Modular airbag system for personal protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440133-B2
Application number	US-201414323295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A modular airbag system may include at least one inflatable airbag configured to deploy outward on a side(s) of the airbag system, for example, in two opposite substantially horizontal directions, at least one airbag compartment, and one or more straps configured to strap the modular airbag system securely to one of a user's body and/or an object, and configured to release the modular airbag system from one of the user's body and/or the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular airbag system, comprising:
at least two airbag compartments;
at least two inflatable airbags housed in the at least two airbag compartments, the at least two inflatable airbags configured to deploy outward on two sides of the airbag system in two opposite substantially horizontal directions; and
one or more straps connected to at least one of the at least two airbag compartments, the one or more straps configured to strap the at least two airbag compartments securely to an object, and configured to release the at least two airbag compartments from the object, wherein the object can be worn by a user.

2. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas canister configured to inflate the inflatable airbags if triggered,
wherein the gas canister comprises pressurized gases, a chemical reactant for producing gas, or a mechanism configured to pump gas.

3. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a backpack.

4. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , further comprising a trigger configured to trigger inflation and deployment of the airbags,
wherein the trigger comprises chemical, mechanical, or electrical mechanisms.

5. The modular airbag system of claim 4 , wherein the trigger triggers automatically based upon sensor data.

6. The modular airbag system of claim 4 , wherein the trigger triggers manually based upon the user's control.

7. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one or more straps are directly connected to the at least one of the at least two airbag compartments.

8. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more waist straps or one or more chest straps.

9. The modular airbag system of claim 1 , further comprising a leg strap for attaching to the user's leg.

10. A method for attaching a modular airbag system to an object, comprising:
providing a modular airbag system, comprising:
at least two airbag compartments;
at least two inflatable airbags housed in the at least two airbag compartments, the at least two inflatable airbags configured to deploy outward on two sides of the airbag system in two opposite substantially horizontal directions; and
one or more straps connected to at least one of the at least two airbag compartments,

attaching the modular airbag system to an object with the one or more straps, wherein the object can be worn by a user.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the object is a backpack.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more straps are directly connected to the at least one of the at least two airbag compartments.

13. A modular airbag system, comprising:
an airbag compartment formed of a hardened external shell configured to prevent collapse of the airbag compartment;
at least one inflatable airbag housed within the airbag compartment and configured to deploy outward on two lateral sides of the airbag compartment in two opposite substantially horizontal directions; and
one or more straps connected to the hardened external shell and configured to strap the airbag compartment securely to a user's body, and configured to release the airbag compartment from the user's body,
wherein the airbag compartment is configured to be attached to the user's body without a backpack.

14. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , further comprising a gas canister configured to inflate the inflatable airbags if triggered,
wherein the gas canister comprises pressurized gases, chemical reactant for producing gas, or mechanism configured to pump gas.

15. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one inflatable airbag is at least two inflatable airbags configured to deploy outward on the two sides of the airbag system in the two opposite substantially horizontal directions.

16. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , further comprising a trigger configured to trigger inflation and deployment of the airbags.

17. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , further comprising one or more waist straps or one or more chest straps.

18. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , further comprising a leg strap for attaching to a user's leg.

19. The modular airbag system of claim 13 , wherein the two airbag compartments share a single gas canister.

20. A modular airbag system, comprising:
an airbag compartment;
at least one inflatable airbag housed within the airbag compartment and configured to deploy from at least one side of the airbag compartment; and
one or more straps connected to the airbag compartment and configured to strap the airbag compartment securely to an object, and configured to release the airbag compartment from the object, wherein the object can be worn by a user.

Assignees

• North Face Apparel Corp

Inventors

• Davis Jon
• Lee Ryan
• Paduano Matthew Edward
• Robbs Austin
• Tagumi Christopher Kenji

Classifications

• A63B2225/62

  Inflatable · CPC title

• A63B69/18 Primary

  for skiing · CPC title

• A62B33/00

  Devices for allowing seemingly-dead persons to escape or draw attention; Breathing apparatus for accidentally buried persons · CPC title

• A63B29/021 Primary

  Means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons · CPC title