Side impact protection apparatus

A side impact protection apparatus for use on the inner panel of a vehicle door. The apparatus is a cushion including a hollow flexible skin having an inner wall secured to the inner panel, flexible ties between the skin and the inner wall or low density open-celled foam to prevent the skin from bulging, a rupturable diaphragm-covered orifice or a coupling having an extrudable elastomeric plug mounted therein connected to the inner wall, and a medium of air under pressure or hydraulic fluid or water or a polygel contained in the cushion and adaptable to discharge by rupturing the diaphragm or extruding the elastomeric plug when subjected to impact by the vehicle occupant in the event of a high force side impact against the vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates generally to automotive side impact protection 
apparati and, more particularly, to improved cushioning on the door inner 
panel to protect the thorax area of the operator or passenger. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Heretofore, a multiplicity of cushion arrangements associated with 
automotive door inner panels have been known to provide protection for the 
occupants. 
Lucas U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,049 discloses a series of sponge rubber scalloped 
pads of generally rectangular shape on a backing member which is connected 
to straps adapted to be removably mounted over window to serve as an arm 
rest. 
Lagace U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,497 discloses a C-shaped, air inflatable element 
mounted adjacent the rear edge of a vehicle door, with the lower leg of 
the C-shape thereof positioned below the usual door arm rest. 
Finch et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,275 discloses a door trim pad moulding of 
rigid plastics foam covered with a layer of semi-rigid plastics foam. The 
rigid plastics foam portion is formed to include a plurality of integral 
projections forming discrete cavities, with the projections adapted to 
collapse on impact. 
Schmid U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,103 discloses a flank protection arrangement 
having a first compressible reinforcement member within the vehicle door, 
a second one comprising an impact cushion of any suitable known type 
mounted on the door inner wall lateral of the first member and adjacent 
the driver's pelvic area, and a third one above the other two adjacent the 
shoulder and chest area. 
Welch U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,114 discloses energy absorbent sections of molded 
foam positioned between the inner door panel and a trim panel above and 
below a cavity adjacent an arm rest which is yieldably mounted on the trim 
panel, and adaptable to collapse into the cavity when contacted by an 
occupant in the event of a side impact. 
An Automotive Technologies International, Inc. article entitle "Improved 
Padding to Reduce Injuries in Automobile Accidents" discloses a padding 
composed of two interleaved units, each containing pluralities of wedge 
shaped, rectangular cross-section segments joined together to form closed 
cells filled with air, with each cell containing an orifice and blowout 
patch for the air to escape upon impact against the padding by the 
occupant resulting from a side impact against the vehicle. The preferred 
padding includes springs mounted in the cells. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
A general object of the invention is to provide an improved automotive side 
impact protection apparatus. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cushion 
arrangement adapted to being mounted on the inner door panel in the area 
adjacent the occupant's thorax or pelvis. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a hollow flexible skin 
molded in the shape of a cushion and containing air at or above 
atmospheric pressure, with a diaphragm-covered orifice formed on the outer 
side thereof. Flexible ties or low density, totally open celled foam 
inside the hollow skin prevent the latter from bulging under the air 
pressure, or the cushion may be divided by one or more thin flexible walls 
into two or more cells wherein a multiplicity of walls and cells will 
prevent bulging. 
Still another object of the invention is to alternately provide the hollow 
flexible skin or cells with an open orifice or orifices and a small 
electric or engine driven pump operatively connected thereto to provide 
sufficient flow to compensate for loss of air through the orifice. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide an alternate 
arrangement including a hollow flexible skin with open orifice(s), wherein 
light conical shaped coil springs are mounted inside the skin to push the 
skin outwardly to draw air in through the open orifice(s). 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a hollow flexible skin 
filled with a hydraulic fluid or a polygel, and an outlet tube extending 
therefrom through an opening in the door. An orifice bushing is mounted in 
the inner end of the outlet tube, and an extrudable elastomeric plug is 
mounted in the outer end of the outlet tube adjacent a nipple opening. 
Upon impact, the fluid or polygel causes the plug to extrude through the 
nipple opening, with the fluid or polygel being dispersed, either into a 
reservoir or into the door cavity. 
