FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This application relates to devices for protecting vehicle occupants and more particularly (but not exclusively) to cushions designed to inflate when a vehicle is impacted. The cushions are especially adapted as protective designs when side-impact collisions occur and are intended to reduce likelihood of occupants experiencing injuries to their thoraxes or other portions of their torsos. The cushions may, however, be useful in other circumstances and perform other protective functions too.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,322 to Bark, et al. describes an existing protective system for vehicle occupants. Versions of the system, designed to be mounted along the periphery of a side window of a vehicle (at or near the roof rail), include a braided tube containing a gas generator. As noted in the Bark patent: 
        When a side impact is detected, the gas generator is ignited, inflating the braided tube. As the braided tube inflates, the diameter of the tube increases and its length decreases. The tube then pulls out of its storage location and forms a taut, semi-rigid structural member across the vehicle&#39;s window. 
 
 See Bark, Abstract, 11. 7-12. 
       
 
         [0004]     Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,194 to Yaniv, et al. discusses use of the braided tube in the torso section of a seat belt. According to the Yaniv patent:  
         [0005]     The inflated braided tube . . . provides a much larger restraint surface area for the occupant&#39;s body, which helps to distribute belt load forces. When the inflated braided tube is loaded by the occupant&#39;s body, it flattens slightly. This flattening increases the contact area between the body and the braided tube, thus further reducing the stress or load concentration on the occupant. In a side impact the inflated section provides occupant head protection. See Yaniv, col. 4, 11. 1-8. The contents of both the Bark and Yaniv patents are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,450 to Hurford, et al. illustrates an inflatable restraint system having an air bag configured to protect head and thorax regions of an occupant during a side-impact collision. The bag inflates from its bottom, 
        thus inflating the region adjacent the thorax area of the occupant first. As the thorax area is loaded by the occupant and door intrusion from the impacting vehicle, gas is forced into the head area of the air bag. As the head area is loaded by the occupant, gas is vented to the atmosphere through vents located in the head area of the air bag. 
 
 See Hurford, col. 2, 11. 51-57. 
       
