3,510,150
`K` WILFERT
`May 5, 1970
`INFLAIABLE CUSHION INSTALLATION FOR INCREASING THE SAFETY
`oF VEHICLE PAssENGERs
`Filed Sept. 15, 1967
`
`HG. 2@
`
`2
`
`l; MAkN-w*
`
`INVENTOR
`KARL WILFERT
`
`ATTORNEYS"
`
`Page 1 of 4
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`KSS 1021
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`United States Patent O M
`ICC
`
`3,510,150
`Patented May 5, 1970
`
`3,510,150
`INFLATABLE CUSHION INSTALLATION FOR
`INCREASING THE SAFETY 0F VEHICLE
`PASSENGERS
`Karl Wilt'ert, Gerlingen-Waldstadt, Germany, assigner to
`Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft, Stuttgart-Unterturk
`heim, Germany
`Filed Sept. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 668,103
`Clailns priority, application Gòezrmany, Sept. 15, 1966,
`51 1
`im. Cl. Bs’or 21/00
`U.So Cl. 280-150
`
`10 Claims
`
`5
`
`2
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention is yconcerned with the aim to
`avoid these disadvantages and to offer a protection in
`particular for the heads of the vehicle passengers. The
`present invention essentially consists in that small iar
`bag or air-cushion protective elements predominantly ar
`ranged to the rear of the heads of the vehicle passengers,
`preferably inñatable only in case of danger and matched
`to the head shape are provided, which are secured at the
`body and/or at the extended frame structures of the
`backrests. A particularly advantageous construction of
`the air-cushion protective elements results if the elements,
`filled íwth air, extend in the shape of a semi-circle laterally
`and to the rear of the heads of the vehicle passengers and
`also project upwardly over the heads. In this manner the
`capacity and freedom for action on the part of the pas
`sengers is not impaired prior to the occurrence of an acci
`dent whereas during an accident the air-cushion protec
`tive elements prevent, on the one hand, the dangerous
`snapping or bending off of the heads toward the sides
`or toward the rear and, on the other, also form a sort of
`protective wall about the head. Head injuries may thus
`be avoided far-reachingly which might result, for ex
`ample, by the crushing of the roof.
`A favorable construction of the present invention re
`sults if the air-cushion protective elements are mounted
`at the inner wall of the body by way of tension members
`such as belts, nets, or cables, etc. In that case, provision
`may be made that the belts or cables for the fastening
`of the air-bag or air-cushion protective elements for the
`heads of the passengers seated in front are secured With~
`in the area of the forward door column and/or within
`the area below the instrument panel at the center tunnel
`or the like because in this manner an arrangement is
`achieved which impairs as little as possible the freedom
`of movement of the vehicle passengers.
`Another construction of the present invention, which
`is also favorable, is obtained if the air-bag or air-cushion
`protective elements are secured directly at the extended
`frame structures of the seat backrests by way of support
`grids or support frames matched approximately to the
`head shape. This construction offers the advantage that
`no» tension members or the like have to be provided with
`in the vehicle space. However, it goes without saying, the
`first type of construction permits that the capacity for
`action and movement of the heads of the vehicle pas
`sengers cannot Ibe impaired at all prior to the occurrence
`of an accident by portions projecting beyond the frame
`structures of the backrests as is also the case with the
`customary vehicles known to date.
`y
`It is appropriate if additionally the parts endangered
`for the vehicle passengers during accidents such as doo-r
`columns, roof rims, instrument panel edges, etc. are pro
`tected in a conventional manner by spatially limited air
`cushion protective elements and if these air-cushion pro
`tective elements are constructed along the interior space
`walls of the vehicle in the manner of a continuous wall.
`Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
`provide an installation for the protection of the heads
`of the vehicle passengers which avoids by extremely
`simple and operationally reliable means the aforemen
`tioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered in the
`prior art.
`Another object of the present invention resides in an
`installation for increasing the safety of the vehicle pas
`sengers which is capable of signiñcantly reducing the
`impact in case of accidents.
