Air bag deployment bias apparatus

• US 5,348,343 A
• Filed: 11/01/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Hawthorn, Laura A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/143,888
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 R, 280/728 A, 280/728 B, 280/730 R, 280/731, 280/732, 280/743 R
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00

Abstract

A new and improved apparatus for biasing the direction of air bag deployment includes a box-shaped guide member, preferably of fabric construction, and attached to the air bag module and folded to overlie the folded air bag. The box-shaped guide member has an open bottom and is erected to the box shape upon deployment of the air bag through the air bag opening. The box-shape has an open end wall at the inboard side thereof to define a lateral deployment opening through which the air bag may be deployed laterally, and a top deployment opening through which the air bag may deploy upwardly and rearwardly toward the occupant. The box-shape also includes a top flap which selectively closes off the top deployment opening of the box to bias and divert the deploying air bag through the lateral opening until the top flap is unfolded to an extended position opening the top opening to permit the further deployment of the air bag through the top opening.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having an air bag stored in a folded condition forwardly of a seated occupant and deployable by the introduction of pressurized inflation gas into the air bag to an occupant restraining position relative the seated occupant, the improvement comprising,

apparatus for selectively initiating the deployment of the air bag laterally of the occupant,

said apparatus including a deployment guide member having a normal stored position overlying the folded air bag and deployable toward the occupant by the deploying air bag,

said guide member having at least an end wall pleated inwardly to lie on top of the folded air bag, and a top flap hingedly connected to the end wall and folded to lie on top of the pleated end wall in a closed top position so that initial deployment of the air bag unpleats the end wall and permits the top flap to shift toward the occupant and then bias initial deployment of the air bag laterally of the occupant when the top flap is held in the folded position until the eventual unfolding of the top flap permits subsequent unbiased deployment of the air bag toward the occupant.

2. In a vehicle having an air bag stored in a folded condition beneath a vehicle instrument panel positioned forwardly of a seated occupant and deployable through an opening in the panel by the introduction of pressurized inflation gas into the air bag to an occupant restraining position relative the seated occupant, the improvement comprising,

a deployment guide member of flexible foldable material including a rearward wall and a side wall attached to the vehicle and folded overtop the folded air bag so that the rearward and side walls are deployed through the panel opening ahead of the deploying air bag to define an air bag deployment chute having a lateral deployment opening opposite an end wall and a top deployment opening which registers with the deployment of opening of the instrument panel, and

said end wall having an extended flap portion extending beyond the dimensional extent of the rearward wall and being folded overtop the folded air bag in the stored position so that the flap portion closes the top opening of the chute to bias the air bag deployment through the lateral opening until the flap portion is unfolded to an extended position opening the top opening of the chute to permit further deployment of the air bag through the top opening.

3. In a vehicle having an air bag stored in a folded condition beneath a vehicle panel positioned forwardly of a seated occupant and deployable through an opening in the panel by the introduction of pressurized inflation gas into the air bag to an occupant restraining position relative the seated occupant, the improvement comprising,

apparatus for selectively initiating the deployment of the air bag laterally of the occupant,

said apparatus including a deployment guide member having a normal stored position overlying the folded air bag and deployable through the panel opening by the deploying air bag,

said guide member having a box shape with an open bottom admitting the deploying the air bag and forward, rearward and outboard side walls deployable from the stored position on top the folded air bag to a deployed position,

a top flap hingedly connected to the outboard side wall for movement between a closed top position and an open top position, and

an open inboard side through which the air bag obtains initial deployment laterally of the occupant when the top flap is held in the closed top position.

4. In a vehicle having an air bag stored in a folded condition beneath a vehicle instrument panel positioned forwardly of a seated occupant and deployable through an opening in the panel by the introduction of pressurized inflation gas into the air bag to an occupant restraining position relative the seated occupant, the improvement comprising,

a deployment guide member of flexible foldable material including forward and rearward walls attached to the vehicle and folded overtop the folded air bag so that the forward and rearward walls are deployed through the panel opening ahead of the deploying air bag,

said guide member including an end wall connecting the forward and rearward walls at one end thereof so that the forward and rearward walls and the end wall define an air bag deployment chute having a lateral deployment opening at the end of the forward and rearward walls opposite the end wall and a top deployment opening which registers with the deployment of opening of the instrument panel, and

said end wall having an extended flap portion extending beyond the dimensional extent of the forward and rearward walls and being folded overtop the folded air bag in the stored position so that the flap portion closes the top opening of the chute to bias the air bag deployment through the lateral opening until the flap portion is unfolded to an extended position opening the top opening of the chute to permit further deployment of the air bag through the top opening.