 
         [0008]     Detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,732 to Warner, et al., finally, is an inflatable restraint system designed to be mounted on a side door of a vehicle. In the system, an air bag is maintained in position by a cushioning panel. When the air bag deploys, it propels the cushioning panel toward an occupant of the vehicle.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention provides alternatives to the designs described in the above-mentioned patents and in commercial use today. Although not necessarily limited to protecting torsos of occupants whose vehicles are engaged in side-impact collisions, the invention is designed in an attempt to provide at least some protection in these circumstances. In particular, whereas most commercially-available thorax-protective devices use a vented bag reacting against the structure of the intruding vehicle to absorb occupant energy created by a crash, the present invention preferably utilizes an unvented inflatable cushion to create its own structure and transfer occupant energy to more force-tolerant areas of the occupants.  
         [0010]     Certain embodiments of the invention include an inflatable cushion having one end attached to a seat back and the other to an associated seat pan. The cushion preferably is tubular when inflated and braided as described in the Bark and Yaniv patents. It need not necessarily be so shaped and structured, however. Indeed, in some embodiments, the cushion may be knit, for example, rather than braided.  
         [0011]     Assuming that the cushion (or other countermeasure) may generate tension due to its shape and design and contact a vehicle occupant, it effectively can pre-load the occupant before the side- (or obliquely-) impacting vehicle intrudes significantly into the structure of the occupied vehicle. The cushion additionally may affirmatively load, independently of vehicle structure or vehicle intrusion, an occupant&#39;s pelvis in-board, reducing the likelihood of (or mitigating effects of) contact and interaction between the occupant and the intruding vehicle. Further products of use of the invention may be to reduce impact force on weaker, less tolerant areas of a body (such as ribs) and, as noted above, distribute it to more tolerant areas (such as pelvises and shoulders).  
         [0012]     Among other benefits of versions of the present invention is that they may be deployed very rapidly. Rapid deployment may be effected in part because of the relatively small volume of cushioning material needing to be inflated. The proximity of the cushion to the occupant of the vehicle also may facilitate its rapid use.  
         [0013]     Other embodiments of the invention position the inflatable cushion so that it descends from the roof rail of a vehicle. This positioning facilitates energy being transferred to shoulders of occupants. Generally, though, its functions may be similar to those of the embodiments described earlier. Alternatively, a non-inflatable pre-loading device may be utilized. Such a device could be attached to an inflatable component, although it need not necessarily be so attached.  
         [0014]     It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide protective cushions for persons.  
         [0015]     It also is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide inflatable cushions for use by occupants of vehicles.  
         [0016]     It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide inflatable tubular cushions adapted to pre-load vehicle occupants independent of and before significant intrusion of a vehicle impacting the occupied vehicle from a side or an oblique angle.  
         [0017]     It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide inflatable cushions adapted to transfer impact forces from some portions of occupants&#39; bodies to other portions.  
         [0018]     It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide inflatable cushions designed to move portions of a body in-board, thereby providing an independent force vector in the same direction as that of an impacting vehicle.  
         [0019]     It is yet another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide inflatable cushions connected to vehicle seats, vehicle roof rails, or both.  
         [0020]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant field with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a partially schematized depiction of a system of the present invention showing positioning of a deployed cushion with respect to an occupant of a seat.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  are partially-schematized, partially cut-away illustrations of the system of  FIG. 1 , with  FIG. 2   a  depicting an undeployed cushion and  FIG. 2   b  depicting a deployed cushion.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 3-5  are generally elevational views of alternative systems of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 6-7  illustrate an exemplary braided cushion for systems of the present invention, with  FIG. 6  showing the cushion in an uninflated state and  FIG. 7  detailing portions of an inflated cushion. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]     Shown schematically in  FIG. 1  is system  10  of the present invention. Also disclosed in  FIG. 1  is a representation of a human H in a sitting position, as would occur when human H occupies a vehicle (or other) seat. Additionally depicted in  FIG. 1  are portions of the seat, including seat pan or platform  14  and head rest  18 , as well as lap belt  22  and shoulder belt  26 .  
         [0026]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  similarly illustrate system  10  of the invention together with human H, seat platform  14 , head rest  18 , lap belt  22 , and shoulder belt  26 . Further shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  is seat back  30  interposed between seat platform  14  and head rest  18 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b , system  10  connects to both seat platform  14  and seat back  30 .  
         [0027]     This connection of system  10  may occur utilizing connector segments  34  and  38  (see also  FIG. 7 ). Segment  34  attaches to seat platform  14 , while segment  38  connects to seat back  30 . Preferably, segment  34  attaches to out-board side  42  of seat platform  14  and segment  38  attaches to in-board side  46  of seat back  30 . Assuming this preferred positioning is depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b  as being within a commercial road vehicle used in the United States, the particular human H illustrated in these figures thus will be occupying a forward-looking position on the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle. Segments  34  and  38  may, however, be attached differently than as depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b —particularly (but not exclusively) when the seat is on the passenger side of a vehicle—and connectors other than segments  34  and  38  may be employed instead.  
         [0028]     Also forming part of system  10  may be inflatable component  50 . In the version shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b , component  50  beneficially includes an elongated tubular structure  54  (see  FIGS. 6-7 ) which may, but need not necessarily, be enclosed within a sheath or other cover  58 . An end  62  of component  50  is connected to segment  34 , while an opposite end  66  of the component  50  attaches to segment  38 .  
         [0029]     Structure  54  may be braided as depicted both in  FIGS. 6-7  and in the Bark and Yaniv patents. As described in the Yaniv patent, structure  54  may comprise 
        a braided tube of continuous high-strength fibers (instead of the conventional material used for air bags). The fibers of the braided tube . . . form spirals and change their orientation upon inflation. Prior to inflation, the spirals are stretched-out longitudinally and the tubular restraint has a relatively small diameter . . . . Subsequent to inflation, the spirals are closer together longitudinally and form a relatively large tubular diameter . . . . That is, upon inflation, the braided tube significantly increases its diameter and significantly decreases its length. This contraction occurs because when the tube is inflated, the fibers seek an orientation that allows a lower resultant stress and hence a larger volume within the tube. 
 
