VEHICLE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG WITH LATERALLY EXTENDING THORACIC CHAMBER

• US 20150061267A1
• Filed: 09/05/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Deng, Zhibing, Dong, Michael, Dutt, Harish Honnavalli
• Granted Patent: US 9,139,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A vehicle side impact airbag has an inflator, a main inflatable chamber disposed for contact with the side arm of the vehicle occupant when inflated, and a separate laterally extending thoracic chamber in metered fluid communication with the main inflatable chamber of the side airbag extending laterally into the passenger compartment. The laterally extending thoracic chamber of the airbag is disposed for contact with the lower thoracic region of the vehicle occupant below the occupant side arm when inflated, whereby the side airbag simultaneously engages the occupant lower thoracic region and side arm when inflated.

Claims

1. A side airbag for a restraining a vehicle occupant situated within a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle during a vehicle side impact event, wherein the vehicle occupant has an upper and lower thoracic region and a side arm, the side airbag having an inflator, a main inflatable chamber disposed for contact with the side arm of the vehicle occupant when inflated, and a separate laterally extending thoracic chamber in fluid communication with the main inflatable chamber of the side airbag extending laterally into the passenger compartment and disposed for contact with the lower thoracic region of the vehicle occupant below the occupant side arm when inflated, whereby the side airbag simultaneously engages the occupant lower thoracic region and side arm when inflated.

2. The side airbag of claim 1, wherein the main inflatable chamber has an inner and outer panel and the laterally extending thoracic chamber comprises a third panel sealingly attached to the inner panel of the main inflation chamber.

3. The side airbag of claim 2, wherein fluid communication between the main inflatable chamber and the laterally extending thoracic chamber is obtained through an internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber.

4. The side airbag of claim 3, wherein the inflator inflates the main inflatable chamber at a first predetermined rate of pressure increase and the internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber inflates the laterally extending thoracic chamber at a second predetermined rate of pressure increase.

5. The side airbag of claim 4, wherein the first predetermined rate of pressure increase in the main inflatable chamber exceeds the second predetermined rate of pressure increase in the laterally extending thoracic chamber.

6. The side airbag of claim 1, wherein the laterally extending thoracic chamber has a forward edge and a rearward edge, wherein the forward edge is disposed lower than the rearward edge.

7. The side airbag of claim 2, wherein the main inflatable chamber has an outer periphery and the laterally extending thoracic chamber has an outer periphery having a first portion thereof coinciding with and attached to a lower portion of the outer periphery of the main inflatable chamber and the laterally extending thoracic chamber outer periphery has a second portion attached to the inner panel of the main inflation chamber.

8. The side airbag of claim 7, wherein the second portion of the outer periphery of the laterally extending thoracic chamber outer periphery forms an inclined seam between the main inflation chamber and the laterally extending thoracic chamber along the inner panel of the main inflation chamber.

9. The side airbag of claim 2, wherein the laterally extending thoracic chamber comprises a third panel disposed substantially over and attached about a periphery of a lower portion of the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber and the lower portion of the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber includes an internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber to provide controlled fluid communication between the laterally extending thoracic chamber and the main inflatable chamber of the side airbag.

10. The side airbag of claim 9, wherein the third panel of the laterally extending thoracic chamber has an external vent to control the rate of pressure increase and decrease therein during the side impact event.

11. The side airbag of claim 10, wherein the inflator inflates the main inflatable chamber at a first predetermined rate of pressure increase and the internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber and the external vent in the third panel of the laterally extending thoracic chamber cooperate to inflate the laterally extending thoracic chamber at a second predetermined rate of pressure increase.

12. The side airbag of claim 11, wherein the first predetermined rate of pressure increase in the main inflatable chamber exceeds the second predetermined rate of pressure increase in the laterally extending thoracic chamber.

13. A side airbag having an inflator, a main inflatable chamber disposed for contact with a side arm of a vehicle occupant when inflated, and a laterally extending thoracic chamber in fluid communication with the main inflatable chamber extending laterally into a vehicle passenger compartment and disposed for contact with a thoracic region of the occupant when inflated, whereby the side airbag simultaneously engages the thoracic region and side arm when inflated.

14. The side airbag of claim 13, wherein the wherein the thoracic region of the vehicle occupant comprises an upper thoracic region and a lower thoracic region and the laterally extending thoracic chamber engages the lower thoracic region below the occupant side arm when inflated.

15. The side airbag of claim 13, wherein the main inflatable chamber comprises an inner and outer panel and the laterally extending thoracic chamber comprises a third panel attached to the inner panel of the main inflation chamber and fluid communication between the main inflatable chamber and the laterally extending thoracic chamber is obtained through an internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber, whereby the inflator inflates the main inflatable chamber at a first predetermined rate of pressure increase and the internal vent in the inner panel of the main inflatable chamber inflates the laterally extending thoracic chamber at a second predetermined rate of pressure increase.

16. The side airbag of claim 15, wherein the predetermined rate of pressure increase in the laterally extending thoracic chamber can be selectively adjusted to modify the pressure in the laterally extending thoracic chamber.

17. The side airbag of claim 13, wherein the thoracic region includes an upper thoracic region and a lower thoracic region and the whereby the side airbag simultaneously engages the lower thoracic region and side arm when inflated.

18. A method of providing occupant protection to a vehicle occupant situated within a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle during a vehicle side impact event, wherein the vehicle occupant has an upper and lower thoracic region and a side arm, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a side airbag directed laterally into the laterally into the passenger compartment, the side airbag having an inflator, a main inflatable chamber disposed for contact with the side arm of the vehicle occupant when inflated, and a separate laterally extending thoracic chamber in fluid communication with the main inflatable chamber via an internal vent of the side airbag extending laterally into the passenger compartment and disposed for contact with the lower thoracic region of the vehicle occupant below the occupant side arm when inflated, and

inflating the side airbag to simultaneously engage the occupant lower thoracic region and side arm.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of inflating the main inflatable chamber at a first predetermined rate of pressure increase and inflating the laterally extending thoracic chamber at a second predetermined rate of pressure increase.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first predetermined rate of pressure increase in the main inflatable chamber exceeds the second predetermined rate of pressure increase in the laterally extending thoracic chamber.