You pre inflate it as you sit in the car, just like you fasten your seatbelt. It serves as a cushion in the case of a crash. No expensive sensors needed, because its always full.

You dont wait till the last minute, but rather immediately, when you enter the car, (presumably for a long ride) fill it, just like you would inflate a kid's pool vest before entering the water.

Thus IF a crash occurs, you are wearing a safety vest which can take a large part of the impact energy, and distribute it around so that it does not harm you.

It looks like a simple safety vest in boats.

Only people who feel they want the extra safety use it. But you get the safety of an airbag with the cost of a vest. (And kids could use it too.)

Gives same type of safety as exploding airbag, only you don't have to wait for a crash and for an explosion.
-- pashute, Oct 21 2002

Jiffy Pop Airbag http://snltranscrip...1/91mjiffypop.phtml
This came to mind.. [Mr Burns, Oct 21 2002]

Instant Win Airbags http://www.theonion...ion3013/airbag.html
More airbag comedy [krelnik, Oct 21 2002]

Expensive personal airbag http://www.youtube....QQw&feature=channel
Opens only in the last minute. But with my idea, no electronics, just pre-inflate it. [pashute, Mar 11 2010]

Oh shit! About to crash!.. huff huff huff huff huff..
-- Mr Burns, Oct 21 2002


How about this: you wear a mask with a tube extending to a deflated airbag in the usual place. During the accident, compression of your chest against the steering wheel deflates the lungs and the expelled air inflates the bag. (Jeez, you'd never know I'd worked in that area, would you.)
-- ldischler, Oct 21 2002


This is NOT funny. I corrected the idea, so that it is understood as intended.
-- pashute, Oct 23 2002


[pashute] "Any tool can be used as a weapon, depending upon how it is held.." (What did I say?)

Anyway, I am not laughing at your idea because I do not understand it. Do you mean the person would inflate the bag prior to a collision that they did not know was going to occur, or an air bag you fill just to fill an air bag. More details might help some.
-- blissmiss, Oct 23 2002


This is instead of a seatbelt, for passengers.
It doesnt have to reach all the way up to you, as long as its in front it will recieve the impact.

Its good only for passengers, not the driver. I havent thought what to do for the driver. Thats why its here on halfbakery.
-- pashute, Oct 13 2004


Whoa, bit of a lag time in the response there, [pashute]....two years. I could have blown up a lot of airbags by now.

I'm a fan of mouth-inflated safety devices, so you get a [+] from me. And it would help keep the kids entertained. Hyperventilating persons could breath out of the device also, to calm themselves.
-- normzone, Oct 13 2004


IDEA EDITED and made (I hope) clearer.

another four months passed... re-read the annotations and links and found that the idea was still not clear even after two edits. So I edited the idea a 3rd time, hope its clear now.
-- pashute, Feb 08 2006


So... why not have an airbag on the dashboard that's always inflated? Or just a padded dashboard? That's what cars used to have, before people realazed how much better it was to have seatbelts and actual airbags.
-- DIYMatt, Mar 11 2010


Pashute, I suggest you read up on how airbags work, particularly the dynamics of a large gas pressure pulse against a moving body and the energy transfer in forcing the gas out through the airbag vents.
-- Twizz, Mar 11 2010


[DIYMatt], in the back seat? Only real expensive cars have that. What about the majority of millions of people, with simple cars? Even the person next to the driver doesn't get an airbag, its expensive. This is the solution for their passenger's safety. Of course only if the passenger wants it, or the parents if the passengers happen to be small children.
-- pashute, Mar 11 2010


the airbad needs to be inflated to the tension of a brick wall, is that going to be OK?
-- WcW, Mar 11 2010


why not have inflatable suits like those inflatable leg casts that way no matter where u go in a car, in a mall, in the street.... you'll be protected, u will look like the michelin man but safety has its cost! lol
-- Arcanus, Mar 11 2010



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