These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when 
reference is made to the following drawings and the accompanying 
description.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a 
side impact cushion arrangement 10 mounted on an inner panel 12 of a 
vehicle door 14, just above the conventional arm rest 16 adjacent the 
thorax area of the vehicle occupant. A similar cushion could be placed 
just below the armrest in the pelvis area. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the side impact cushion arrangement 10 includes a 
hollow flexible skin 18 having an inner wall 20 mounted against the inner 
panel 12, with a peripheral flange 22 retained by a bracket or frame 24 
secured to the inner panel by snap fasteners 26. 
A diaphragm 28 is mounted in an orifice 30 formed in the inner wall 20, 
within a ring-shaped reinforcing bead 32 integrally formed on the wall 20. 
The diaphragm 28 is positioned adjacent an opening 34 formed in the inner 
panel 12 of the door 14. 
The hollow flexible skin 18 is filled with air at or above atmospheric 
pressure. A plurality of flexible ties 36 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are formed 
within the hollow flexible skin 18 between the outer 38 and inner 20 walls 
thereof to prevent the skin 18 from bulging under the air pressure. 
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4A, the orifice 30 may be left open, i.e., 
no diaphragm 28 and a small electric or engine driven pump 39 may be 
operatively connected to the interior of the hollow flexible skin 18 by a 
tube 39a secured to an outlet tube 39b. 
As shown in FIG. 5, a low density, totally open celled foam 40 may be used 
in lieu of the flexible ties 36 of FIG. 3 to prevent the skin 18 from 
bulging under the air pressure. If desired, one or more walls 42 may be 
used to divide the cushion arrangement 10 into two or more smaller 
segments 44 and 46, each with a diaphragm 28 covered orifice 30. With a 
multiplicity of walls, the walls will serve to prevent bulging of the 
overall cushion, in which case, neither ties 36 nor foam 40 are necessary. 
FIG. 6 illustrates a cushion arrangement 48 similar to FIG. 3, with the 
orifice 30 being left open by virtue of no diaphragm 28 being mounted 
therein, and with conical shaped coil springs 50 mounted between adjacent 
flexible ties 36. The springs 50 serve to push the flexible skin 18 
outwardly, drawing air in through the orifice 30 to maintain the cushion 
filled with air. In the event of a heavy impact, the springs 50, being 
conical in shape, will compress to a one wire thickness. 
In FIG. 7, the inner wall 52 is formed to include an outlet tube 54 
extending through an opening 56 formed in the inner panel 12 of the 
vehicle door 14. A coupling 58 is mounted in the outlet tube 54. A bushing 
60, including a predetermined orifice 62 therethrough, is mounted in the 
inner end of the coupling 58. A flange 64 at the outer end of the coupling 
58 forms a central opening 66. An extrudable elastomeric plug 68 is 
mounted in the tube 54, abutting against the flange 64. 
A cushion 70 is filled with a hydraulic fluid consisting of any suitable 
material from water to a polygel. The latter is a jellylike solid which 
becomes fluid when extruded through an orifice under high pressure. 
Accordingly, in the event of a severe side impact causing the occupant, in 
turn, to impact the cushion 70, the water or polygel is forced through the 
orifice 62 and then extrudes the plug 68 through the central opening 66, 
to discharge. The discharged fluid may discharge into a reservoir 72 
secured by a connector 74 to the coupling 58, or, if preferred, into the 
door cavity itself inasmuch as such a discharge would occur only in the 
event of a severe impact which would demolish the door 14. 
As in the case of the FIG. 5 structure, the hydraulic fluid-filled 
arrangement may be divided into two (or more) cells 76 and 78, as shown in 
FIG. 8, separated by a wall 80. 
As shown in FIG. 9, the cushion 70 may be filled with the low density, open 
celled foam 40, as in the FIG. 5 embodiment. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
It should be apparent that the invention provides a compact, efficient side 
impact protection apparatus. 
It should also be apparent that the hollow flexible skin may be filled with 
either air at or above atmospheric pressure or various hydraulic fluids 
when completely enclosed, or may contain conical springs for assuring the 
inclusion of ambient air when an orifice remains open. 
Filling the hollow flexible skin 18 with very low density fully open celled 
foam will not only restrain bulging under pressure but will provide 
internal restoring forces for assuring the inclusion of ambient air when 
the orifice(s) remain open in a manner similar to the conical springs 
arrangement of FIG. 6. 
While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, 
other modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the following 
claims.