Airbag vent tube

• US 20080252052A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Choi, Changsoo, Schneider, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,731,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag module comprising a housing with an inflatable airbag cushion disposed therein and at least one vent tube attached to the inflatable airbag cushion, wherein during inflatable airbag cushion deployment with an obstruction, the at least one vent tube remains open, and during inflatable airbag cushion deployment without an obstruction, the at least one vent tube at least partially closes.

Claims

1. An airbag module, comprising:

an airbag module housing;

an inflatable airbag cushion disposed inside the airbag module housing;

at least one vent tube attached to the inflatable airbag cushion;

wherein the airbag module housing comprises at least one housing opening configured to be aligned with the at least one vent tube; and

wherein during inflatable airbag cushion deployment with obstruction, the at least one vent tube remains open, and during inflatable airbag cushion deployment without obstruction, the at least one vent tube at least partially closes.

2. The airbag module of claim 1, further comprising at least one diffuser configured to re-direct inflation gas to the at least one vent tube from an inflator.

3. The airbag module of claim 2, wherein the at least one diffuser is configured to re-direct inflation gas to the at least one vent tube from an inflator such that the gas exits the inflatable airbag cushion by way of the at least one vent tube when deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion is obstructed.

4. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein during inflatable airbag cushion deployment, inflation gas exits the inflatable airbag cushion by way of the at least one vent tube.

5. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the inflation gas exits the inflatable airbag cushion by way of the at least one vent tube and the at least one housing opening when deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion is obstructed, and upon inflatable airbag cushion deployment without obstruction, the at least one vent tube at least partially closes and withdraws from the at least one housing opening.

6. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent tube extends through the at least one housing opening before deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion.

7. The airbag module of claim 6, wherein the at least one vent tube is pulled inside the at least one housing opening during deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion.

8. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent tube is at least partially closed by the complete deployment of the inflatable airbag without obstruction, wherein during the complete deployment of the inflatable airbag the tension in the inflatable airbag fabric places the at least one vent tube out of alignment with the at least one housing opening thereby obstructing the exit of the inflation gas from the at least one vent tube and at least partially closing the at least one vent tube.

9. The airbag module of claim 2, wherein the at least one diffuser is attached to the inflatable airbag cushion.

10. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent tube is integral to the inflatable airbag cushion.

11. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the at least one vent tube comprises two vent tubes attached to the inflatable airbag cushion.

12. The airbag module of claim 1, further comprising a vent in addition to the one or more vent tubes, the vent disposed on the inflatable airbag cushion and adapted to vent gas during airbag deployment with and without obstruction.

13. An airbag module, comprising:

an inflatable airbag cushion;

an inflator configured to generate inflation gasses for inflation of the inflatable airbag cushion during deployment;

venting means for venting inflation gas from the inflatable airbag cushion during deployment with obstruction.

14. The airbag module of claim 13, further comprising a means for diffusing gas to the venting means.

15. An airbag module, comprising:

an airbag module housing comprising at least one housing opening;

an inflatable airbag cushion disposed within the airbag module housing;

at least one vent tube attached to the inflatable airbag cushion and configured to extend from inside the airbag module housing and through the at least one housing opening and extend outside of the airbag module housing;

at least one diffuser disposed within the inflatable airbag cushion configured to re-direct inflation gas to the at least one vent tube from an inflator such that the gas exits the inflatable airbag cushion by way of the at least one vent tube when deployment of the airbag is obstructed;

wherein during deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion with obstruction, the at least one vent tube remains open; and

wherein during inflatable airbag cushion deployment without obstruction, the at least one vent tube at least partially closes as the inflatable airbag cushion fully expands during deployment.

16. The airbag module of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one tether attached to the at least one vent tube, wherein the tether is configured to pull the at least one vent tube inside the housing opening during deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion without obstruction.

17. The airbag module of claim 16, wherein a first end of the at least one tether is attached to the at least one vent tube and a second end of the at least one tether is attached to the interior surface of the inflatable airbag cushion.