Restraint system

• US 10,118,582 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Patel, Deepak, Deng, Zhibing, Castillo Jaime, Luis Enrique, Kochhar, Nand K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/382,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20180170300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01054 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23542 Weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/262 Elongated tubular diffusers, e.g. curtain-type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 : using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

A restraint system includes a side air curtain, a sail panel, and a secondary cushion. The side air curtain is inflatable to an inflated position and has a top edge, a bottom edge, and a forward edge extending from the top edge to the bottom edge. The sail panel extends from the forward edge. The secondary cushion is inflatable to an inflated position and is elongated in a direction away from the bottom edge and the forward edge toward the top edge.

Claims

1. A restraint system comprising:

a side air curtain inflatable to an inflated position and having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a forward edge extending from the top edge to the bottom edge;

a sail panel extending from the forward edge; and

a secondary cushion inflatable to an inflated position, the secondary cushion being elongated in a direction away from the bottom edge and the forward edge toward the top edge, wherein the secondary cushion in the inflated position extends along an outboard side of the side air curtain.

2. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a vent from the side air curtain to the secondary cushion.

3. The restraint system of claim 2, wherein the vent is configured to open after the side air curtain is in the inflated position.

4. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a dual-stage inflator in fluid communication with the side air curtain and the secondary cushion.

5. The restraint system of claim 4, wherein the dual-stage inflator is configured to inflate the side air curtain before inflating the secondary cushion.

6. The restraint system of claim 4, wherein the side air curtain and the secondary cushion each have inflation chambers, and the inflation chambers are fluidly isolated from each other.

7. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a diffuser in fluid communication with the side air curtain and the secondary cushion, and an inflator in fluid communication with the diffuser.

8. The restraint system of claim 7, wherein the diffuser is configured to direct inflation medium from the inflator so as to inflate the side air curtain before inflating the secondary cushion.

9. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a first inflator in fluid communication with the side air curtain, and a second inflator in fluid communication with the secondary cushion.

10. The restraint system of claim 9, wherein the side air curtain and the secondary cushion each have inflation chambers, and the inflation chambers are fluidly isolated from each other.

11. The restraint system of claim 10, the first inflator is configured to initiate inflation of the side air curtain in response to receiving an inflation signal, and the second inflator is configured to initiate inflation of the secondary cushion in response to the inflation signal after the first inflator has initiated inflation.

12. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising an upper rail, wherein the side air curtain is supported by the upper rail.

13. The restraint system of claim 12, wherein the top edge of the side air curtain in the inflated position is adjacent the upper rail.

14. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the side air curtain in the inflated position is shaped to cover a vehicle window opening.

15. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the forward edge and the bottom edge meet at a corner, and wherein the secondary cushion extends from the corner to the top edge.

16. The restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a hole between the side air curtain and the secondary cushion, the hole disposed closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge.

17. A restraint system comprising:

a side air curtain;

a secondary cushion connected to and elongated along the side air curtain;

at least one inflator in fluid communication with the side air curtain and the secondary cushion; and

a control module programmed to instruct the at least one inflator to initiate inflation of the side air curtain and to initiate inflation of the secondary cushion only after initiating inflation of the side air curtain.

18. The restraint system of claim 17, wherein the at least one inflator includes a first inflator in fluid communication with the side air curtain and a second inflator in fluid communication with the secondary cushion.

19. The restraint system of claim 17, wherein the at least one inflator is a dual-stage inflator.

20. A restraint system comprising:

a side air curtain inflatable to an inflated position and having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a forward edge extending from the top edge to the bottom edge;

a sail panel extending from the forward edge;

a secondary cushion inflatable to an inflated position, the secondary cushion being elongated in a direction away from the bottom edge and the forward edge toward the top edge;

a diffuser in fluid communication with the side air curtain and the secondary cushion; and

an inflator in fluid communication with the diffuser;

wherein the diffuser is configured to direct inflation medium from the inflator so as to inflate the side air curtain before inflating the secondary cushion.