The airbag jacket for motorcyclists (horseriders and in recent times for skiers) is a long-standing Hungarian invention. It was officially registered in 1976, published in 1977. Inventor: Tamás Straub. You can look at the original documents of the invention here, below. Copies are available from the Hungarian Patent Office (Hungarian Intellectual Property Office) anytime.

Documents of the invention:

Extract from Gazette of Patents (official journal of the Hungarian Patent Office) volume 1977 Nr.9

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English translation:

SECTION A
NEEDMENTS

H/2272 (51) A 41 D 13/00 (71), (72) Tamás Straub, Referent, Budapest (54)
Protective garment, mainly for motorcyclists (22) 30.11.76 (21) SA-2994

The invention is a protective garment, based on a double wall made from interconnected cells, an air tank filled with a compressed gaseous substance, an opening mechanism – these latter two forming a single unit –, a wire controlling opening and a bleeding valve ensuring multiple use. Moreover, it is characterised by its design suitable to protect the entire body surface; however, the double wall can, in certain cases, only be refilled between the neck and the pelvis.

Original description of invention

English translation:

Protective garment, mainly for motorcyclists
(Description of Invention 7942/1977)

It is well known that motorcycling has been increasingly popular in today's transport due to its favourable characteristics. Helmets, as protective devices, are a proven means providing effective protection against certain head damages. However, other vital parts of the body are not protected in the same manner as even the highest quality motorcycling leather garments offer protection only against scratches.
As an organic addition to helmets, the protective garment forming the object of the present invention provides protection to vital organs (backbone, stomach, kidneys, liver, neck, loins, etc.) of falling (bumping, overturning) motorcyclists wearing double-walled protective garment during falls by automatically forming in front of (around) certain parts of the motorcyclist's body a flexibly hard air cushion layer that absorbs or significantly reduces the kinetic energy of the motorcyclist falling or flying from a sitting position.
The enclosed drawing illustrates a beneficial design of the invention.
The double-walled (1) protective garment is made from an aesthetic fabric not permeating gas, of an appropriate strength, suitable for garments (special artificial leather, vulcanised canvas, etc.). The compressed mass of air is located in an air tank made of high-strength material and affixed to the garment (2), with an outlet directed towards the internal part of the garment. Opening of this air tank is controlled by an opening mechanism (7), this and the air tank forming a single unit. One end of the control wire (3) is connected to the opening mechanism while the other to the motorcycle's frame through a spring-hook (4). The cells located between the two walls of the garment, of specified shape and size, connected to each other (6) are used to ensure that the protective garment assumes the previously determined shape during operation, thereby providing for an optimal protective air layer thickness. The valve (5) serves to bleed inflated protective garments that have fulfilled their function.
The garment specified in the invention functions as follows:
Prior to starting, the motorcyclist fixes the end of the control wire with a spring-hook to the motorcycle's frame (fuel tank). During bumping (falling), the motorcyclist flies off from a sitting position and the control wire is torn out of the opening mechanism, thereby opening the air tank. The gaseous substance flows out from the tank within a very short period of time (1/2 to 1/10 second) and fills the garment so it becomes flexibly hard, thereby protecting the motorcyclist from serious consequences of the accident. (In case of the favourable design enhancing safety, the part of the protective garment around the neck is inflated in a manner that it can keep the helmet from falling back, thereby eliminating lethal cervical breaks, as well as deflecting impacts of external objects in the direction of the nape and the neck.)
The appearance of the protective garment described here is not very different from traditional motorcyclists' garments and can easily adapt to changing trends in fashion. This protective garment can protect against cold, wind and rain like those currently in use. The garment can be inflated several times, only the air tank is to be replaced or refilled. It is not too difficult to wear it, considering that it can eventually save its wearer's life.

Copy of the announcement of the invention with the receipt

The first page of the detailed description of the invention

The additional pages available here.

Publication of Patent Application

You can watch the correspondence for the realization of the invention here.

Review of the invention in the journal Autó-motor, volume 1983