Abstrict An inflatable safety air curtain device for vehicles includes an
air curtain device mounted in the car in front and above the driver
or the passengers and an infrared detecting device. The air curtain
device consists of an inflatable air curtain furled on a shaft within
a housing or compressed and folded up within the housing. The infrared
detecting device is mounted at a farthest front end of the car and
may, upon detecting any car or object within a critical range of
the car, actuate an electromagnetic valve on the air curtain device
to cause compressed air within the cylinder to flow into the air
curtain to inflate the same so that the air curtain swells instantly
downwardly to form a protective curtain for the driver or the passenger.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. An inflatable safety air curtain device for vehicles comprising
an air curtain device and an infrared detecting device, said air
curtain device consisting of a housing for accommodating an air
curtain, and a compressed-air cylinder containing high pressure
compressed air, an electromagnetic valve and a circuit board mounted
at a rear side of said housing, said compressed-air cylinder communicating
with said air curtain via said electromagnetic valve and a tubing,
said air curtain being provided with a transparent window at a suitable
position thereof to prevent obstruction of a driver's vision, said
air curtain device capable of being mounted in a car in front and
above the driver or passenger, said housing further having a shaft
disposed inside, said shaft having a first pin at one end thereof
and a second pin at the other end thereof, said first pin being
provided with a central opening which communicates with a hollow
interior of said shaft in which compressed air may circulate, said
air curtain being attached to said shaft with a hose disposed inside
said air curtain for permitting compressed air within the hollow
interior of said shaft to go into said air curtain, said air curtain
being furled on said shaft under normal conditions, said infrared
detecting device being mounted at a farthest front end of the car
for detecting any car or object to which the car is approaching,
said infrared detecting device capable of actuating said electromagnetic
valve on said air curtain device via said circuit board upon detecting
any car or object within a critical range, so that compressed air
from said compressed-air cylinder flows instantly via said tubing
through said hose into said air curtain which immediately swells
downwardly to form a protective air curtain to protect the driver
or the passenger.
2. An inflatable air curtain device for vehicles as claimed in
claim 1, wherein said air curtain may be compressed and folded up
and placed inside said housing, and said housing is further provided
with an air release tube having thereon a plurality of vents spaced
equally apart from each other, said air release tube being arranged
at an upper end of said air curtain such that compressed air released
from said compressed-air cylinder may enter said air curtain via
said air release tube to inflate said air curtain, said housing
being further provided with a cover plate which is pushed open by
said air curtain when inflation begins.
3. An inflatable air curtain device for vehicles as claimed in
claim 1, wherein, after compressed air has been released from said
compressed-air cylinder to inflate said air curtain, there is no
need to replace the entire inflatable air curtain device and it
is necessary to replace said compressed-air cylinder only. Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an air bag for vehicles,
and more particularly to a curtain type air bag for not only cars
and trucks but also mass transportation means such as buses, tourist
buses and trains to provide effective protection against harm during
crashing.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
With the fast development of technologies, the speed of vehicles
has become incredibly high. There are also increased road accidents,
which may be attributed to car speeding and the lack of proper safety
devices.
Although there is available on the market air bags installed at
the steering wheel, and they indeed provide safety for passengers
to a certain extent. However, their protection effects are limited.
In particular, the known air bags do not provide good protection
against broken glass and do not offer sufficient protection for
the driver or passenger's face and head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide
a safety air curtain device for vehicles to offer effective protection
for the driver or passenger upon accidental crashing.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the safety air
curtain device for vehicles according to the present invention essentially
comprises an automatic inflation device mounted in the car in front
and above the head of the driver or passengers, the inflation device
may be either rolled up on a shaft and placed inside a housing or
folded up and placed inside the housing. An infrared detecting device
is also disposed at a front end of the car to detect any cars or
objects to which the car is approaching. The detecting device may,
upon detecting any car or object within a critical range, actuate
an electromagnetic valve on the inflation device so that high pressure
compressed air from a compressed-air cylinder flows via a tubing
into the air curtain to instantly inflate the air curtain furled
on the shaft or folded within the housing to protect the driver
or the passenger against possible harm from broken glass or parts
upon accidental crashing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present
invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed
description and the accompanying drawings, in which,
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the air curtain device according
to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partly exploded view of the air curtain device of the
invention, showing an air curtain mounted to a shaft;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the air curtain device of the
invention, showing the air curtain being inflated;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the air curtain device of the
invention, showing a housing with a cover plate;
FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the air curtain device of the
invention, showing the air curtain in a partly folded state; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic view use of the air curtain device of the
invention in a car.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawings, the safety air curtain device according
to the present invention essentially comprises an air curtain device
1 and an infrared detecting device 2. The air curtain device 1 consists
of a housing 11 for accommodating an air curtain 17, and a compressed-air
cylinder 12 for containing high pressure compressed air, an electromagnetic
valve 13 and a circuit board 14 mounted at a rear side of the housing
11. The compressed-air cylinder 12 communicates via the electromagnetic
valve 13 and a tubing 15 with the air curtain 17. The air curtain
17 may be configured to have a transparent window 171 at a suitable
position so that it may not obstruct the vision of the driver. The
air curtain device 1 is an automatic inflation device mounted in
the car in front and above the head of the passenger or the driver.
Besides, the air curtain 17 may be either rolled up and placed inside
a housing or compressed and folded up within the housing.
In the first case, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 17 is internally
provided with a shaft 16 which has a first pin 161 and a second
pin 161 at the respective two ends thereof. The first pin 161 has
a central opening 1611 connecting to a hollow interior of the shaft
16, in which air may be circulated. The air curtain 17 is attached
to the shaft 16, and a hose 172 (not shown) is placed inside the
air curtain 17 so that the air within the shaft 16 may flow into
the air curtain 17 which is normally furled on the shaft 16.
In the second case, with reference to FIG. 5, an air release tube
18 is disposed inside the housing 11. The air release tube 18 has
a plurality of vents 181 thereon, which are spaced equally apart
from each other. The air curtain 17 is folded up and placed inside
the housing 11 and the air release tube 18 is disposed inside the
air curtain 17 at an upper end thereof. Air may flow via the air
release tube 18 to inflate the folded air curtain 17 so that the
air curtain 17 swells downwardly to form a protective air curtain.
The housing 11 is further provided with a cover plate 19 which will
be pushed open by the air curtain 17 when inflation begins.
The air curtain device 1 may be mounted in the car in front and
above the head of the driver or the passenger, while the infrared
detecting device 2 may be installed at a suitable position at the
farthest front end of the car. When the car is moving, the detecting
device 2 may detect any car or object to which the car is approaching
and may, via the circuit board 14, actuate the electromagnetic valve
13 on the air curtain device 1, so that high pressure compressed
air flows speedily from the compressed-air cylinder 12 through the
tubing 15 and the hose 171 or the air release tube 18 into the air
curtain 17 which swells downwardly to form an air curtain to protect
the driver or the passenger.
In the present invention, there is no need to replace the entire
air curtain device after use. It is only necessary to change the
compressed-air cylinder. Besides, the present invention may be adapted
for use not only in cars and trucks but also in mass transportation
means such as buses and trains, providing effective protection for
drivers or passengers against accidental crashing, particularly
against broken glass and parts.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described
with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be
understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment
but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the
appended claims. |