Secondary impact airbag

• US 10,183,642 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2018
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lombrozo, Peter Craig, Rivera, Felix Jose Alvarez, Larner, Daniel Lynn, Gupta, Atul
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/977,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20180334123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 180271
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to airbag systems for vehicles. The airbag systems may reduce the secondary impact forces felt by an object upon rebounding from an initial impact with an external airbag by encasing or substantially surrounding the pedestrian with the external airbag. The airbag system may include an initial impact airbag and a secondary impact airbag, wherein the secondary impact airbag is configured to reduce injury caused by a secondary impact of an object upon after an initial impact of the object with the initial impact airbag. The initial impact airbag may be configured to be deployed at a location where the object is predicted to collide with the vehicle. The secondary impact airbag may comprise one or more arms configured to surround the object upon the initial impact.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an airbag comprising an initial impact section and a secondary impact section;

wherein the secondary impact section includes one or more telescoping tubes having at least two stages configured to expand and at least partially surround an object to reduce injury caused by a secondary impact of the object after an initial impact of the object with the initial impact section.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the initial impact section is configured to be deployed at a location where the object is predicted to collide.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary impact section is configured to expand upon impact of the object with the initial impact section.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the initial impact section is configured to at least partially expand the secondary impact section by shifting air from within the initial impact section to the secondary impact section upon impact with the object.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an expansion device,

wherein the expansion device is configured to expand the telescoping tubes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary impact section further comprises two arms configured to extend, at least partially, around the object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more telescoping tubes are mounted to a respective arm of the two arms.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising one or more locks, wherein each of the one or more locks is configured to secure a respective telescoping tube.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein upon the occurrence of the initial impact, each of the one or more telescoping tubes are configured to extend to another arm of the two arms.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein for each of the one or more telescoping tubes, the one or more locks are positioned on an opposite arm of the two arms.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more locks include clips or adhesives.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more telescoping tubes is comprised of at least one of nylon or polyester.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each stage of the at least two stages of the telescoping tubes has a different diameter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each stage is configured to be stored within another stage having a larger diameter, with an outer stage having the largest diameter not being stored within another stage.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein upon expansion, an outer stage of each telescoping tube remains stationary.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors configured to determine when an initial impact occurs;

and

wherein the one or more sensors are configured to send a triggering signal to deploy the secondary impact section based upon the determination of when the initial impact occurs.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an airbag system comprising at least the airbag; and

a vehicle, wherein the airbag system is attached to the vehicle.

18. A method for deploying a vehicle'"'"'s external airbag comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a collision with an object is imminent;

predicting, by the one or more processors, the location on the vehicle where the collision with the object is expected to occur;

determining a first external airbag of one or more external airbags at the location on the vehicle where the collision is expected to occur;

sending, by the one or more processors, a triggering signal to deploy the first external airbag; and

in response to receiving the triggering signal, deploying by one or more processors, the first external airbag, wherein the first external airbag comprises an initial impact section and a secondary impact section and the secondary impact section includes one or more telescoping tubes having at least two stages configured to expand to reduce injury caused by a secondary impact of an object after an initial impact of the object with the initial impact section.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which instructions are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method of deploying an external airbag, the method comprising:

determining a collision with an object is imminent;

predicting the location on the vehicle where the collision with the object is expected to occur;

determining a first external airbag of one or more external airbags at the location on the vehicle where the collision is expected to occur;

sending a triggering signal to deploy the first external airbag; and

in response to receiving the triggering signal, deploying by one or more processors, the first external airbag, wherein the first external airbag comprises an initial impact section and a secondary impact section and the secondary impact section includes one or more telescoping tubes having at least two stages configured to expand to reduce injury caused by a secondary impact of an object after an initial impact of the object with the initial impact section.