Side pillar air curtain guide with air curtain insert of honeycomb construction

• US 10,486,636 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Villacres Mesias, Diego Fabricio, Cuevas Vega, Alfredo, Hernandez Hernandez, Hector, Armitage, Jr., Robert Ralph, Boardman, Amy Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US16/042,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20180339673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0414 using energy absorbing ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0421 using honeycomb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0435 associated with the side or roof pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0428 associated with the side doors or panels, e.g. displaced towards the occupants in case of a side collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/055 Padded or energy-absorbing fittings , e.g. seat belt anchors sun visors B60J3/00; head rests B60N2/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/06 Fixed roofs non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08

Abstract

A side pillar air curtain guide includes a main body having a ramp receiver and an air curtain ramp insert connected to the main body. The air curtain ramp insert is of honeycomb construction.

Claims

1. A side pillar air curtain guide, comprising:

a main body including a ramp receiver; and

an air curtain ramp insert connected to said main body, said air curtain ramp insert including a plurality of honeycomb arrays including gaps between adjacent honeycomb arrays of said plurality of honeycomb arrays.

2. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 1, wherein said main body is made from a first material having a strength S₁ and a ductility D₁.

3. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 2, wherein said air curtain ramp insert is made from a second material having a strength S₂ and a ductility D₂ where S₁>

S₂ and D₁<

D₂.

4. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 3, wherein each of said honeycomb arrays have an X-axis dimension of 4-7 honeycomb cells and a Y-axis dimension of 1-2 honeycomb cells.

5. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 4, wherein said X-axis dimension is parallel to a face of said ramp receiver and said Y-axis dimension is perpendicular to said face of said ramp receiver.

6. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 5, wherein said ramp receiver includes a recess.

7. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 6, wherein said second material is a closed cell rubber foam having a compressive strength between about 60 kPa and about 200 kPa at 25% strain.

8. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 6, wherein said second material is a high performance plastic foam with a compressive strength between about 90 kPa and about 200 kPa.

9. A side pillar air curtain guide, comprising:

a main body including a ramp apron and a ramp receiver wherein said ramp receiver is adjacent to and below said ramp apron; and

an air curtain ramp insert connected to said main body, said air curtain ramp insert having a honeycomb construction wherein honeycomb cells of said honeycomb construction are aligned in a vertical plane when said air curtain ramp insert is in an operative position connected to said main body wherein said ramp apron has a first air curtain guide surface and said air curtain ramp insert has a second air curtain guide surface aligned with said first air curtain guide surface and wherein said second air curtain guide surface has an X-axis dimension of 4-7 honeycomb cells and a Y-axis dimension of 1-2 honeycomb cells and said honeycomb cells are aligned along a Z-axis.

10. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 9, wherein said honeycomb cells have a Z-axis dimension Z₁ along a first edge and a Z-axis dimension Z₂ along a second edge where Z₁>

Z₂.

11. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 10, wherein said Z axis dimension Z₁ is adjacent and connected to said main body.

12. The side pillar air curtain guide of claim 11, wherein said honeycomb cells are aligned parallel to a face of said ramp receiver.