NECK INJURY MITIGATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
1. A method for reducing injury of an occupant in a vehicle in the event of a crash event, comprising:
- inflating an airbag cushion in the vehicle in front of an occupant;
activating a seatbelt system to restrain the occupant and act on the occupant with predetermined seat belt loads at various locations; and
moderating the seat belt loads acting on the occupant during the crash event to allow synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing which in turn limits head and torso differential loading and therefore occupant neck loads.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Seat belt systems and inflatable airbags can be used to mitigate the potential for injury to an occupant'"'"'s neck. The seat belt systems provide for moderating the seat belt loads acting on the occupant to allow an improved synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing, which in turn limits head and torso differential loading (frontal whiplash) and therefore occupant neck loads and neck, based on the position of the occupant, loads on the seatbelt, or a predetermined time in the crash event. Airbags are also provided with a sloped impact face. Additionally, airbags are also provided with a relatively flat top portion.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for reducing injury of an occupant in a vehicle in the event of a crash event, comprising:
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inflating an airbag cushion in the vehicle in front of an occupant; activating a seatbelt system to restrain the occupant and act on the occupant with predetermined seat belt loads at various locations; and moderating the seat belt loads acting on the occupant during the crash event to allow synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing which in turn limits head and torso differential loading and therefore occupant neck loads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for reducing injury of an occupant in a vehicle in the event of a crash event, comprising:
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inflating an airbag cushion in the vehicle in front of an occupant, wherein the airbag cushion comprises a bottom portion, a top portion, and a sloped impact face between the bottom portion and the top portion, which is directed toward an occupant'"'"'s head in the event of an impact, wherein the face has a bottom that is adjacent to the bottom portion and a top that is adjacent to the top portion, and wherein the face is sloped such that a tangent taken from the bottom of the face upward defines an angle in a range up to about 36°
;activating a seatbelt system to restrain the occupant and act on the occupant with predetermined seat belt loads at various locations; and moderating the seat belt loads acting on the occupant during the crash event to allow synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing which in turn limits head and torso differential loading and therefore occupant neck loads. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for reducing injury of an occupant in a vehicle in the event of a crash event, comprising:
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inflating an airbag cushion in the vehicle in front of an occupant, wherein the airbag cushion comprises a bottom portion, a top portion, and an impact face between the bottom portion and the top portion, which is directed toward an occupant'"'"'s head in the event of an impact, wherein the face has a bottom that is adjacent to the bottom portion and a top that is adjacent to the top portion, and wherein the length of the airbag cushion extending between a lowest point of the bottom portion and the highest point of the top portion is not substantially greater than the length from the thighs of an AM50 dummy to the top of the head of an AM50 dummy when the dummy is in a normal seated position; activating a seatbelt system to restrain the occupant and act on the occupant with predetermined seat belt loads at various locations; and moderating the seat belt loads acting on the occupant during the crash event to allow synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing which in turn limits head and torso differential loading and therefore occupant neck loads. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification