Curtain Airbag with Protective Sheet

• US 20160009246A1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), TRW Safety Systems, Inc. (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen), TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Ryan, Sean Timothy, Abramczyk, Joseph Edward, Sassi, Abdelmonaam, Swiniarski, Michal Jan, Grindle, Barry, Paddock, Jeffrey Charles, Ward, Marcus John Scott, Blackson, Jay, Giaimo, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,637,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A curtain airbag for a motor vehicle includes an inflatable cushion and a protective sheet having an attachment edge attached to the airbag and a free-length extending from the attachment edge. The cushion formed into a folded condition from which it is deployable in a deployment direction, and the free-length of the sheet is positioned adjacent to the deployment direction of the cushion. The airbag is installed in the vehicle to deploy adjacent to a daylight opening of the vehicle. Deployment of the cushion during inflation causes the protective sheet to be drawn along with the cushion in the deployment direction so that the sheet overlays the outboard-facing side of the cushion (between the cushion and the daylight opening) and thereby provides a degree of protection against damage to the cushion that may be caused by, for example, broken window glass.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag installed in a motor vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable cushion folded for deployment in a deployment direction adjacent to a daylight opening of the vehicle; and

a sheet having an attachment edge secured to at least one of the airbag and the vehicle at an outboard side of the folded cushion, a free-length of the sheet extending from the attachment edge and disposed adjacent to the deployment direction of the folded cushion.

2. The curtain airbag of claim 1 wherein the attachment edge is secured to the cushion.

3. The curtain airbag of claim 2 wherein at least one attachment point on the attachment edge is co-located with a zero-length tether connecting an inboard panel and an outboard panel of the cushion.

4. The curtain airbag of claim 1 wherein a distal end of the free-length is folded and positioned adjacent to the deployment direction of the folded cushion.

5. The curtain airbag of claim 1 wherein the free-length is wrapped around the deployment direction of the cushion and positioned on an inboard side of the folded cushion.

6. The curtain airbag of claim 5 wherein a distal end of the free-length is folded and positioned on the inboard side of the folded cushion.

7. The curtain airbag of claim 1 wherein a portion of the free-length adjacent to the attachment edge is folded and positioned on the outboard side of the folded cushion.

8. The curtain airbag of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cushion is adjacent to an upper edge of the daylight opening and the deployment direction is toward a lower edge of the daylight opening.

9. A curtain airbag for a motor vehicle having a stowed condition wherein:

an inflatable cushion is folded for deployment in a deployment direction and has a first side and a second side; and

a sheet is secured to the cushion at an attachment edge on the first side, and a free-length extending from the attachment edge wraps around the deployment direction of the cushion and is positioned on the second side.

10. The curtain airbag of claim 9 wherein at least one attachment point on the attachment edge is co-located with a zero-length tether connecting an inboard panel and an outboard panel of the cushion.

11. The curtain airbag of claim 9 wherein the cushion is folded such that an inboard panel of the cushion contacts the sheet.

12. The curtain airbag of claim 9 wherein a distal end of the free-length is folded and positioned on the second side of the cushion.

13. The curtain airbag of claim 9 wherein the sheet is attached to the cushion at a plurality of attachment points along the attachment edge.

14. The curtain airbag of claim 9 adapted for mounting with at least a portion of the cushion adjacent to an upper edge of a daylight opening and the deployment direction is toward a lower edge of the daylight opening.

15. A method of folding a curtain airbag, the curtain comprising an inflatable cushion and a sheet having an attachment edge attached at least one of the airbag and a vehicle, the method comprising:

folding the cushion into a folded condition from which it is deployable in a deployment direction; and

positioning a free-length of the sheet extending from the attachment edge adjacent to the deployment direction of the cushion.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the positioning step further comprises:

wrapping the free-length around the deployment direction of the folded cushion to position a portion of the free-length on a side of the folded cushion opposite from the attachment edge.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

folding the portion of the free-length positioned on the side of the folded cushion opposite from the attachment edge.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the positioning step further comprises:

folding a distal end of the free-length and wrapping an un-folded portion of the free-length around the deployment direction to position the folded distal end adjacent to a side of the folded cushion opposite from the attachment edge.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the positioning step further comprises:

folding a portion of the free-length adjacent to the attachment edge and positioning the folded portion adjacent to a side of the folded cushion having the attachment edge.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one attachment point on the attachment edge is co-located with a zero-length tether connecting an inboard panel and an outboard panel of the cushion.