Thin airbag module design for overhead applications
First Claim
1. A thin overhead airbag apparatus configured to protect occupants of a vehicle from impact, the apparatus comprising:
- a compressible housing assembly comprising an upper housing and a lower housing;
an inflatable airbag cushion attached along a leading longitudinal edge to the compressible housing assembly and packaged between the upper housing and lower housing such that the cushion is compressibly folded within the housing assembly; and
an inflator in fluid communication with the cushion, the inflator providing an inflation force upon impact.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thin compressible overhead airbag module provides inflatable overhead passive restraint protection to out of position occupants within a vehicle. The flat module design is compressed following assembly, making the compressed module thin enough to be mounted in the overhead space between the vehicle roof skin and the interior headliner. The general design includes an inflator, an inflatable cushion, and a 2-piece compressible housing. The compressible housing provides substantially more packaging space for the cushion. The roof area design allows the use of a longer, small diameter inflator. Upon activation, the car forward location of the inflator relative to the inflatable cushion forces the housing to deform below the inflator. The inflation force generated by the inflator effectively pulls the inflatable cushion out of the airbag module.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A thin overhead airbag apparatus configured to protect occupants of a vehicle from impact, the apparatus comprising:
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a compressible housing assembly comprising an upper housing and a lower housing;
an inflatable airbag cushion attached along a leading longitudinal edge to the compressible housing assembly and packaged between the upper housing and lower housing such that the cushion is compressibly folded within the housing assembly; and
an inflator in fluid communication with the cushion, the inflator providing an inflation force upon impact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A thin overhead airbag system configured to protect occupants of a vehicle from impact, the system comprising:
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a housing assembly having a lower housing, an upper housing, and at least one compressible expanded section;
an inflatable air bag cushion positioned between the upper housing and the lower housing such that a portion of the cushion is within at least one compressible expanded section of the housing assembly; and
an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable air bag cushion. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of manufacturing a thin overhead airbag module for installation in a vehicle having an overhead space with a thin transverse profile, said method comprising:
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a. placing an inflator in fluid communication with at least one inflatable airbag cushion configured to protect occupants of a vehicle from impact;
b. packaging the at least one airbag cushion into a compressible cavity within a housing assembly, the compressible cavity being formed by an upper housing member with a stepped geometry and a lower housing member;
c. mechanically coupling the upper housing member to the lower housing member; and
d. compressing the housing assembly so that the transverse profile is less than the overhead space in the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification