Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) supported on the vehicle door (16). The door (16) has a detachable inner trim panel section (32) with an outer side surface (42) that partly defines the occupant compartment (20). The apparatus further includes a source of inflation fluid (14) and a manifold (52) for directing inflation fluid from the source (14) into the restraint (12) to inflate the restraint (12). The detachable inner trim panel section (32) of the door (16) is a panel portion of the restraint (12) which moves into the occupant compartment (20) upon inflation of the restraint (12), and has an inner side surface (40) for contacting the inflation fluid directed into the restraint (12). The inner side surface (40) of the panel portion of the restraint (12) partly defines the volume enclosed within the restraint (12) when the restraint (12) is inflated.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system (10) comprises a vehicle seat (12) including a seat bottom (14), a seat back (16), and an occupant position sensor (20) mounted in the seat back. The occupant position sensor is located about sixteen inches above a flat plane (99) of the seat bottom of the vehicle seat and below a head rest (11) of the vehicle seat. The seat back of the vehicle seat includes foam material (40) to which the occupant position sensor is secured. The seat back of the vehicle seat also includes fabric material (41) which covers the occupant position sensor secured to the foam material. The fabric material and the foam material of the seat back cooperate to protect the occupant position sensor and hide the occupant position sensor from view. The occupant position sensor senses the position of an occupant in the vehicle seat and provides a position signal (21) functionally related to the position of the occupant in the vehicle seat.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an occupant restraint system, such as an air bag (102), includes position sensors (80, 84, 86) for sensing position of an occupant and a weight sensor (70) for sensing weight of the occupant. Both the position sensors (80, 84, 86) and the weight sensor (70) are connected to a controller (24). A seat position sensor (30), a seat back incline sensor (36), and a belt payout sensor (64) are also used to determine occupant weight and position. A vent valve (120) is connected to the reaction can (103) of the air bag (102) and is controlled by the controller (24). The controller (24) establishes an occupant weight range from the weight sensors and an occupant position range from the position sensors. The controller (24) selects one of a plurality of discrete control zones dependant upon both the sensed occupant position range and the sensed occupant weight range.

Abstract: A door assembly (10) for an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint module (14) includes two doors (80, 100) which are pivotally mounted for movement between a closed position and an open position. The doors (80, 100) cover an opening (28) through which an inflatable air bag (22) deploys. Each door (80, 100) has at least one finger portion (120, 140, 152, 154) which overlaps the other door when the doors are in the closed position. The overlapping finger portions (120, 140, 152, 154) prevent inward pivoting movement of the doors (80, 100). A retainer assembly (200) holds the doors (80, 100) in the closed position and releases the doors to pivot outward upon inflation of the air bag (22). The retainer assembly (200) includes a frangible member (224) which ruptures.

Abstract: An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a source of inflation fluid (20) and an air bag reaction canister (24) having a vent opening (16) through which inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) may be vented away from the air bag canister (24). An air bag (12) is located in the air bag reaction canister (24) and is inflatable by inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20). A valve member (30) is located on the air bag reaction canister (24). The valve member (30) is movable relative to the vent opening (16) in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20) to control venting of inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) through the vent opening (16). Inflation of the air bag (12) is thereby controlled in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20).

Abstract: An apparatus for restraining movement of a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle includes an air bag module (10) in the vehicle door (12). The air bag module includes front (60) and rear (50) air bags, a source (70) of inflation fluid, and a flow control apparatus (94). The flow control apparatus (94) is actuatable into either a first condition for directing inflation fluid from the source into the front air bag (60) or a second condition for directing inflation fluid into the rear air bag (50). A sensor (26) senses the position of the vehicle occupant and provides a position signal indicative of the vehicle occupant's position. An actuator (80) is responsive to the position signal for actuating the flow control apparatus (94) into either the first or conditions.

Abstract: A length of shoulder belt webbing is extensible around the torso of a vehicle occupant to restrain forward movement of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle. A webbing guide guides the belt webbing around the body of the vehicle occupant. In response to vehicle deceleration at a rate above a predetermined rate, a pyrotechnic charge directs gas under pressure into an expansible chamber to move the webbing guide upward on the vehicle to tension belt webbing extending through the webbing guide. A gas outlet enables controlled flow of gas out of the expansible chamber to allow controlled downward movement of the webbing guide under tension in the belt webbing resulting from forward movement of the vehicle occupant subsequent to upward movement of the webbing guide. The webbing guide may be height adjustable by the vehicle occupant. The pyrotechnic charge may be connected with the webbing guide for movement with the webbing guide.

Abstract: An inflatable occupant restraint system is located in a vehicle having a mechanism, such as a heater or an air conditioner, for controlling the temperature in the occupant compartment of the vehicle. The system comprises an inflatable air bag and an actuatable inflator for providing gas to inflate the air bag. The inflatable air bag, when inflated, protects an occupant of the vehicle. A duct directs air from the temperature controlling mechanism to the inflator to change the temperature of the inflator rapidly.