. Such delayed deployment can be very dangerous, as explained above, to emergency service personnel, such as firemen, paramedics, police, etc., providing assistance to persons in the vehicle after the accident.
  • Such devices therefore cannot be installed if it is desired to steer the vehicle, for example to move it away from the direct scene of an accident to clear the road, or even to drive the vehicle a longer distance, for example to a garage if the accident was not so severe that the vehicle cannot move, but nevertheless there is a concern that the airbag did not deploy.
  • the present invention therefore seeks to provide an airbag protection apparatus, which overcomes, or at least reduces the above-mentioned problems.
  • the invention provides an airbag protection apparatus comprising a substantially flexible cover for placement over an airbag fascia in a steering wheel of a vehicle and mounting means for engaging with at least one suitable element of the vehicle adjacent the airbag fascia whereby the cover is securely held, in use, over the airbag fascia in such a manner that access is maintained to substantially the whole of a rim of the steering wheel, thereby to substantially prevent an airbag that unexpectedly deploys from expanding beyond the cover, whilst still allowing the steering wheel to be turned normally.
  • the cover is substantially planar for mounting over the airbag fascia.
  • the cover may include at least one layer of a ballistic fabric.
  • the ballistic fabric may be formed of a strong man-made fibre, such as an aramid-based fibre.
  • the man-made fibre may comprise one or more of the following fibres Kevlar®, Dyneema®, Cordura ®, Spectra® or Twaron®.
  • the mounting means comprises a plurality of straps and engagable fasteners for fixing the straps to hold the cover in position, when in use. At least some of the plurality of straps may be attached to the cover. Conveniently, at least some of the plurality of straps may include a loop at an end remote from the cover, and the mounting means may further comprise at least one further strap for passing through the loops, the engagable fasteners being attached to the ends of the at least one further strap. There may be a plurality, for example, two, such further straps, each including engagable fasteners at their ends.
  • the engagable fasteners may comprise bayonet-type cooperating fittings, which may be substantially metallic or substantially plastic.
  • the engagable fasteners may comprise ratchet-type cooperating fittings or hook and loop fasteners.
  • the invention provides a method of protection against unexpected deployment of a vehicle airbag , the method comprising the steps of providing an airbag protection apparatus as described above, and mounting the airbag protection apparatus such that the cover is held over a fascia of the airbag in such a manner that access is maintained to substantially the whole of a rim of the steering wheel and thereby allowing the steering wheel to be turned normally.
  • the step of mounting the airbag protection apparatus can comprise the steps of positioning the cover over the airbag fascia, engaging at least one of the straps with at least one suitable element of the vehicle adjacent the airbag fascia, engaging the engagable fasteners, and tightening at least one of the straps so that the cover is securely held over the airbag fascia.
  • At least some of the plurality of straps may include a loop at an end thereof, and the mounting means may further comprise at least one further strap for passing through the loops, the engagable fasteners being attached to the ends of the at least one further strap, and the step of mounting the airbag protection apparatus can comprise the steps of positioning the cover over the airbag fascia, passing ends of the straps having loops between a steering wheel rim and the steering wheel column so that the loops extend behind the steering wheel rim, such that at least some steering wheel spokes connecting the steering wheel rim and the steering wheel column pass between some of the straps, passing the further strap through the loops extending behind the steering wheel rim, engaging the engagable fasteners, and tightening at least one of the straps so that the cover is securely held over the airbag fascia in such a manner that access is maintained to substantially the whole of the rim of the steering wheel.
  • FIGs. 1 and 2 show two versions of a steering wheel configuration usually used in current vehicles with an airbag fitted within the steering wheel column;
  • FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of an airbag protection apparatus according to the present invention
  • FIG. 4 shows a front view of the airbag protection apparatus of FIG. 3 in position over the steering wheel of FIG 1 ;
  • FIG. 5 shows a side perspective view of the airbag protection apparatus of FIG. 3 in position over the steering wheel of FIG 2;
  • FIG. 6 shows an edge perspective view of part of the airbag protection apparatus of FIG. 5.
  • most conventional steering wheels 1 for vehicles comprise a rim 2, which is generally circular, mounted to a steering wheel column 3.
  • the rim 2 is usually attached to the column 3 by several spokes 4.
  • FIG. 1 a four-spoke steering wheel is shown, whereas FIG. 2 shows a three-spoke steering wheel.
  • the centre of the steering wheel column 3 conventionally contains an airbag device 5 covered with an airbag fascia 6 mounted in the centre of the steering wheel 1 , the fascia being designed to detach from the column 3 when the airbag device 5 deploys to allow the airbag to expand to its fullest extent as quickly as possible to provide a cushion for a driver of the vehicle.
  • the violent detachment of the airbag fascia 6 can cause minor injury to the driver, but this is considered to be preferable to the more serious injuries that can be caused in the event of an accident if the airbag is not present.
  • the airbag has proved very effective at reducing serious injury and death in the event of an accident, if the airbag deploys unexpectedly when a person is not in the normal driving position, but is, perhaps, closer to the steering wheel column, than would normally be the case, or has a particularly vulnerable part of the body, such as the head or neck at an unusual angle to the steering wheel column, then serious injury or even death could result.
  • an airbag protection apparatus 7 includes a cover 8 and a plurality of straps 9.
  • the cover 8 is formed by a rectangular sheet of flexible fabric, although other shapes could, of course be used.
  • the material from which the cover 8 is made should be, or include, a very strong fabric, which can withstand the force of the explosion of the airbag deployment. Suitable fabrics are those made of man- made fibres, expecially so-called ballistic fabrics, which are used in bullet-proof clothing.
