Inflatable curtain module for use in a vehicle

• US 6,848,708 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gammill, Kurt L., Young, Anthony M., Green, David J., Rink, Karl K., Dinsdale, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C
• Application Number:
  US10/100,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20030178820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/749, 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.2, 280/737, 280/736, 280/741
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An inflatable curtain module is disclosed, where the inflatable curtain module has an inflator, and an inflatable curtain. The inflator may have a biaxial flow providing a gas input into two separate inflatable cushions. The cushions may be different sizes or volumes. Alternatively, other inflatable curtain modules may incorporate multiple inflators and multiple cushions to create an inflatable curtain module. The multiple inflators can be employed to provide two gas inputs into a single inflatable cushion. An inflatable curtain module may also be created from a number of generically sized cushions and inflators that are assembled into an inflatable curtain module for a wide range of vehicles.

Claims

1. An inflatable curtain module for use in a vehicle comprising:

a generally elongated inflator having a gas chamber, wherein the gas chamber has a first end, and a second end, wherein a first orifice is located in the first end and a second orifice is located in the second end, such that the gas chamber is substantially positioned between the first orifice and the second orifice, wherein gas is able to flow along a substantially straight path to reach the first orifice from the gas chamber wherein the first orifice and the second orifice are closed by respective burst disks that open to allow gas to exit the inflator from the first and second orifices; and

an inflatable curtain, comprising at least one cushion, fluidly coupled to the inflator.

2. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 1, wherein the inflatable curtain comprises a first protection zone and a second protection zone.

3. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first protection zone is a first cushion and the second protection zone is a second cushion.

4. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 3, wherein the first cushion is fluidly coupled to the first orifice and the second cushion is fluidly coupled to the second orifice.

5. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first protection zone and the protection zone are the same size.

6. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first protection zone and the second protection zone are different sizes.

7. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first protection zone and the second protection zone are not in fluid communication.

8. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first protection zone and the second protection zone are portions of a single cushion.

9. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 1, wherein the inflatable curtain has a first inlet port and a second inlet port.

10. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 9, wherein the first inlet port is fluidly coupled to the first orifice and the second inlet port is fluidly coupled to the second orifice.

11. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 9, wherein the inflator is directly connected to the first inlet port and the second inlet port, wherein the first and second inlet ports extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inflator to convey gas to the inflatable curtain along the longitudinal axis.

12. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a tether for securing a portion of the inflatable curtain to a structural member of a vehicle.

13. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 12, wherein the inflatable curtain has a fore section and an aft section corresponding to a fore section and an aft section of the vehicle.

14. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 13, wherein the tether is configured to attach the fore section of the inflatable curtain to the fore section of the vehicle and wherein the tether is configured to attach the aft section of the inflatable curtain to the aft section of the vehicle.

15. An inflatable curtain module for use in a vehicle comprising:

a first inflator having a gas chamber, wherein the gas chamber has a first end, a second end, a first orifice, and a second orifice, wherein the gas chamber maintains a gas source, wherein the first orifice is located in the first end and the second orifice is located in the second end, such that the gas chamber is positioned between the first orifice and the second orifice, wherein gas is able to flow along a substantially straight path to reach the first orifice from the gas chamber, wherein the first orifice and the second orifice are closed by respective burst disks; and

an inflatable curtain comprising a first protection zone fluidly coupled to the first orifice and a second protection zone fluidly coupled to the second orifice, wherein the first and second protection zones are formed separately from each other and are attached together to provide the

16. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 15, wherein the first protection zone is a first cushion and the second protection zone is a second cushion.

17. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 15, wherein the first protection zone and the second protection zone are not in fluid communication.

18. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 15, wherein the first protection zone and the second protection zone are attached together by a tether.

19. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 15, further comprising a second inflator having a gas chamber and first orifice fluidly coupled to a third protection zone of the inflatable curtain.

20. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 19, wherein the first protection zone is similarly sized to the third protection zone.

21. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 19, wherein the second protection zone is a different size than the first protection zone and the third protection zone.

22. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 19, wherein the first orifice and the second orifice of the first inflator are located on a first axis and the first orifice and the second orifice of the second inflator are located on a second axis.

23. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 22, wherein the first axis and the second axis are coaxial.

24. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 19, wherein the second inflator further comprises a second orifice fluidly coupled to the second protection zone of the inflatable curtain.

25. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 15, further comprising a tether for securing a portion of the inflatable curtain to a structural member of a vehicle.

26. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 25, wherein the tether is configured to attach the first protection zone to a first vehicle structural member and the tether is configured to attach the second protection zone to a second vehicle structural member.

27. An inflatable curtain module for use in a vehicle comprising:

a first inflator having a gas chamber, a first orifice, and a second orifice, wherein the gas chamber maintains a gas source;

a second inflator having a gas chamber and a first orifice, wherein the gas chamber of the second inflator maintains a gas source; and

an inflatable curtain fluidly coupled to the first orifice and the second orifice of the first inflator and fluidly coupled to the first orifice of the second inflator such that gases from the first and second inflators intermingle to inflate at least one portion of the inflatable curtain.

28. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 27, wherein the inflatable curtain is comprised of a first protection zone, and a second protection zone.

29. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 28, wherein the first protection zone has a first inlet port, and wherein the second protection zone has a first inlet port and a second inlet port.

30. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 29, wherein the first orifice of the first inflator is located in the first inlet port of the first protection zone.

31. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 30, wherein the second orifice of the first inflator is located in the first inlet port of the second protection zone.

32. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 31, wherein the first orifice of the second inflator is located in the second inlet port of the second protection zone.

33. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 29, wherein the first and second inlet ports of the second protection zone extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first inflator to convey gas to the second protection zone along the longitudinal axis.

34. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 28, wherein the first protection zone is a first cushion and the second protection zone is a second cushion.

35. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 34, wherein the first cushion and the second cushion are different sizes.

36. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 34, wherein the first cushion and the second cushion are the same size.

37. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 34, wherein the first cushion and the second cushion are not in fluid communication.

38. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 27, wherein the inflatable curtain is comprised of a plurality of individual cushions.

39. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 27, further comprising a tether for attaching a portion of the inflatable curtain to a structural member of the vehicle.

40. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 39, wherein the inflatable curtain has a fore section and an aft section corresponding to a fore section and an aft section of the vehicle.

41. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 40, wherein the tether is configured to attach the fore section of the inflatable curtain to the fore section of the vehicle, and wherein the tether is configured to attach the aft section of the inflatable curtain to the aft section of the vehicle.

42. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 27, wherein the first orifice and the second orifice of the first inflator are substantially coaxial.

43. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 27, wherein the first inflator has a first longitudinal axis and the second inflator has a second longitudinal axis.

44. The inflatable curtain module, as recited in claim 43, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially coaxial.