Vehicle airbag

• US 10,343,641 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Abramoski, Edward Joseph, Guediche, Imen, Makwana, Rahul, Smitterberg, Eric Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/488,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20180297548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0032 Position of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An airbag includes a main panel. The main panel defines an inflation chamber and is inflatable to an inflated position. The airbag includes a pair of extensions spaced from each other. Each extension has a perimeter surface, and the entire perimeter surface extends transversely to the main panel on the perimeter of the extension. The airbag includes an impact panel spaced from the main panel in the inflated position, and the impact panel extends from one of the extensions to the other of the extensions.

Claims

1. An airbag comprising:

a main panel defining an inflation chamber and being inflatable to an inflated position;

a pair of extensions spaced from each other, each extension having a perimeter surface, the entire perimeter surface extending transversely from the main panel on the perimeter of the extension; and

an impact panel external to the inflation chamber, the impact panel spaced from the main panel in the inflated position and extending from one of the extensions to the other of the extensions;

wherein the extensions have distal ends spaced from the main panel, the extensions extending in a common direction from the main panel to the distal ends and the impact panel extends from the distal end of one of the extensions to the distal end of the other of the extensions.

2. The airbag of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter surfaces has a first portion and the other of the perimeter surfaces has a second portion, the first portion and the second portion facing each other, and the impact panel extends from the first portion to the second portion.

3. The airbag of claim 1, wherein one of the perimeter surfaces has a first portion and the other of the perimeter surfaces has a second portion, the first portion and the second portion facing each other, and a length of the impact panel is greater than a distance from the first portion to the second portion.

4. The airbag of claim 1, wherein the impact panel has a coefficient of friction that is greater than a coefficient of friction of the main panel.

5. The airbag of claim 4, wherein the impact panel and the main panel are each a fabric each having a weave pattern, wherein the coefficients of friction of the impact panel and the main panel are defined by at least the weave patterns of the fabrics, and wherein the weave pattern of the fabric of the impact panel is different than the weave pattern of the fabric of the main panel.

6. The airbag of claim 1, further comprising a first tether and a second tether each in the inflation chamber, the first tether connected to one of the extensions, and the second tether connected to the other of the extensions.

7. The airbag of claim 1, wherein a diameter of each extension through the perimeter surface is less than a diameter of the main panel.

8. The airbag of claim 1, wherein each extension is in fluid communication with the inflation chamber.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein each extension extends between and terminates at an upper end and a lower end, and the impact panel extends continuously from the upper end to the lower end.

10. An airbag assembly comprising:

a housing;

an airbag supported by the housing, the airbag including a main panel defining an inflation chamber being inflatable to an inflated position;

the airbag including a pair of extensions spaced from each other, each extension having a perimeter surface, the entire perimeter surface extending transversely from the main panel on the perimeter of the extension;

the airbag including an impact panel external to the inflation chamber, the impact panel spaced from the main panel in the inflated position and extending from one of the extensions to the other of the extensions;

an inflator in communication with the inflation chamber; and

a first tether and a second tether each in the inflation chamber, the first tether extending from the housing to one of the extensions and the second tether extending from the housing to the other of the extensions;

wherein the airbag extends in a first direction from the housing to the main panel and wherein the extensions extend from the main panel in the first direction.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the extensions have distal ends spaced from the main panel, the extensions extending from the main panel to the distal ends in the first direction and the impact panel extends from the distal end of one of the extensions to the distal end of the other of the extensions.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein one of the perimeter surfaces has a first portion and the other of the perimeter surfaces has a second portion, the first portion and the second portion facing each other, and the impact panel extends from the first portion to the second portion.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein one of the perimeter surfaces has a first portion and the other of the perimeter surfaces has a second portion, the first portion and the second portion facing each other, and a length of the impact panel is greater than a distance from the first portion to the second portion.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the impact panel has a coefficient of friction that is greater than a coefficient of friction of the main panel.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 14, wherein the impact panel and the main panel are each a fabric, wherein the fabric of the impact panel has a weave pattern and the coefficient of friction of the impact panel and the main panel are defined by at least the weave pattern, and wherein the fabric of the main panel has a weave pattern different than the weave pattern of the impact panel.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein a diameter of the extensions through the perimeter surfaces is less than a diameter of the main panel.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein each extension extends between and terminates at an upper end and a lower end, and the impact panel extends continuously from the upper end to the lower end.

18. An airbag assembly comprising:

a housing;

an airbag supported by the housing, the airbag including a main panel defining an inflation chamber being inflatable to an inflated position;

the airbag including a pair of extensions spaced from each other, each extension having a perimeter surface, the entire perimeter surface extending transversely from the main panel on the perimeter of the extension;

the airbag including an impact panel external to the inflation chamber, the impact panel spaced from the main panel in the inflated position and extending from one of the extensions to the other of the extensions; and

an inflator in communication with the inflation chamber.

19. The airbag assembly of claim 18, wherein each extension extends between and terminates at an upper end and a lower end, and the impact panel extends continuously from the upper end to the lower end.