Airbag module having variable tether system

• US 20040104564A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pinsenschaum, Ryan T., Winters, Mark T., Schatz, Patrick, Hawthorn, Laura A., Kneisly, Ann L., Dunkle, Stephanie L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,808,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams

Abstract

A variable tether system adapted for use in an inflatable cushion of an airbag module having a first pair of tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion, the first ends each being secured to the inflatable cushion at positions remote from the second ends and the second ends being secured to the inflatable cushion at a location closer to an inflation opening of the inflatable cushion than the first ends, wherein each of the first pair of tether elements has a portion between each of the first and second ends which is not secured to the inflatable cushion; and a second pair of tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to a portion of one of the first pair of tether elements and the first side of the other one of the second pair of tether elements being secured to the portion of the other one of the first pair of tether elements and the second sides are configured for being releasably secured to an actuation mechanism.

Claims

1. A variable tether system adapted for use in an inflatable cushion of an airbag module, comprising:

a first pair of tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion, the first ends each being secured to the inflatable cushion at positions remote from the second ends and the second ends being secured to the inflatable cushion at a location closer to an inflation opening of the inflatable cushion than the first ends, wherein each of said first pair of tether elements has a portion between each of the first and second ends which is not secured to the inflatable cushion; and

a second pair of tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of one of said first pair of tether elements and the first side of the other one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of the other one of said first pair of tether elements and the second sides of said second pair of tether elements being configured for being releasably secured to an actuation mechanism.

2. The variable tether system as in claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion is capable of expanding to a first expanded state when said second pair of tether elements are secured to the actuation mechanism and the inflatable cushion is capable of expanding to a second expanded state when said second pair of tether elements are released from the actuation mechanism, said second expanded state being larger than said first expanded state.

3. The variable tether system as in claim 2, wherein said first expanded state is defined by preventing expansion of said pair of first tether elements to a fully expanded state, said fully expanded state being defined by the distance between the first end and the second end of each of said pair of first tether elements.

4. The variable tether system as in claim 2, wherein the first side of said pair of second tether elements is slidably secured to said portion.

5. The variable tether system as in claim 2, wherein the first side of said pair of second tether elements is fixedly secured to said portion.

6. The variable tether system as in claim 1, wherein the first side of one of said pair of second tether elements is fixedly secured to the second end of one of said pair of said first tether elements and the first side of the other one of said second tether elements is secured to the second end of the other one of said pair of first tether elements.

7. An airbag module having a variable tether system, comprising:

a housing being configured for installment in a vehicle;

an inflatable cushion stored in an un-deployed position in said housing, said inflatable cushion being configured for deployment from said housing;

an inflator stored in said housing in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said inflator being configured to generate a quantity of inflation gas to deploy said inflatable cushion from said housing;

a pair of first tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to an inner portion of said inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to an inner portion of said inflatable cushion, the first ends each being further away from said housing than the second ends as the inflatable cushion inflates;

a pair of second tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said pair of second tether elements being secured to a portion of one of said pair of said first tether elements between said first and second ends and the other one of said pair of second tether elements being secured to a portion of the other one of said pair of said first tether elements between said first and second ends; and

an actuation mechanism disposed on said housing, said actuation mechanism being configured to selectively retain or release the second side of each of said pair of second tether elements, said second tether elements restraining said first tether elements, so that said inflatable cushion expands to a first expanded state;

wherein the releasing of said second tether element allows said pair of first tether elements to expand with the inflation of said inflatable cushion so that said inflatable cushion expands to a second expanded state, said second expanded state being larger than said first expanded state.

8. The airbag module as in claim 7, wherein said second expanded state is defined by the expansion of said pair of first tether elements between said first end and said second end.

9. The airbag module as in claim 7, wherein the first side of each of the second tether elements is secured to its corresponding first tether element at a point between the first end and the second end of its corresponding first tether element.

10. The airbag module as in claim 7, wherein said actuation mechanism further comprises a portion configured to engage a second loop defined out of the second side of each of said second tether elements said actuation mechanism being adapted to disengage said portion from said second loop.

11. The airbag module as in claim 7, wherein said pair of first tether elements comprises a plurality of pairs of said first tether elements and said pair of second tether elements comprises a corresponding plurality of pairs of said second tether elements and said actuation mechanism comprises a corresponding number of actuation mechanisms.

12. The airbag module as in claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of pairs of said first tether elements restricts the deployment of the inflatable cushion in a first direction and another one of said plurality of pairs of said first tether elements restricts the deployment of the inflatable cushion in a second direction.

13. The airbag module as in claim 12, wherein the actuation mechanisms are each adapted to receive a signal from a sensing and diagnostic module, said signal instructing the actuation mechanism to release one of said pair of second tether elements.

14. The airbag module as in claim 7, wherein the actuation mechanism is adapted to receive a signal from a sensing and diagnostic module, said signal instructing the actuation mechanism to release said pair of second tether elements.

15. The airbag module as in claim 7, further comprising another actuation mechanism wherein one actuation mechanism releasably retains one of said pair of second tether elements and the other actuation mechanism releasably retains the other one of said pair of second tether elements.

16. The airbag module as in claim 15, wherein the actuation mechanisms are each adapted to receive a signal from a sensing and diagnostic module, said signal instructing the actuation mechanism to release one of said pair of second tether elements.

17. An airbag module, comprising:

a housing;

an inflatable cushion for deployment from said housing;

an inflator in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion and for providing a quantity of inflation gas to deploy said inflatable cushion from said housing;

a variable tether system adapted for use in an inflatable cushion of an airbag module, comprising;

a first pair of tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion, the first ends each being secured to the inflatable cushion at positions remote from the second ends and the second ends being secured to the inflatable cushion at location closer to an inflation opening of the inflatable cushion, wherein each of said first pair of tether elements has a portion between each of the first and second ends which is not secured to the inflatable cushion; and

a second pair of tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of one of said first pair of tether elements and the first side of the other one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of the other one of said first pair of tether elements, the second sides being configured for being releasably secured to an actuation mechanism.

18. The airbag module as in claim 17, wherein the inflatable cushion is capable of expanding to a first expanded state when said second pair of tether elements are secured to said actuation mechanism and the inflatable cushion is capable of expanding to a second expanded state when said second pair of tether elements are released from said actuation mechanism, said second expanded state being larger than said first expanded state.

19. The airbag module as in claim 18, wherein said first expanded state is defined by preventing expansion of said pair of first tether elements to a fully expanded state, said fully expanded state being defined by the distance between the first end and the second end of each of said pair of first tether elements.

20. The airbag module as in claim 18, wherein the first side of said pair of second tether elements is slidably secured to said portion.

21. The airbag module as in claim 17, wherein the actuation mechanism provides a means for securing and releasing at least the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements and said actuation mechanism is adapted to receive a signal from a sensing and diagnostic module, said signal instructing the actuation mechanism to release at least the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements.