Side air bag module

• US 20050218635A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wipasuramonton, Pongdet P., Young, Jeffery
• Granted Patent: US 7,431,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23123 Heat protection panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A side impact or rollover protection restraint system (20) is presented having an air bag (22) which upon inflation is of sufficient height to extend from proximate a seat (25) of a vehicle to a location generally adjacent the shoulder of a 50th percentile sized seated occupant such that the inflated air bag will lie between the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle. The air bag including a first and a second panel (24a,24b) of material that are joined together to create a pair of inflatable volumes (36,38) and an internal tether (30) for forming a corresponding bridge between predetermined regions of each of the first and second panel (24a, 24b) such that upon inflation of the air bag these regions are spaced from one another by at least one internal tether, wherein the air bag includes more than one inflatable volume, wherein each volume includes corresponding internal tethers or separator means.

Claims

1. A side impact restraint system (20) for restraining an occupant comprising:

an air bag of sufficient length to extend from a seat surface to at least a shoulder of the occupant, the air bag (22), upon inflation, is of sufficient height to extend from a vehicle to a location generally adjacent the shoulder of a 50th percentile sized seated occupant such that the inflated air bag will lie between the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle;

the air bag (22) including a first and a second panel (24a, 24b) of material; and

an internal tether (30) for forming corresponding bridges between predetermined regions of each of the first and second panel such that upon inflation of the air bag these regions are spaced from one another by at least one internal tether to create a pair of inflatable volumes (36, 38), said internal tether being coupled to the cushion to form an acute angled surface at between 45 and 65 degrees with respect to the intersection of the first and second panels.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the internal tether defines an opening (46) therein to allow inflation gas to flow thereacross.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 further comprising an inflator (60) partially disposed within the opening.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein opposing ends of the bridge are secured to a corresponding first and second panel along a corresponding sewn seam.

5. The system as defined in claim 4 wherein the sew line of one end of the bridge in the first panel is generally in alignment with the sew line of the other end of the bridge in the second panel.

6. The system as defined in claim 4 wherein the sew line of one end of the bridge in the first panel further couples a heat shield to the second panel.

7. A side impact restraint system (20) comprising:

an air bag of sufficient length to extend from a seat surface to at least a shoulder of the occupant, the air bag (22), upon inflation, is of sufficient height to extend from a vehicle seat cushion to a location generally adjacent the shoulder of a 50th percentile sized seated occupant such that the inflated air bag will lie between the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle;

the air bag (22) formed of a single panel folded along a centerline 23 to form first and second panels (24a, 24b) of material that are joined together to create a pair of inflatable volumes (36,38) and an internal tether (30) disposed at an acute angle between 45 and 65 degrees between each volume, for forming corresponding bridges between predetermined regions of each of the first and second panel such that upon inflation of the air bag these regions are spaced from one another by the tether, the first inflatable volume being placed below the ribs of the occupant.

8. The side impact or rollover protection restraint system (20) according to claim 7 wherein the internal tether defines a vent.

9. The side impact protection restraint system (20) according to claim 7 wherein each tether includes opposing long sides and opposing ends, wherein each tether is secured to a corresponding first and second panel along a respective side of the tether.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein each side of the internal tether includes a heat shield.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 wherein the heat shields are coupled to each other using a sewn stitch.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 further comprising an inflator, said inflator being partially disposed within the vent.

17. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein each side of the internal tether includes a heat shield.

18. The system as defined in claim 10 herein the heat shields are coupled to each other using a sewn stitch.

13. A side impact protection restraint system (20) comprising.

an air bag (22), which upon inflation is of sufficient height to extend from proximate a seat (25) of a vehicle to a location generally adjacent the shoulder of a 50th percentile sized seated occupant such that the inflated air bag will lie between the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle;

the air bag including a first and a second panel (24a,24b) of material that are joined together to create a pair of inflatable volumes (36,38) and an internal tether (30) for forming a corresponding gas permeable bridge between predetermined regions of each of the first and second panel (24a, 24b) such that upon inflation of the air bag these regions are spaced from one another by at least one internal tether, wherein the air bag includes first and second inflatable volumes, said first volume being configured to be filled with inflation gasses prior to the second volume.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the internal tether (30) is positioned and angled to form an initial inflation lower chamber (36) which is preferably positioned below the abdomen of a 5^th percentile occupant.

15. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the internal tether defines an opening (36) therein to allow inflation gas to flow thereacross.

16. The system as defined in claim 15 further comprising an inflator (60) partially disposed within the opening.