VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR OBLIQUE IMPACT

• US 20150343983A1
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Le, Jialiang, Rao, Manoharprasad K., McCoy, Robert William, Cheng, James Chih
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,834 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

An occupant restraint system for a vehicle includes an airbag module disposed in a column cover. The column cover covers a steering column of the vehicle. The airbag module includes an inflator within the column cover and an airbag coupled to the inflator. The airbag is moveable between a deflated position within the cover and a deployed position exiting the cover to the left and upwardly for deployment toward an A-pillar of the vehicle during an oblique impact.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a column cover for covering a steering column of the vehicle;

an airbag module including an inflator within the column cover and an airbag coupled to the inflator;

the airbag being moveable between a deflated position within the column cover and a deployed position exiting the column cover to the left and upwardly for deployment toward an A-pillar of the vehicle during an oblique impact.

2. The occupant restraint system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the column cover includes a cover left side for facing a vehicle left side and wherein the column cover defines an opening on the cover left side when the airbag is in the deployed position.

3. The occupant restraint system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the column cover includes a top and the opening is defined at a location between 0 and −

120 degrees from the top.

4. The occupant restraint system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the airbag is teardrop shaped when in the deployed position.

20. The occupant restraint system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a steering wheel and a driver front airbag on the steering wheel.

5. A vehicle comprising:

an A-pillar;

a steering column;

a column cover supported by the steering column;

an airbag module including an inflator within the column cover and an airbag coupled to the inflator;

the airbag being moveable between a deflated position within the column cover and a deployed position exiting the column cover to the vehicle left side and upwardly to the A-pillar for deployment during an oblique impact of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5 wherein the column cover includes a cover left side facing the vehicle left side and defines an opening on the vehicle left side when the airbag is in the deployed position.

7. The vehicle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the column cover includes a top and the opening is defined at a location between 0 and −

120 degrees from the top.

8. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a driver side door, an instrument panel, and a windshield and wherein the airbag abuts the driver side door, the instrument panel, and the windshield in the deployed position.

9. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5 wherein the airbag is teardrop shaped when in the deployed position.

10. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a steering wheel on the steering column and a front airbag on the steering wheel.

11. The vehicle as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a side curtain airbag with the airbag disposed between the side curtain airbag and the front driver airbag.

21. The vehicle as set forth in claim 10 further comprising an impact sensing system configured to provide instruction to inflate at least one of the airbag and the driver front airbag based on impact conditions.

12. A method of operating an airbag module in a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing the airbag module on a steering column of the vehicle with a column cover covering an inflator; and

deploying an airbag of the airbag module from the column cover toward a vehicle left side and upwardly when the vehicle is involved in an oblique impact;

wherein the airbag is deployed only when the vehicle is involved in the oblique impact.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising deploying the airbag toward an A-pillar of the vehicle.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising deploying the airbag toward a driver side door, an instrument panel, and a windshield of the vehicle.

15. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a deploying a front driver airbag on the steering wheel.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 further comprising deploying a side curtain airbag with the airbag between the front driver airbag and the side curtain airbag.

18. The method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising deploying the airbag through an opening on a left side of the cover.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising deploying the airbag through an opening at a location between 0 and −

120 degrees from a top of the column cover.

17. (canceled)