`A further object of the present invention resides in a
`safety installation for passenger motor vehicles which
`protects in particular the heads of the passengers against
`impact injuries in case of collision accidents.
`
`ABSTRACT OF THlE DISCLOSURE
`An installation for enhancing the safety of the pas
`sengers in passenger motor vehicles which are equipped
`with pneumatically effective paddings and which includes
`protective elements, preferably inflatable only during
`danger, arranged to the rear and to the sides of the heads
`of the vehicle passengers and approximately matched to
`the shape of their heads whereby the protective elements
`are secured at relatively ñxed parts of the motor vehicle
`on the inside of the passenger space. Additional, pref
`erably inflatable devices may be provided also along the
`side walls and below the instrument panel to further pro
`tect the passengers against accidents.
`
`20
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`25
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention relates to an installation for in
`creasing the safety of the passengers of vehicles which are
`equipped with pneumatically operable paddings or
`cushions.
`Safty installations are known in the prior .art in cor1~
`nection with motor vehicles in which air-filled cushions
`or paddings are provided (German Pat. 836,748) in order
`to reduce during accidents the dangerous impact effect of
`bo ly parts of the vehicle passengers against the body
`pa .'ts or instrument-panel parts present on the inside of
`the vehicle space. No matter how advantageous these
`paddings or cushions of the vehicle interior space may
`be, they are able to reduce only the force of an impact
`of body parts; however, they are not able to prevent the
`impact itself. However, it has been discovered that in
`particular with the presently customary vehicle velocities
`on high-speed roads or the like and with the large impact
`energy which occurs at these velocities during an accident,
`any lifting of the body of the passenger out of the seat
`thereof and any impact against the interior wall of the
`vehicle space has to be precluded beforehand.
`In order to achieve this, it is also known in the prior
`art to utilize so-called safety belts which hold fast the
`body of the passenger in the seat. Since the fastening
`and the wearing of the belt is connected with certain
`annoyances, installations were also proposed heretofore
`(German Pat. 896,312), in which elastic containers are
`arranged in front of the passenger which are inñated in
`a fraction of a second in case of an accident by com
`pressed air and thus either retain the passenger in the
`seat thereof or at least prevent that the passenger is
`thrown forwardly.
`However, all of the known safety installations of this
`type entail the disadvantage that the heads of the pas
`sengers are not adequately protected. In particular, it has
`been found that collison accidents involve fatal conse
`quences because the heads of the vehicle passengers,
`though held with their bodies in the seats thereof, for
`example, by safety belts, were snapped off in particular
`laterally or toward the rear by reason of the inertia
`effect.
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`Page 2 of 4
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`3,510,150
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`any conventional construction, are not ñlled with air s0
`A still further object of the present invention resides
`that they do not require any significant amount of space
`in a safety installation for passenger motor vehicles
`and thus cannot impair the action and movement capacity
`which not only assures that the passengers remain seated
`of the heads 8 and 9 of the vehicle passengers. The tension
`in case of accidents but additionally assures that no head
`members 11 which are displaced laterally of the seats,
`injuries occur as a result of impact by the heads of the
`do not cause any substantial impairment since they extend
`passengers against the inner Walls of the passenger space.
`Within the area in which are disposed, for example, in
`A still further object of the present invention resides
`case of bucket-seats, the arm rests so that possibly with
`in a safety installation for passenger motor vehicles
`a corresponding construction they might even enable an
`under normal driving conditions, does not impair the ca
`agreeable seating. In case of an impact of the vehicle,
`pacity of the passengers to move and act freely in the
`the air-cushion protective elements 6 and 7 are ?ìlled with
`customary manner.
`compressed air in a fraction of a second by means of
`A further object of the present invention resides in a
`automatically operated control devices of any convention
`motor vehicle safety installation which far-reachingly pro
`al construction having fast-responding valves, which are
`tects the heads of the passengers against injuries caused
`actuated, for example, by an excessive pressure on the
`by the tremendous decelerating forces that occur as a
`steering wheel and/or by control elements responsive to
`result of an impact collision at high velocities.
`excessive inertia eifects. Since such automatic control in
`Another object of the present invention resides in a
`stallations are known in the prior art and are also readily
`safety installation for passenger motor vehicles which is
`within the scope of any person skilled in the art, forming
`simple in construction, can be readily installed into new
`no part of the present invention, a detailed description
`as well as existing vehicles and can be adapted to the
`thereof is dispensed with herein. The protective elements
`particular type of vehicle used without any great diñiculty.
``6 and 7, once automatically inflated, then offer an excel
`Still another object of the present invention resides in a
`lent protection for the heads of the passengers and there
`safety installation for passenger motor vehicles which pro
`=by contribute considerably to the increase of the so-called
`tects the heads of the passengers also against injuries
`“inner safety.”
`which might occur during crushing of the roof for in
`Provision may also be made in accordance with the
`stance, when the vehicle rolls over.
`present invention that additional air-cushion protective
`These and further objects, features, and advantages of
`elements 17, 18 and 19 are mounted in any conventional
`the present invention will become more obvious from the
`manner on the inside of the door columns 12 and/or
`following description when taken in connection with the
`on the inside of the center column 15 and/or of the
`accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of il
`rear column 16 which are actuated, e.g., automatically
`lustration only, two embodiments in accordance with the
`inñated in the same manner as the protective elements 6
`present invention; and wherein:
`and 7. A higher degree of space utilization for the
`FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view, in cross
`passenger space can be achieved in this manner as com
`section through the interior space of a passenger motor
`pared to an equivalent padding which is secured con
`vehicle constructed in accordance with the present inven
`stantly on the inside of the vehicle passenger space.
`tion;
`In the embodiment of FIG. 2b, the air-cushion pro
`FIG. 2a is a partial schematic view on the right-hand
`tective element 7’ which will place itself about the heads
`side of the passenger space of a passenger motor vehicle
`9' of the passengers seated in the rear seat, is constructed
`constructed in accordance with the present invention; and
`in an analogous manner as the protective element 7 of
`FIG. 2b is a partial schematic plan View, similar to
`FIG. 2a. However, at the front seat in this embodiment,
`FIG. 2a, on the left-half of a passenger space of a modi
`the air-cushion protective element `6’ is secured with the
`íied passenger motor vehicle constructed in accordance
`aid of the frame structure 10’ directly at the upper edge
`with the present invention.
`of the backrest 2 of the seat, not visible in FIG. 1. This
`Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference
`frame structure 10", again of any conventional, known
`numerals are used through the various views to designate
`construction, is matched approximately to the shape of
`like parts, and more particularly to FIG. 1, reference
`the head 8' of the forwardly seated passenger so that
`numeral 1 designates therein the schematically indicated
`also in this case during the occurrence of an accident,
`motor vehicle body of any conventional construction. A
`the air-cushion protective element 6’ to be inflated under
`respective air-bag or air-cushion protective element 6 and
`those circumstances, will be placed laterally and to the
`7, which is constructed in a tube-like or hose-like manner,
`rear of the head 8' of the passenger and will also extend
`is placed in a semi-circular shape about the upper edge
`over the head with a corresponding construction. Of
`of the backrests 2 and 3 within the area of the upper end
`course, it is also understood that the protective elements
`of the backrests 2 and 3, of the front seats 4 and of the
`6 and 7 of FIG. 2a may also be so constructed as to
`rear seats S, respectively. The shape of the air-cushion
`project over the heads of the passengers when inflated.
`protective elements 6 and 7, which may be of any con
`Furthermore, in lieu of the individual air-cushions 17,
`ventional, known construction, is thereby so chosen that,
`18 and 19 illustrated in FIG. 2a, in the embodiment of
`as can be seen from FIGS. 2a and 2b, the contour of the
`FIG. 2b several individual air-cushion protective elements
`inflated air-cushion protective elements will match the
`20 are combined into a type of safety wall at the sides of
`shape of the heads 8 and 9 of the vehicle passengers,
`respectively.
