Dash panel exterior mounted passenger airbag

• US 10,040,414 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Stevens, Colin J., Rupp, Jeffrey D., Eckert, Christopher J., de la Garza Tamez, Alan Heriberto, Williams, Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/459,980
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 280732
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An airbag system is provided including an inflator mounted in a front compartment of a vehicle and a deployable or fixed chute that defines a passageway from the front compartment of the vehicle to a passenger compartment of the vehicle for an airbag cushion stored proximate the inflator to follow upon inflation of the airbag cushion.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a passenger compartment;

a front compartment forward of the passenger compartment;

a dividing structure separating the passenger compartment from the front compartment, the dividing structure comprising a dash panel facing the passenger compartment and a wall facing the front compartment; and

an airbag module mounted on the wall in the front compartment, the airbag module comprising an inflator and a cushion module, wherein the cushion module comprises a deployable chute containing an airbag cushion;

wherein the airbag cushion, when fully inflated, comprises a tube portion extending from the airbag module through the deployable chute to the passenger compartment, and a main portion that fills a volume of the passenger compartment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the deployable chute deploys when the inflator is triggered.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the deployable chute, when deployed, provides a guide path for the airbag cushion from the airbag module toward the dash panel.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the deployable chute comprises a folding wall, a telescoping wall, or an inflatable wall.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wall comprises a noise isolation cover, and further wherein the deployable chute displaces the noise isolation cover when deployed.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the noise isolation cover is at least partially surrounded by a tear seam or line of weakness.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion pushes the deployable chute into a deployed position when the inflator is triggered.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a guide structure between the wall and the dash panel, the guide structure positioned to aid proper deployment of the deployable chute.

9. An airbag assembly comprising:

an inflator mounted on a rear wall of a front compartment of a vehicle, the front compartment positioned forward of a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

a chute extending from the rear wall toward the passenger compartment, the chute having a first end proximate the rear wall and a second end distal from the rear wall; and

an airbag cushion positioned near the first end of the chute and deployable from a stowed state to an inflated state upon operation of the inflator,

wherein at least a portion of the airbag cushion passes through the chute and into the passenger compartment upon operation of the inflator,

wherein a dash panel separates the rear wall from the passenger compartment, the dash panel comprising a first displaceable portion aligned with the chute and configured to be displaced by the airbag cushion upon operation of the inflator, and

wherein the second end of the chute is positioned proximate a forward side of an air duct, the air duct located between the rear wall and the dash panel.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the second end of the chute is positioned proximate the dash panel.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the forward side of the air duct comprises a second displaceable portion aligned with the chute and configured to be displaced by the airbag cushion upon operation of the inflator.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein a rearward side of the air duct comprises a third displaceable portion aligned with the chute and configured to be displaced by the airbag cushion upon operation of the inflator.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first displaceable portion, the second displaceable portion, and the third displaceable portion is at least partially surrounded by a tear seam or line of weakness.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first displaceable portion, the second displaceable portion, and the third displaceable portion is moveably connected to an adjacent structural member.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the air duct is positioned to channel air toward an air vent disposed in the dash panel, wherein the air vent is removably connected to the air duct at a point proximate the dash panel.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 15, wherein the airbag cushion pushes the air vent out of the dash panel upon inflation of the airbag cushion.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein the air vent is tethered to the air duct or the dash panel.

18. An airbag system comprising:

an inflator mounted in a first vehicle compartment, the first vehicle compartment being separated from a second vehicle compartment by at least a dash panel and a wall, the dash panel located between the wall and the second vehicle compartment, wherein the dash panel comprises at least one removeable air vent mounted therein;

a chute extending from proximate the inflator toward the air vent; and

an inflatable airbag cushion positioned proximate the inflator and configured so that at least a portion of the airbag cushion passes through the chute and expands into the second vehicle compartment upon inflation of the airbag cushion.

19. The airbag system of claim 18, wherein the at least one removeable air vent is tethered to an adjacent structure, and further wherein the airbag cushion pushes the at least one removeable air vent out of the dash panel upon inflation of the airbag cushion.

20. The airbag system of claim 18, wherein the chute is aligned with an air duct that channels air toward the air vent, the air duct comprises a displaceable wall portion, and the airbag cushion is configured to displace the displaceable wall portion upon inflation of the airbag cushion.