1. A side airbag device, comprising:
an inflator;
an airbag including an upper cushion to be deployed by a gas pressure supplied from the inflator;
an upper guide connected at a first end thereof to the upper cushion of the airbag to lead deployment of the airbag; and
a medial unit coupled to a second end of the upper guide to provide an actuating force to the upper guide using the gas pressure from the inflator;
wherein the airbag is configured to pivotally unfold into a sectorial shape with respect to the medial unit, a first portion of the upper cushion moving relatively away from a second portion thereof around the medial unit;
wherein the upper guide radially extends from the second end thereof to the first end thereof and leads the pivotal deployment of the airbag, the first end of the upper guide rotating around the second end thereof using the actuating force provided from the medial unit; and
wherein the medial unit comprises:
a slider moving linearly using the gas pressure; and
a gear assembly coupled with the upper guide and engaged with the slider to convert a linear motion of the slider into a rotational motion of the gear assembly and transmit the rotational motion to the second end of the upper guide.
2. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slider is slidably disposed in a cylinder portion of the inflator and receives the gas pressure of the inflator and a rack gear portion is formed to a side of the cylinder portion, and wherein the gear assembly includes a first pinion engaged with the rack gear portion of the gear assembly.
3. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cylinder portion is formed in one end of the inflator, the cylinder portion having a diameter less than a diameter of the inflator.
4. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the slider closes a gas passage from the inflator to the upper cushion in a normal state but open the gas passage in a linear motion in deploying state.
5. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag further includes a lower cushion to deploy in opposite direction of the upper cushion.
6. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 5, further including a lower guide connected at a first end thereof to the lower cushion of the airbag to lead pivotal deployment thereof in the opposite direction of the upper cushion.
7. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 6, wherein when the airbag is completely deployed, the upper and lower cushions are configured to come into contact with each other.
8. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the medial unit comprises:
a slider moving linearly using the gas pressure; and
a gear assembly coupled with the upper and lower guides and engaged with the slider to convert a linear motion of the slider into a rotational motion of the gear assembly and transmit the rotational motion to the second ends of the first and second guides, wherein the first and second guides rotate in opposite direction each other.
9. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the slider closes gas passage from the inflator to the upper and lower cushions in a normal state but open the gas passage in the linear motion in deploying state.
10. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the slider is slidably disposed in a cylinder portion of the inflator and receiving the gas pressure of the inflator and a rack gear portion is formed to a side of the cylinder portion, and wherein the gear assembly includes a first pinion coupled to the upper guide and engaged with the rack gear portion of the gear assembly and a second pinion coupled to the lower guide and engaged with the first pinion.
11. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 10, wherein a line connecting rotation axes of the first and second pinions are away from a movement direction of the slider with a predetermined angle with the rotation axis of the first pinion so as to prevent an interference of the second pinion with the slider.
12. The side airbag device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the slider is slidably disposed in a cylinder portion of the inflator and receiving the gas pressure of the inflator and a rack gear portion is formed to a side of the cylinder portion, and wherein the gear assembly includes a first pinion coupled to the upper guide and engaged with the rack gear portion of the gear assembly and a second pinion coaxially fixed to the first pinion, and a third pinion coupled to the lower guide and engaged with the second pinion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A therapeutical training system comprising:
a plurality of independently operated training devices, each training device having a shallow housing, the housing having at least a top surface, a bottom surface, and a colored overlay such that the plurality of training devices appear as differently colored platforms selected from a group of predefined colors, said housing of each training device further having at least one force sensor, said force sensor being operative to measure a force applied to said top surface of said housing and to generate a response signal;
at least one user feedback unit; and
a controller disposed inside said housing of each training device, the controller being operative to control the user feedback unit proportionally to said response signal from said force sensor and such that a feedback signal is generated upon activation of the force sensor, wherein the feedback signal corresponds to a color randomly selected from the group of predefined colors thereby directing a user to activate a training device having a colored overlay matching the color of the feedback signal generated.
2. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein the user feedback unit of each training device comprises at least one light source.
3. A therapeutical training system according to claim 2, wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting diode.
4. A therapeutical training system according to claim 2, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, at least two of which emit different colours.
5. A therapeutical training system according to claim 2, wherein the light source comprises at least one multicoloured light emitting diode.
6. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein the user feedback unit of each training device comprises at least a loudspeaker.
7. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein the user feedback unit of each training device comprises at least a vibrator.
8. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein the force sensor of each training device is a force sensitive pad disposed on top of said top surface of said housing.
9. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein the force sensor of each training device is a strain gauge disposed inside said housing.
10. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein each training device having at least two force sensors or a force sensor pad with at least two force sensing areas.
11. A therapeutical training system according to claim 10, wherein the controller of each training device further is adapted to control the user feedback unit proportionally to the difference in weight or force applied at at least two force sensors or two force sensing areas.
12. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein each training device further including a wireless communication operative to transmit the signal obtained at one or more of the force sensors to another device andor central interface unit.
13. A therapeutical training system according to claim 1, wherein each training device further including a wireless communication operative to receive a signal from another device or central interface unit to control the user feedback unit of the device.
14. Method of providing feedback to a user andor physiotherapist during training wherein at least the following steps are performed:
a: providing a plurality of therapeutical training devices, each training device comprising a shallow housing, the housing having at least a top surface, a bottom surface and a colored overlay such that the plurality of training devices appear as differently colored platforms selected from a group of predefined colors,
b: operating each of the training devices independently,
c: performing a measurement of a force applied by the user on the top surface of one of said training devices,
d: controlling at least one user feedback unit of said training device based on said measured force applied,
e: said feedback unit indicating a force signal to the user which is proportional to the force applied to the top surface of the stand-alone therapeutical training device, and
f: indicating a feedback signal to the user when the force is applied by the user on the top surface of said training device, wherein said feedback signal corresponds to a color randomly selected from the group of predefined colors, thereby directing a user to activate a training device having the overlay matching the color of the feedback signal generated.
15. Use of a therapeutical training system according to claim 1 for training or exercising individuals having a need of physical training.