Automatically adjustable airbag system

• US 10,434,973 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gandhi, Umesh N., Prokhorov, Danil V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/440,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20180201222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle includes an inflatable airbag and at least one tether formed from a shape memory material. The at least one tether has at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag. The at least one tether is structured to contract so as to control an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment.

Claims

1. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

at least one tether formed from a shape memory material and having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, the at least one tether being structured to contract so as to control an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment,

wherein the at least one tether is coupled to a first portion of the airbag and to a second portion of the airbag, and wherein the at least one tether extends through an interior of the airbag to connect the first portion with the second portion.

2. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

at least one tether formed from a shape memory material and having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, the at least one tether being structured to contract so as to control an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment,

wherein the at least one tether is structured to stretch superelastically responsive to airbag inflation forces when the airbag is inflated while the at least one tether is at a temperature above the transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also within the superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material,

wherein the airbag system further comprises at least one other tether having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, and wherein the airbag system is structured so that the inflated dimension of the airbag is controlled by the at least one other tether when the at least one tether is stretched superelastically by airbag inflation forces.

3. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

a plurality of tethers, each tether of the plurality of tethers having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, at least one tether of the plurality of tethers being formed from a shape memory material, wherein each tether of the plurality of tethers formed from a shape memory material is structured to contract so as to restrict an inflated dimension of the airbag when the tether formed from a shape memory material is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment.

4. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

at least one tether formed from a shape memory material and having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, the at least one tether being structured to contract so as to control an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment,

wherein the at least one tether is secured to a first location on the airbag, and wherein the airbag system further comprises at least one other tether having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag.

5. The adjustable airbag system of claim 4 wherein the at least one other tether is formed from a shape memory material, and wherein the at least one other tether has at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag at a second location different from the first location.

6. The adjustable airbag system of claim 5 further comprising a current source configured to supply a separate current to each of the at least one tether and the at least one other tether, for heating the at least one tether and the at least one other tether.

7. The adjustable airbag system of claim 4 wherein the at least one other tether has at least one portion thereof secured to the first location on the airbag, and wherein the at least one other tether is structured to restrict an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above the transformation temperature of the shape memory material of the at least one tether, and also within the superelastic temperature range of the material of the at least one tether.

8. The adjustable airbag system of claim 4 wherein the at least one portion of the at least one other tether is secured to the airbag at the first location, and wherein the at least one tether has at least one other portion secured to the airbag at a second location different from the first location.

9. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

a plurality of tethers, each tether of the plurality of tethers being formed from a shape memory material, each tether of the plurality of tethers being embedded in or attached to portions of the airbag so as to provide and maintain a mesh structure wrapped around at least a portion of the airbag,

at least one tether of the plurality of tethers having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag,

the at least one tether of the plurality of tethers being structured to contract so as to control an inflated dimension of the airbag when the at least one tether of the plurality of tethers is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material of the at least one tether and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment.

10. An adjustable airbag system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an inflatable airbag; and

at least one tether having at least one portion thereof secured to the airbag, the at least one tether being formed from a shape memory material, the at least one tether being structured to restrict expansion of the airbag into a vehicle passenger compartment during deployment of the airbag when the at least one tether is heated to a temperature above a transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also above a superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material, prior to airbag deployment.

11. The adjustable airbag system of claim 10 wherein the at least one tether comprises a wire formed from a shape memory material.

12. The adjustable airbag system of claim 11 wherein the wire has a straight configuration.

13. The adjustable airbag system of claim 10 wherein the at least one tether extends along an exterior surface of the airbag.

14. The adjustable airbag system of claim 13 further comprising a cover positioned along the exterior surface of the airbag to cover the at least one tether.

15. The adjustable airbag system of claim 10 further comprising at least one other tether, wherein the at least one tether is structured to stretch superelastically responsive to airbag inflation forces when the airbag is inflated while the at least one tether is at a temperature above the transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also within the superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material prior to deployment of the airbag, and wherein the at least one other tether is structured to restrict expansion of the airbag into a vehicle passenger compartment during deployment of the airbag when the at least one tether stretches superelastically responsive to airbag inflation forces.

16. The adjustable airbag system of claim 15 wherein the at least one tether is structured to stretch superelastically responsive to airbag inflation forces when the airbag is inflated while the at least one tether is at a temperature above the transformation temperature of the shape memory material and also within the superelastic temperature range of the shape memory material.

17. The adjustable airbag system of claim 16 wherein the airbag system is structured so that the inflated dimension of the airbag is controlled by airbag panel size, shape, and/or stitching when the at least one tether is stretched superelastically by airbag inflation forces.