Self-conforming rearseat air bag
First Claim
1. An apparatus for helping to protect a rear seat occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- an air bag having a stored condition in a housing mounted to or within a seatback of a vehicle seat positioned in front of the rear seat occupant, the air bag comprising one or more panels of material interconnected to define an inflatable volume and having a substantially U-shaped configuration when viewed from the side, the U-shaped air bag comprising a first portion that forms one leg of the U-shaped air bag, a second portion that forms another leg of the U-shaped air bag and includes a front portion presented facing the rear seat occupant, and a third portion that interconnects the first and second portions, wherein the air bag is configured to have a deployed condition in which the first portion is configured to be positioned adjacent the seatback and the second portion is configured to be positioned between the first portion and the rear seat occupant; and
a deployment tether having a first end connected to the first portion of the air bag and an opposite second end connected to the second portion of the air bag, the deployment tether being configured to restrict initial deployment of the second portion of the air bag, the deployment tether comprising a rupturable portion configured to release the second portion of the air bag after the first and third portions reach a predetermined stage of deployment and the air bag reaches a predetermined degree of pressurization.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) having a seat (16 or 22) for receiving the occupant (20) includes an inflatable protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition in the vehicle (12) adjacent a reaction surface (19, 23, 36) to a deployed condition between the reaction surface and the vehicle occupant (20). The protection device (14) includes a front portion (62) presented toward the seat (22) and an inflatable volume for receiving a penetrating occupant (20′) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. A rear portion (64) connected to the front portion (62) has an inflatable volume spaced from the front portion (62) by a space (110). The front portion (62) is positioned between the vehicle occupant (20) and the rear portion (64) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. The inflated front portion (62) is movable in a fore-aft direction relative to the rear portion (64) to engage the occupant (20) regardless of the distance between the reaction surface (19, 23, 36) and the occupant (20).
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for helping to protect a rear seat occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
-
an air bag having a stored condition in a housing mounted to or within a seatback of a vehicle seat positioned in front of the rear seat occupant, the air bag comprising one or more panels of material interconnected to define an inflatable volume and having a substantially U-shaped configuration when viewed from the side, the U-shaped air bag comprising a first portion that forms one leg of the U-shaped air bag, a second portion that forms another leg of the U-shaped air bag and includes a front portion presented facing the rear seat occupant, and a third portion that interconnects the first and second portions, wherein the air bag is configured to have a deployed condition in which the first portion is configured to be positioned adjacent the seatback and the second portion is configured to be positioned between the first portion and the rear seat occupant; and a deployment tether having a first end connected to the first portion of the air bag and an opposite second end connected to the second portion of the air bag, the deployment tether being configured to restrict initial deployment of the second portion of the air bag, the deployment tether comprising a rupturable portion configured to release the second portion of the air bag after the first and third portions reach a predetermined stage of deployment and the air bag reaches a predetermined degree of pressurization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification