Roof Mounted Rear Seat Airbag Safety Cage

• US 20160031401A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jaradi, Dean M., Farooq, Iskander, Faruque, Mohammed Omar
• Granted Patent: US 9,321,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

Described herein is a rear seat airbag deployment system, a rear seat airbag of the rear seat airbag deployment system, and a method of deploying the rear seat airbag. The rear seat airbag is configured in a substantially ‘U’ shape to encompass both the front and rear sides of rear seat occupants when the rear seat airbag is deployed. It follows that the rear seat airbag provides a safety cage that surrounds rear seat passengers upon deployment. Exemplary embodiments may further include an airbag deployment tool for gathering vehicle state information, analyzing the vehicle state information, determining whether to deploy one or more airbags, and controlling the deployment of the rear seat airbag.

Claims

1. A vehicle rear seat airbag deployment system, comprising:

a roof railing attached to a rear seat airbag; and

,

a processor in communication with an inflator, configured to;

receive sensor information;

in response to analyzing the sensor information, control the inflator to inflate a first and second section of the rear seat airbag, above and to fall below the rear seat, respectively.

2. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 1, wherein the rear seat airbag is configured to fall from a ceiling above a rear seating area to surround the rear seating area on a passenger side, driver side, and front side of the rear seating area when the processor controls the inflator to inflate the rear seat airbag.

3. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 1, wherein the roof railing portion is comprised of a driver side roof rail, a passenger side roof rail, and a center cross member.

4. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 3, wherein the inflator is a single inflator attached to the center cross member and configured to inflate the rear seat airbag.

5. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor information includes occupant classification information received from one or more occupant classification sensors identifying whether a passenger is seated in a rear seating area of the vehicle, and vehicle impact information received from one or more impact sensors identifying whether the vehicle has suffered an impact.

6. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the vehicle sensor information to:

determine whether a passenger is seated in the rear seating area of the vehicle based on the occupant classification information;

determine whether the vehicle has suffered an impact that surpasses an impact threshold for deploying the rear seat airbag based on the vehicle impact information; and

control the inflator to inflate the rear seat airbag when a passenger is determined to be seated in the rear seating area and the vehicle is determined to have suffered an impact that surpasses the impact threshold.

7. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 5, wherein the occupant classification information includes child presence information identifying whether a child is seated in the rear seating area.

8. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the vehicle sensor information to:

determine whether a child is seated in the rear seating area of the vehicle based on the child presence information;

determine whether the vehicle has suffered an impact that surpasses an impact threshold for deploying the rear seat airbag based on the vehicle impact information; and

control the inflator to not inflate the rear seat airbag when a child is determined to be seated in the rear seating area even though the vehicle is determined to have suffered an impact that surpasses the impact threshold.

9. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 5, wherein the occupant classification information comprises weight information for a passenger seated in the rear seating area received from one or more weight measuring occupant classification sensors.

10. The rear seat airbag deployment system of claim 5, wherein the occupant classification information comprises passenger presence information received from one or more infrared proximity sensing occupant classification sensors.

11. A method for deploying a rear seat airbag attached to a roof railing in a vehicle, comprising:

by a processor in communication with an inflator;

receiving sensor information; and

in response to analyzing the sensor information, controlling the inflator to inflate a first and second section of the rear seat airbag, above and to fall below the rear seat, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the rear seat airbag comprises:

controlling a single inflator to inflate the rear seat airbag to fall from the ceiling above the rear seating area to surround the rear seating area on a passenger side, driver side, and front side of the rear seating area.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the rear seat airbag is attached to a roof railing portion by a plurality of connectors, the roof railing portion comprised of a driver side roof rail, a passenger side roof rail, and a center cross member.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of connectors is one of a plurality of tethering members, hooking members, or velcro attachment members.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle sensor information includes occupant classification information received from one or more occupant classification sensors identifying whether a passenger is seated in a rear seating area of the vehicle, and vehicle impact information received from one or more impact sensors identifying whether the vehicle has suffered an impact.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein analyzing the vehicle sensor information comprises:

determining whether a passenger is seated in the rear seating area of the vehicle based on the occupant classification information;

determining whether the vehicle has suffered an impact that surpasses an impact threshold for deploying the rear seat airbag based on the vehicle impact information; and

controlling the inflator to inflate the rear seat airbag when a passenger is determined to be seated in the rear seating area and the vehicle is determined to have suffered an impact that surpasses the impact threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupant classification information includes child presence information identifying whether a child is seated in the rear seating area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing the vehicle sensor information comprises:

determining whether a child is seated in the rear seating area of the vehicle based on the child presence information;

determining whether the vehicle has suffered an impact that surpasses an impact threshold for deploying the rear seat airbag based on the vehicle impact information; and

controlling the inflator to not inflate the rear seat airbag when a child is determined to be seated in the rear seating area even though the vehicle is determined to have suffered an impact that surpasses the impact threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupant classification information comprises weight information for a passenger seated in the rear seating area received from one or more weight measuring occupant classification sensors.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupant classification information comprises passenger presence information received from one or more infrared proximity sensing occupant classification sensors.