Side pillar air curtain guide

• US 10,053,046 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Villacres Mesias, Diego Fabricio, Cuevas Vega, Alfredo, Hernandez Hernandez, Hector, Armitage, Jr., Robert Ralph, Boardman, Amy Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US14/846,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 188371
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0414 using energy absorbing ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0421 using honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0435 associated with the side or roof pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0428 associated with the side doors or panels, e.g. displaced towards the occupants in case of a side collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/055 Padded or energy-absorbing fittings , e.g. seat belt anchors sun visors B60J3/00; head rests B60N2/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/06 Fixed roofs non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08

Abstract

A side pillar air curtain guide includes a main body having a ramp receiver and an air curtain ramp insert connected to the ramp receiver. The main body is made from a first material having a strength S₁ and a ductility D₁ while the air curtain ramp insert is made from a second material having a strength S₂ and a ductility D₂ where S₁>S₂ and D₁<D₂.

Claims

1. A side pillar air curtain guide, comprising:

a main body including a ramp receiver, said main body being made from a first material having a strength S₁ and a ductility D₁; and

an air curtain ramp insert received and held in said ramp receiver on the main body, said air curtain ramp insert being made from a second material having a strength S₂ and a ductility D₂ where S₁>

S₂ and D₁<

D₂.

2. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 1, wherein said main body further includes a ramp apron and said receiver is adjacent to and below same ramp apron.

3. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 2, wherein said ramp apron has a first air curtain guide surface and said air curtain ramp insert has a second air curtain guide surface aligned with said first air curtain guide surface.

4. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 3, wherein said air curtain ramp insert includes a plurality of ribs projecting from said main body at an acute included angle with said main body.

5. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 4, wherein said acute included angle is between 10 degrees and 60 degrees.

6. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 4, wherein said acute included angle is between 30 degrees and 40 degrees.

7. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 3, wherein said air curtain ramp insert includes a honeycomb array.

8. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 7, wherein said honeycomb array has an X-axis dimension of 4-7 honeycomb cells and a Y-axis dimension of 1-2 honeycomb cells.

9. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 8, wherein said X-axis dimension is parallel to a face of said ramp receiver and said Y-axis dimension is perpendicular to said face of said ramp receiver.

10. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 9, wherein said ramp receiver includes a recess.

11. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 3, wherein said second material is a closed cell rubber foam having a compressive strength between about 60 kPa and about 200 kPa at 25% strain.

12. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 3, wherein said second material is a high performance plastic foam with a compressive strength between about 90 kPa and about 200 kPa at 25% strain.

13. A side pillar air curtain guide, comprising:

a main body including a ramp receiver; and

an air curtain ramp insert connected to said main body, said air curtain ramp insert being of honeycomb construction projecting from said main body.

14. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 13, wherein said air curtain ramp insert comprises a plurality of honeycomb arrays including gaps between adjacent honeycomb arrays of said plurality of honeycomb arrays.

15. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 13, wherein honeycomb cells of said honeycomb construction are aligned in a vertical plane when said side pillar air curtain ramp insert is in an operative position connected to said main body.

16. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 15, wherein said second air curtain guide surface has an X-axis dimension of 4-7 honeycomb cells and a Y-axis dimension of 1-2 honeycomb cells and said honeycomb cells are aligned along a Z-axis.

17. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 16, wherein said honeycomb cells have a Z-axis dimension Z₁ along a first edge and a Z-axis dimension Z₂ along a second edge where Z₁>

Z₂.

18. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 17, wherein said Z axis dimension Z₁ is adjacent and connected to said main body.

19. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 18, wherein said honeycomb cells are aligned parallel to a face of said ramp receiver.