Active venting apparatus and method for airbag systems
First Claim
1. An airbag module for providing impact protection for a vehicle occupant, the airbag module comprising:
- an inflatable protection zone;
a flexible venting tube in gaseous communication with the inflatable protection zone, the flexible venting tube having an exit port configured to permit gas to escape from the inflatable protection zone via the flexible venting tube; and
a closure mechanism configured to restrict gas flow through the exit port and to decrease restriction of gas flow through the exit port in response to receipt of an activation signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Enhanced airbag modules and associated methods are provided. An airbag module according to the invention may have a cushion with an inflatable protection zone and a flexible venting tube coupled to the inflatable protection zone. A closure mechanism may be used to compress the flexible venting tube against an anchoring member, such as a housing of the airbag module or a vehicle feature, until venting through the flexible venting tube is needed. The closure mechanism may then be actuated, for example, by igniting a pyrotechnic within a specially designed bolt of the closure mechanism. The bolt may, for example, have a bore with a pyrotechnic initiator molded-in-place within the bore. The bolt may fracture to open the closure mechanism, thereby permitting inflation gas to flow out of the inflatable protection zone via the flexible venting tube.
78 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An airbag module for providing impact protection for a vehicle occupant, the airbag module comprising:
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an inflatable protection zone; a flexible venting tube in gaseous communication with the inflatable protection zone, the flexible venting tube having an exit port configured to permit gas to escape from the inflatable protection zone via the flexible venting tube; and a closure mechanism configured to restrict gas flow through the exit port and to decrease restriction of gas flow through the exit port in response to receipt of an activation signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An airbag module comprising:
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an airbag having an inflatable protection zone and a closure mechanism comprising a flexible venting tube in gaseous communication with the inflatable protection zone for controlling venting from the airbag; an anchoring member; and a fastener coupled to the anchoring member to compress the flexible venting tube, thereby restricting gas flow through an exit port of the flexible venting tube, wherein the fastener is configured to unfasten in response to receipt of an activation signal to decrease restriction of gas flow through the exit port. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for providing impact protection for an occupant of a vehicle with an airbag module comprising a cushion having an inflatable protection zone in gaseous communication with a flexible venting tube, the flexible venting tube having an exit port configured to permit gas to escape from the inflatable protection zone via the flexible venting tube, the airbag module further comprising a closure mechanism for controlling gas flow through the flexible venting tube, the method comprising:
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inflating the cushion; and actuating the closure mechanism to reduce restriction of gas flow through the exit port of the flexible venting tube to permit gas to escape from the inflatable protection zone of the cushion via the flexible venting tube, wherein actuating the closure mechanism comprises moving the closure mechanism from a closed configuration, in which the closure mechanism grips the flexible venting tube to keep the flexible venting tube substantially flat to restrict gas flow through the exit port, to an open configuration, in which the closure mechanism at least partially releases the flexible venting tube to permit increased gas flow through the exit port wherein actuating the closure mechanism further comprises transmitting an activation signal to the closure mechanism to ignite a pyrotechnic. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for actuating a closure mechanism to control venting from an inflatable protection zone of an airbag module via a flexible venting tube in gaseous communication with the inflatable protection zone, the closure mechanism comprising a fastener, the method comprising:
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transmitting an activation signal to ignite a pyrotechnic; and unfastening the fastener in response to ignition of the pyrotechnic to decrease restriction of gas flow through an exit port of the flexible venting tube. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An airbag module comprising:
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an airbag having an inflatable protection zone; a flexible venting tube in gaseous communication with the inflatable protection zone for controlling venting from the airbag; a first clamping member; and a second clamping member attached to the first clamping member by a fastener so that the first and second clamping members clamp the flexible venting tube in a closed configuration, wherein the fastener is configured to unfasten in response to receipt of an activation signal to permit increased gas flow through the flexible venting tube.
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Specification