Modular air bag cushion system

• US 20030205888A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Keshavaraj, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 6,883,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A modular airbag cushion system adaptable to different vehicle platform configurations comprises i) a plurality of separate, interconnectable inflatable airbag cushions each of which comprises at least one port for transmitting gas; ii) an optional connector for transmitting gas comprising a tube having a coaxial opening at at least one end, said tube being between and connected with at least two of said airbag cushions to provide a gas-tight connection between said ports; and iii) a gas source in communication with at least one of said ports for inflating said cushions in response to a signal. By varying the length of the connector or the ports, the system can be adapted to a variety of vehicle configurations using cushions of essentially the same length to protect outboard vehicle occupants from injurious contact with exposed interior sides of the vehicle in a crash.

Claims

1. A modular airbag cushion system adaptable to different vehicle platform configurations comprising

i) a plurality of separate, interconnected inflatable airbag cushions each of which comprises at least one port for transmitting gas;

and

ii) a gas source in communication with at least one of said ports for inflating said cushions in response to a signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connector for transmitting gas comprising a tube having a coaxial opening at least one end, said tube being between and connected with at least two of said airbag cushions to provide a gas-tight connection between said ports.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said cushions have an upper margin securable to a vehicle roof rail, a front side margin, a rear side margin and a lower margin.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said tube passes completely along the upper margin within the cushion interior and said tube comprises at least one radial opening within said cushion interior.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said cushions is a terminal cushion wherein said port for transmitting gas is an inlet.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said cushions is an intermediate cushion having at least two of said ports for transmitting gas, at least one of which is an inlet and at least one of which is an outlet.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said cushions upon inflation prevents a vehicle occupant from contacting an interior surface, said system being configurable to a specific vehicle platform by providing a non-inflatable interconnecting panel between said side margins of adjacent cushions, of a length sufficient to cover vehicle surfaces which are not designed to contact vehicle occupants in a crash and capable of transmitting a tensioning force along a plurality of said cushions.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein said upper margins of said cushions are of substantially the same length.

9. The system of claim 7 which comprises at least three of said cushions, and at least two of said panels having different lengths such that the distances between said cushions when inflated are different.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said panel is an inflexible strap.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein said panel is located between the lower portions of said side margins of said adjacent cushions.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said panel and cushions provide a continuous surface in a front to rear direction which upon inflation is obstructed by a vehicle pillar thereby retaining said panel and cushions within the vehicle interior.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein said panel consists essentially of a single fabric layer.

14. The system of claim 3 wherein said upper margin extends beyond at least one of said side margins to provide a cinchable collar.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein said connector comprises a rigid tube.

16. The system of claim 2 wherein said connector comprises a flexible tube.

17. The system of claim 2 wherein said connector comprises a rigid tube within a flexible tube.

18. The system of claim 2 wherein said airbag cushions comprise two layered composites each comprising a fabric layer and a weldable thermoplastic polymer layer superimposed so that at least a portion of each said polymer layer directly faces the other.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said connector comprises an outer surface layer weldable to at least one of said thermoplastic polymer layer of said cushions.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said outer surface layer comprises fabric.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said connector is positioned between said facing polymer layers.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said polymer layers are coatings and films.

23. The system of claim 4 wherein said tube passes completely along the upper margin within the cushion interiors of a plurality of said cushions and said tube comprises at least one radial opening within each of said cushion interiors.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein all of said cushions are interconnected by a single tube.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein said connector is sealably connected to said cushion by said rigid tube extending within both said flexible tube and said cushion.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said cushions are connected by means of a male and female port so that said male port is sealably and concentrically disposed within said female port.