INFLATABLE CURTAIN AIRBAGS WITH EXPANDED-VOLUME LOWER PORTIONS FOR EJECTION MITIGATION

• US 20100264630A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walston, Bryan LaVon
• Granted Patent: US 8,408,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars

Abstract

An inflatable curtain airbag can be used to cushion an occupant during a vehicle collision as well as retaining the occupant within the vehicle during a rollover event. Curtain airbags that do not extend to the vehicle'"'"'s waist line may allow the occupant to fit between the bottom of the curtain airbag and the waistline, and thereby be ejected from the vehicle. This risk is increased with vehicles that do not have vertical pillars between the doors and windows of the vehicle. Increasing an inflation gas volume capacity of a lower portion of the airbag, may mitigate the risk of occupant ejection, if the increased volume portion of the curtain overlaps the vehicle pillars. The lower portion of the curtain airbag may have a first chamber and a separate second chamber.

Claims

1. An inflatable curtain airbag for use in a vehicle with a first and a second pillar, which are not perpendicular to a vertical axis of a vehicle and that are bowed with respect to a cabin of the vehicle such that the pillars expand away from the interior of the cabin from a top to a bottom of each pillar, the airbag comprising:

an inflatable curtain airbag comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the bottom portion comprises a horizontally oriented chamber that extends from a first pillar to a second pillar of a vehicle, and

wherein the bottom portion of the airbag does not extend below a waist line of the vehicle,

wherein the bottom portion comprises a volume that is greater than the upper portion, and

wherein the bottom portion of the curtain airbag abuts the bottom of each non-horizontal, bowed pillar when the airbag is in a deployed configuration.

2. The inflatable curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion is configured for extension between the first pillar that is a B-pillar and the second pillar that is a C-pillar.

3. The inflatable curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion comprises a plurality of inflation cells, and wherein each inflation cell that is located adjacent to each of the first and second pillars comprises a larger volume than each of the inflation cells not located adjacent to the first and second pillars.

4. The inflatable curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the top portion and the bottom portion of the curtain airbag are each located an equal distance from inner surfaces of the first pillar and the second pillar.

5. An inflatable curtain airbag for use in a vehicle with a first and a second pillar, which are not perpendicular to a vertical axis of a vehicle and that are bowed with respect to a cabin of the vehicle such that the pillars expand away from the interior of the cabin from a top to a bottom of each pillar, the airbag comprising:

an inflatable curtain airbag comprising a top portion and a bottom portion, and wherein the bottom portion comprises a horizontally oriented chamber that extends from a first pillar to a second pillar of the vehicle, and

wherein the bottom portion of the airbag does not extend below a waist line of the vehicle,

wherein the bottom portion comprises a volume that is greater than the upper portion,

wherein the curtain airbag has a side elevation cross-sectional shape that is pear-shaped such that the bottom portion comprises a volume that is greater than the upper portion, and

wherein the bottom portion of the curtain airbag abuts the bottom of each non-vertical, bowed pillar when the airbag is in a deployed configuration.

6. The inflatable curtain airbag of claim 5, wherein the airbag curtain has a surface facing the pillars that follows the contours of the pillars such that the surface is located at an approximately equal distance from the top to the bottom of each pillar.

7. The inflatable curtain airbag of claim 5, wherein the bottom portion is configured for extension between a first pillar that is a B-pillar and the second pillar is a C-pillar.

8. An inflatable airbag assembly for use in a vehicle with a first and a second pillar, which are not perpendicular to a vertical axis of a vehicle and that are bowed with respect to a cabin of the vehicle such that the pillars expand away from the interior of the cabin from the top to the bottom of each pillar, the airbag comprising:

a first inflator; and

an inflatable curtain airbag fluidly coupled to the first inflator,

wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a top portion and a bottom portion,

wherein the bottom portion has a first chamber and a second chamber that comprises a separate horizontally oriented chamber that extends from a first pillar to a second pillar of a vehicle,

wherein the bottom portion of the airbag does not extend below a waist line of the vehicle,

wherein the bottom portion comprises a volume that is greater than the upper portion, and

wherein the bottom portion of the curtain airbag abuts the bottom of each non-horizontal, bowed pillar when the airbag is in a deployed configuration.

9. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the second chamber is located between the bottom portion of the inflatable curtain airbag and each of the pillars.

10. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the second chamber abuts each of the first and second pillars, when the inflatable curtain airbag is in a deployed configuration.

11. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the bottom portion is configured for extension between a first pillar that is a B-pillar and the second pillar is a C-pillar.

12. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the second chamber is in fluid communication with the first chamber via a vent that is located at an interface of the first chamber and the second chamber.

13. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein the vent comprises a one-way valve.

14. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are not in directly fluid communication.

15. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, further comprising a second inflator in fluid communication with the second chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are not in fluid communication.