 See Yaniv, col. 3, 11. 43-56.  FIGS. 2   a  and  6  illustrate an exemplary structure  54  in an uninflated state, while  FIGS. 2   b  and  7  show the structure  54  when inflated. 
       
 
         [0031]     Preferably, inflatable component  50  has a portion positioned behind a seated occupant H. This feature of system  10  exists in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b , with portion  70  of component  50  adjacent segment  38  being so positioned. Although  FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  illustrate portion  70  being embedded within seat back  30 , portion  70  alternatively may be positioned behind (rather than within) the seat back  30 . Yet alternatively, portion  70  may be positioned immediately in front of seat back  30  if doing so would not impede seating of occupant H and portion  70  may properly be restrained when inflated.  
         [0032]     Activation of system  10  may occur when a vehicle in which occupant H is riding is impacted by another vehicle approaching, for example, from out-board side  42  of seat platform  14 . When system  10  is activated, component  50  is deployed, resulting in inflation of structure  54 . Such inflation, as noted above, significantly increases the diameter of structure  54  while decreasing its length. These actions tension structure  54  and render it taut, forcing portion  74  against the out-board pelvic region of occupant H. This force effectively loads occupant H independent of the intrusion and prior to complete intrusion of the impacting vehicle, potentially reducing the likelihood or severity of injury in certain crashes. It further may tend to push occupant H in-board, away from the impacting vehicle.  
         [0033]     By inducing load on the pelvic region of the occupant H, system  10  tends to reduce—or potentially even eliminate—impact force on other, less force-tolerant areas of the human body (such as, but not limited to, ribs). Moving occupant H in-board in advance of the intruding vehicle structure also reduces the velocity of the occupant H relative thereto. Stated differently, if inflation of portion  74  forces occupant H in-board at, for example, five miles per hour, and the intruding vehicle is impacting the occupied vehicle from the out-board side at, for example, fifteen miles per hour, the relative velocity between the occupant H and the impacting vehicle is only ten miles per hour (rather than fifteen miles per hour, which would be true if occupant H were not caused to move in-board by system  10 ).  
         [0034]     Illustrated respectively in  FIGS. 3-5  are alternative systems  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c . Each system  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c  remains attached to both seat bottom  14  and seat back  30 , like system  10 . Unlike system  10 , however, systems  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c  are connected to out-board side  78 , rather than in-board side  46 , of seat back  30 .  
         [0035]     Systems  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c  additionally differ in their attachment points to seat platform  14  and seat back  30  and in the inflated shapes of component  50 . System  10   a , for example, may be connected to seat platform  14  farther forward than are systems  10   b  and  10   c , while system  10   c  is attached to seat back  30  higher than are systems  10   a  and  10   b . System  10   a , further, may include a bend in its inflatable component (denoted  50   a ), and system  10   b  may have an inflatable component  50   b  of varying diameter along its length. Persons skilled in the art will, however, recognize that any of systems  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c  may be attached to a seat, shaped, and configured other than as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 . Nevertheless, if system  10   b  is as depicted in  FIG. 4 , it may serve to compensate for point-loading of ribs of occupant H, which may be caused by use by the occupant H of an armrest associated with the seat or by some other discontinuous profile thereof. System  10   c , if as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , may tend to pre-load a shoulder of occupant H and distribute force along a substantial portion of the out-board side of the torso of occupant H.  
         [0036]     Any or all of conventional sensors, actuators, inflators, charges, gas supplies, or gas generators may be employed in connection with any of systems  10 ,  10   a ,  10   b , or  10   c . Although not a present preference, any or all of inflatable components  50 ,  50   a , and  50   c  may be vented if appropriate or desired. Moreover, any of systems  10 ,  10   a ,  10   b , or  10   c  could be connected to the roof rail or other structure of a vehicle instead of attachment to either or both of seat platform  14  or seat back  30 .  
         [0037]     The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing exemplary embodiments and certain benefits of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to the illustrated and described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
Inflatable restraints or protective systems are addressed. Included among the restraints and systems are inflatable, braided cushions designed to enhance available protection for the torsos of vehicle occupants, particular when a vehicle is subject to a side-impact collision. The (typically unvented) cushions effectively create their own structure and transfer occupant energy from less tolerant to more tolerant areas of the occupants' bodies.