VEHICLE WITH AN INSTRUMENT PANEL

• US 20140183847A1
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: RICK, Ulrich, DAAB, Christoph, SATERDAG, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/095,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20140183847A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards

Abstract

An instrument panel is integrated into the vehicle, and extends from the driver to the passenger side in a longitudinal extension. The vehicle encompasses a steering wheel, which is arranged on the driver side, and protrudes from the instrument panel in a direction oriented opposite the traveling direction of the vehicle. The vehicle exhibits an airbag module with at least one airbag, which is integrated into the instrument panel in front of the steering wheel as viewed in the traveling direction. The airbag is designed to inflate when and/or after activated out of an opening arranged in the instrument panel in an inflating direction oriented in the direction of an upper body position of the driver. The instrument panel encompasses a guiding ramp, which is designed to guide the airbag over the steering wheel as it being inflated in the inflating direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle with a driver side and a passenger side, comprising:

an instrument panel is integrated into the vehicle that extends from the driver side to the passenger side in a longitudinal extension,

a steering wheel arranged on the driver side, and protruding from the instrument panel in a direction oriented opposite a traveling direction of the vehicle;

an airbag module with an airbag integrated into the instrument panel in front of the steering wheel as viewed in the traveling direction, wherein the airbag is configured to inflate based at least in part on an opening arranged in the instrument panel in an inflating direction oriented in the direction of an upper body position of the driver; and

a guiding ramp that is configured to guide the airbag at least over the steering wheel upon inflation in the inflating direction.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp at least partially bridges a gap between the instrument panel and the steering wheel in the direction oriented opposite the traveling direction.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp runs past the steering wheel in the inflating direction of the airbag and in an imaginary extension of the guiding ramp.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp protrudes from the instrument panel and adjusted substantially parallel to the inflating direction of the airbag.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp is arranged between the opening in the instrument panel and the steering wheel in the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp in an end region of the guiding ramp oriented toward the opening comprises a width in the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel that corresponds to a width of the opening.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp is arranged centrally to the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel between the driver side and the passenger side.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in

wherein that the airbag module is arranged centrally between the driver side and the passenger side in the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel, and

wherein the airbag is a central airbag for substantially simultaneously protecting an upper body and a head of the driver and the passenger.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp forms a first hood section for functional elements of the vehicle that are integrated into the instrument panel between the driver side and the passenger side.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guiding ramp passes over to an upper side of the instrument panel panel oriented toward the a windshield of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the guiding ramp perpendicular to the inflating direction of the airbag comprises a trough-like recess that is configured to stabilize and directionally guide the airbag.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the instrument panel encompasses a second hood section for instrument displays arranged on the driver side and in the instrument panel in front of the steering wheel as viewed in the traveling direction, and

wherein the first hood section and the second hood section are joined as a single piece, formed of a single material, and form a common hood.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the common hood extends from the driver side up to at least a center of the instrument panel.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the common hood extends over at least approximately 35% of the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the common hood extends at least partially along the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel in a wavelike fashion, and

wherein at least one wave section of the common hood forms the guiding ramp.

16. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the common hood extends over at least approximately at least 45% of the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel.

17. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the common hood extends over at least approximately 55% of the longitudinal extension of the instrument panel.