`the passenger space. In this manner, the advantage is
`realized that is case of an accident not only the columns
`FIG. 2a illustrates an embodiment in which the for
`carrying the roof are padded softly within the passenger
`ward air-cushion protective element `6 is retained iby a
`space but also the places at which normally no padding
`support element 10 which is secured -by way of the tension
`at all can be accommodated, for example, at the windows.
`members 11, on the one hand, within the area of the
`It is possible, for example, to secure the air-cushion pro
`door column 12 and, on the other, at the point 13 within
`tective elements 2t) at the lower edge and at the upper
`the area of the center tunnel or any corresponding ñoor
`edge of the side windows. However, it is also within the
`area of the vehicle interior space.
`purview of the present invention to distribute the air
`The air-cushion protective element 7, as can be seen
`cushion protective elements 20 by way of nets or the
`from FIGS. 2a and 2b is constructed in the illustrated
`like over the entire side Wall of the vehicle in case of a.
`embodiments as an air-cushion or padding strip extending
`collision.
`uninterruptedly over the entire rear seat bench 14 and
`yIn the embodiment of FIG. 2b, additional larger air
`having three indentations for three passengers seated in
`cushion protective elements 22 and 23 are also provided
`the rear.
`below the instru-ment panel 21 which are inflated -in case
`During the drive, the air-cushion protective elements
`of an accident and t-hus can far-reachingly prevent in
`6 and 7 which, as mentioned hereinabove, may be of
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`Page 3 of 4
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`KSS 1021
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`3,510,150
`juries at the legs of the forwardly seated passengers, ~for
`of the forward door columns and within the area below the
`instance, in case of a crushing or compressing of the for»
`instrument panel at the cen-ter (cid:173)tunnel.
`ward wall of the passenger space.
`6. An installation according to claim 5, further corn
`prising spatially limited additional protective elements in
`While I have shown and described two embodiments
`in accordance with the present invention, it is under
`the form of additional inflatable cushions rfor cushion
`stood that the same is not limited thereto, but is suscepti
`ing additional parts of the motor vehicle which are po
`tentially dangerous to passengers during collisions.
`ble of numerous changes and modifications as known
`7. An installation according to claim 6, wherein said
`to‘ a person skilled in the art.
`I claim:
`additional parts include door columns, roof rims, and
`instrument panel edges.
`1. An installation for increasing the safety of passen
`gers »in motor vehicles, comprising inflatable cushions
`8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein said
`additional protective elements are arranged at the inte
`adapted to be inflated in emergency conditions, said
`cushions, when inflated, being disposed at least laterally
`rior space walls in the manner of a continuous wall,
`9. An installation according to clai-rn 8, wherein rela
`and to the rear of the heads of passengers within the ve
`tively larger protective elements in the form of air-cush
`hicle and being constructed in the form of relatively
`ions are arranged below the instrument panel which are
`small semi-circular members matched to the shape of the
`adapted to be inñated in case of danger and olïer a pro
`heads of the passengers, wherein said inflatable cushions
`tection for the legs of the passengers.
`also extend over the heads of the passengers, wherein said
`10. An installation according to claim 9, further com
`securing means includes tension means secured at the
`prising control means for automatically `filling said in
`inner wall of the vehicle body, at locations disposed for
`wardly of said cushions.
`ñatable cushions, in case of danger, with compressed air.
`2. An -in-stallation according to clai-m 1, wherein the
`tension means are belts.
`3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said
`tension means are cables.
`4. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said
`tension ,means are nets.
`5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said
`tension means for the protective elements for lthe heads
`of the forward passengers are secu-red within the area
`
`References Cited
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`5/1958 Bertrand _________ __ 280-150
`
`20
`
`25
`
`2,834,606
`
`KENNETH H. BE'ITS, Primary Examiner
`
`30
`
`297--391
`
`U.S. Cl. XR.
`
`Page 4 of 4
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`KSS 1021
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