The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 29, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 07, 2000
Louis R. Brown, Oxford, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant comprises a vehicle seat belt system ( ) including a buckle ( ), a tongue assembly ( ), and an inflatable seat belt portion ( ) connected with the tongue assembly. An inflation mechanism ( ) connected with the buckle ( ) includes an actuatable inflator ( ) and a first conduit ( ) in fluid communication with the inflator. A second conduit ( ) is in fluid communication with the inflatable seat belt portion ( ). The first conduit ( ) has a rupturable portion ( ) blocking fluid flow out of the first conduit toward the second conduit ( ). The first conduit ( ), upon actuation of the inflator ( ), moves from a first position in which the first conduit is not in fluid communication with the second conduit ( ) to a second position in which the first conduit is in fluid communication with the second conduit. The rupturable portion ( ) is ruptured to enable fluid flow from the first conduit ( ) to the second conduit ( ) to inflate the inflatable seat belt portion ( ). Means ( ) for venting erroneously released inflation fluids are also provided.