  • aramid fibres can be obtained under various trade names, such as Kevlar ® manufactured by DuPont Corporation, Dyneema ® manufactured by DSM High Performance Fibers, Cordura ® also manufactured by DuPont Corporation, Spectra ® manufactured by Allied Signal Corporation or Twaron ® manufactured by Akzel Nobel Corporation and are often available in fabric form from those manufacturers.
  • the straps 9 can be made of a similar fabric to that of the cover 8, or of a different material, such a webbing material. The straps 9 are arranged across the cover 8 and are stitched to the cover.
  • the stitching can take place along part or the whole length of the strap that overlaps the cover, as well as at several discrete box stitch locations 10, to provide particularly strong attachment of the straps 9 to the cover 8.
  • the ends of the straps 9 are provided with loops 11 , which may be formed by stitching the end of the strap back over itself to form the loop. In the present embodiment, four straps are used, each of which has its ends extending beyond the cover so as to provide eight loops 11 arranged around the periphery of the cover 8.
  • a further two straps 12 are provided. These further straps 12 are not attached to the cover 8 and are arranged to pass through the loops 11 in a manner that will be further described below.
  • the ends of the further straps 12 are provided with cooperating engagable fasteners, such as bayonet-type fasteners, similar to those used to fasten seat belts and to allow them to be unfastened easily.
  • cooperating engagable fasteners such as bayonet-type fasteners, similar to those used to fasten seat belts and to allow them to be unfastened easily.
  • such fasteners include a first, male fastener part 13 and a second, female fastener part 14. The male, bayonet fitting is inserted into the female part 14 to lock the fastener closed, and a button on the female part 14 is pushed inwardly to unlock the fastener.
  • seat- belt type fasteners are made at least partly of metal
  • other designs of bayonet fasteners for example of the type used on clothing, especially children's clothing, or luggage, which are made of plastic
  • other types of fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners, commonly sold under the trade name Velcro® could also be used.
  • ratchet-type cooperating fittings could be provided to help tighten the cover into position.
  • the fasteners could be made lockable, so that only an authorized person could unlock the apparatus once it has been mounted in position.
  • the fasteners could be made non-releasable, so that, once mounted in position, they cannot be released.
  • the apparatus could be left on for disposal with the vehicle, or the apparatus could be cut off, sor example, by cutting the straps, if necessary to remove it. In both cases, the apparatus cannot be removed by non-authorised persons, so as to reduce the likelihood that it is removed before the vehicle can be properly dealt with in a safe environement.
  • the cover 8 is positioned over the airbag fascia of a steering wheel.
  • the steering wheel is similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 1 , and includes four spokes 4 between the steering wheel rim 2 and the steering wheel column in which the airbag is mounted.
  • the straps 9 are arranged such that the loops 11 pass through the gaps between the spokes 4 and the rim 2 to extend behind the steering wheel 1.
  • the further straps 12 are then passed through the loops 11 and fastened together using the fasteners 13, 14, and the ends 15 of the further straps 12 are then pulled to tighten the further straps 12 in a manner similar to that of airplane seat belts.
  • the cover thereby tightly envelopes the airbag fascia on the steering wheel column, with the straps 9 and 12 being engaged around the spokes 4 to hold the cover securely in position, whilst still allowing access to the rim 2 of the steering wheel 1.
  • FIGs. 5 and 6 show a similar cover being positioned over a steering wheel similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, which had only three spokes 4 between the rim 2 and the steering wheel column.
  • FIG. 5 shows from a side perspective view how the straps 9 pass between the spokes 4 and the rim 2 of the steering wheel, and the further straps are passed through the loops 11 of the straps 9 behind the steering wheel
  • FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating how the cover 8 envelopes the steering wheel column and the airbag fascia, as the further straps are pulled together to be fastened before their free ends 15 are then pulled to tighten the cover securely in position, whilst leaving the rim 2 of the steering wheel 1 free from obstructions, so that it can be easily and safely used.
  • the further straps need not be completely free of all the straps 9.
  • at least one of the further straps 12 could be permanently threaded through a loop on an end of at least one of the straps 9, in order to prevent it getting lost or misplaced.
  • the loops shown at the top of the cover 8 all pass through the same gap at the top of the steering wheel so that the further strap 9 could be permanently threaded through all those straps 9 by having the loops smaller than the size of the fasteners on either end of the strap 12.
  • the further strap would already be in position for fastening and tightening as soon as the ends of the straps 9 were pushed through the top gap between the rim 2 and the spokes 4.
  • this could be permanently threaded through one of the loops of the straps 9 that extend downwardly from the cover, with the remaining loops being of larger size in order to facilitate threading the further strap 12 through those loops.
  • the straps and/or the cover can be manufactured of, or covered by, a high-visibility material that would aid the location and use of the device in low visibility emergency situations.
  • the cover can also be provided with advertising or other logos and designs, for example to include auto manufacturer logos.
  • the apparatus can be made in different sizes, with different configurations, depending on the size and/or configuration of the airbag device it is intended to cover.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif de protection à airbag qui comprend un couvercle (8) destiné à être placé sur un logement d'airbag dans un véhicule et des courroies (9, 12) destinées à être introduites entre les rayons (4) et la jante (2) du volant, à proximité du logement d'airbag. Les courroies qui passent entre les rayons du volant sont ensuite attachées les unes aux autres au moyen d'attaches (13, 14) et leurs extrémités (15) sont resserrées de façon que le couvercle soit solidement maintenu sur le logement d'airbag afin de sensiblement éviter qu'un déploiement inopportun de l'airbag ne blesse une personne dans le véhicule, tout en maintenant l'accès à sensiblement la totalité de la jante du volant.
PCT/GB2004/001610 2003-04-14 2004-04-14 Dispositif de protection a airbag Ceased WO2004089700A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0308590A GB0308590D0 (en) 2003-04-14 2003-04-14 Airbag protection apparatus
GB0308590.9 2003-04-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2004089700A1 true WO2004089700A1 (fr) 2004-10-21

