COST-EFFECTIVE USE OF ONE-PIECE WOVEN FABRIC FOR CURTAIN AIRBAGS
First Claim
1. An airbag assembly for disposition proximate a roof of a vehicle to shield a vehicle occupant from impacting at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the airbag assembly comprising:
- an inflatable curtain airbag having a stowed configuration proximate the roof of the vehicle and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable curtain airbag deploys downward between the vehicle occupant and the at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the inflatable curtain airbag comprising a peripheral juncture that defines;
a first chamber and a second chamber interior to the peripheral juncture; and
a non-inflating peripheral region exterior to the peripheral juncture, the non-inflating peripheral region comprises a top portion positioned above the first and second chambers in the deployed configuration;
a fabric shield comprising a first fabric layer formed as a single piece with the top portion;
wherein, in the stowed configuration, the first fabric layer is wrapped at least partially around a length of the inflatable curtain airbag; and
a tether comprising a first end formed as a single piece with the non-inflating peripheral region and a second end securable to the vehicle, wherein the tether comprises a first segment obtained from a first portion of the non-inflating peripheral region and a second segment obtained from a second portion of the non-inflating peripheral region displaced from the first portion, wherein the second segment is positioned to at least partially overlie the first segment;
wherein, to move the inflatable curtain airbag from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, the first chamber inflates and the second chamber inflates forward of the first chamber;
wherein the top portion comprises a rearward section defining an upper boundary of the first chamber, and a forward section defining an upper boundary of the second chamber;
wherein, in the deployed configuration, the forward section is vertically offset from the rearward section such that the forward section is higher than a portion of the rearward section adjacent to the forward section.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An airbag assembly for disposition proximate a roof of a vehicle to shield a vehicle occupant from impacting at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the airbag assembly comprising:
-
an inflatable curtain airbag having a stowed configuration proximate the roof of the vehicle and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable curtain airbag deploys downward between the vehicle occupant and the at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the inflatable curtain airbag comprising a peripheral juncture that defines; a first chamber and a second chamber interior to the peripheral juncture; and a non-inflating peripheral region exterior to the peripheral juncture, the non-inflating peripheral region comprises a top portion positioned above the first and second chambers in the deployed configuration; a fabric shield comprising a first fabric layer formed as a single piece with the top portion;
wherein, in the stowed configuration, the first fabric layer is wrapped at least partially around a length of the inflatable curtain airbag; anda tether comprising a first end formed as a single piece with the non-inflating peripheral region and a second end securable to the vehicle, wherein the tether comprises a first segment obtained from a first portion of the non-inflating peripheral region and a second segment obtained from a second portion of the non-inflating peripheral region displaced from the first portion, wherein the second segment is positioned to at least partially overlie the first segment; wherein, to move the inflatable curtain airbag from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, the first chamber inflates and the second chamber inflates forward of the first chamber; wherein the top portion comprises a rearward section defining an upper boundary of the first chamber, and a forward section defining an upper boundary of the second chamber; wherein, in the deployed configuration, the forward section is vertically offset from the rearward section such that the forward section is higher than a portion of the rearward section adjacent to the forward section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An airbag assembly for disposition proximate a roof of a vehicle to shield a vehicle occupant from impacting at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the airbag assembly comprising:
-
an inflatable curtain airbag having a stowed configuration proximate the roof of the vehicle and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable curtain airbag deploys downward between the vehicle occupant and the at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the inflatable curtain airbag comprising an a peripheral juncture that defines, interior to the peripheral juncture, a first chamber, and, exterior to the peripheral juncture, a non-inflating peripheral region; and a fabric shield comprising a first fabric layer formed as a single piece with the non-inflating peripheral region; wherein, in the stowed configuration, the first fabric layer is wrapped at least partially around a length of the inflatable curtain airbag; wherein the first chamber inflates to move the inflatable airbag curtain from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification