Collar shaped airbag

• US 10,173,629 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Barbat, Saeed David, Jaradi, Dean M., Hamade, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/413,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20180208142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/143 taking a position opposite to the original one
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/684 the back rest being mounted or joined with an easy attachment system to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

An assembly for a vehicle comprises a seat. The assembly includes a collar supported by the seat. The collar has a first end and a second end. The assembly includes a first fastener on the first end and a second fastener on the second end. The assembly includes the first fastener and the second fastener that are releasably connectable with each other. An airbag is disposed in the collar and inflatable to an inflated position.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a seat;

a collar supported by the seat and having a first end and a second end;

a first fastener on the first end and a second fastener on the second end, the first and second fasteners being releasably connectable with each other; and

an airbag disposed in the collar and inflatable to an inflated position, the airbag in the inflated position including a hood portion supported on the collar;

wherein the collar includes a tear seam, and the airbag extends through the tear seam in the inflated position.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an inflator mounted on the seat and in fluid communication with the airbag.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a fill tube in fluid communication with the airbag and the inflator, the fill tube having a resiliently flexible coil shape.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a fill tube in fluid communication with the airbag and the inflator, the fill tube supporting the collar on the seat.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the collar includes an intermediate portion between the first end and the second end, and the fill tube is connected to the collar at the intermediate portion spaced from the first end and the second end.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the seat includes a seat back, the collar being supported by the seat back.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the first and second fastener includes a buckle and the other of the first and second fastener includes a tongue releasably engageable with the buckle.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second fasteners are halves of a zipper, the halves of the zipper engageable with each other.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a retractor mounted on the seat, and a flexible webbing connecting the retractor to the collar.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a seatbelt spaced from the flexible webbing, the seatbelt being detached from the collar and disposed external to the collar.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collar is a textile.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the seat includes a seat bottom and a rotational mechanism connected to the seat bottom, the rotational mechanism being configured to connect the seat bottom to a vehicle floor.

13. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag is elongated along a direction extending from the first end to the second end.

14. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the seat includes a seat back, the airbag in the inflated position including an end distal to the seat back and the collar, the airbag in the inflated position extending along an arcuate path from the collar to the end.

15. The assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a head cavity located within the hood portion, and wherein the end defines a face opening in communication with the head cavity.

16. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a seatbelt releasably connectable with the seat, the seatbelt being detached from the collar and disposed external to the collar.

17. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collar includes an intermediate portion between the first end and the second end, the airbag including a neckband portion longitudinally adjacent to the collar relative to the intermediate portion.

18. The assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein the hood portion is adjoined to the neckband portion, the hood portion extending farther in a direction from the first end to the second end than the neckband portion.

19. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are connectable to each other in an uninflated position, the first fastener and the second fastener being connected to each other during inflation from the uninflated position to the inflated position.

20. An assembly, comprising:

a seat;

a collar supported by the seat and having a first end and a second end;

a first fastener on the first end and a second fastener on the second end, the first and second fasteners being releasably connectable with each other;

an airbag disposed in the collar and inflatable to an inflated position, the airbag in the inflated position including a hood portion supported on the collar;

a retractor mounted on the seat, and a flexible webbing connecting the retractor to the collar; and

a seatbelt spaced from the flexible webbing, the seatbelt being detached from the collar and disposed external to the collar.