Family

ID=9956755

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2004/001610 Ceased WO2004089700A1 (fr) 2003-04-14 2004-04-14 Dispositif de protection a airbag

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB0308590D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2004089700A1 (fr)

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3816883A (en) * 1973-01-04 1974-06-18 Dzus Fastener Co Fastener
US4622724A (en) * 1983-09-20 1986-11-18 Societe Dupre Security clamp for cables
US5277440A (en) * 1992-08-07 1994-01-11 Jackson Jr Thomas S Air bag retention device
US5735564A (en) * 1994-08-31 1998-04-07 Rees Operations Pty. Ltd. Luggage safety barrier
US5879048A (en) * 1996-01-16 1999-03-09 Creative Products & Trade, Inc. Restraining net for car window
DE29819808U1 (de) * 1998-11-05 1999-03-18 Peter Lancier Maschinenbau-Hafenhütte GmbH & Co KG, 48167 Münster Rückhaltevorrichtung für Airbag-Systeme
US6059313A (en) * 1995-08-02 2000-05-09 Rees Operations Pty. Ltd. Two position motor vehicle safety screen assembly
US6203055B1 (en) * 1995-10-11 2001-03-20 Martimon B.V. Safety device for an airbag-system
GB2375509A (en) * 2001-05-05 2002-11-20 S P Services An airbag deployment limiting means

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3816883A (en) * 1973-01-04 1974-06-18 Dzus Fastener Co Fastener
US4622724A (en) * 1983-09-20 1986-11-18 Societe Dupre Security clamp for cables
US5277440A (en) * 1992-08-07 1994-01-11 Jackson Jr Thomas S Air bag retention device
US5735564A (en) * 1994-08-31 1998-04-07 Rees Operations Pty. Ltd. Luggage safety barrier
US6059313A (en) * 1995-08-02 2000-05-09 Rees Operations Pty. Ltd. Two position motor vehicle safety screen assembly
US6203055B1 (en) * 1995-10-11 2001-03-20 Martimon B.V. Safety device for an airbag-system
US5879048A (en) * 1996-01-16 1999-03-09 Creative Products & Trade, Inc. Restraining net for car window
DE29819808U1 (de) * 1998-11-05 1999-03-18 Peter Lancier Maschinenbau-Hafenhütte GmbH & Co KG, 48167 Münster Rückhaltevorrichtung für Airbag-Systeme
GB2375509A (en) * 2001-05-05 2002-11-20 S P Services An airbag deployment limiting means

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0308590D0 (en) 2003-05-21

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