Expansion-controlled joints in airbags for out-of-position occupants and cushion positioning
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
- a contact panel adapted to receive a vehicle occupant during a collision event;
a reaction panel adapted to abut a surface of a vehicle;
a deployment restraint system attached between the contact and reaction panels, the deployment restraint system being configured to restrict initial expansion of the airbag cushion toward a vehicle occupant in a first direction, the deployment restraint system including a releasable joint having a release trigger attached to a panel of the airbag cushion; and
wherein expansion of the airbag cushion in a second direction at an angle to the first direction of expansion actuates the release trigger, thus enabling the airbag cushion to expand to a fully-inflated state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The application provides airbag cushion deployment restraint systems for use in inflatable airbag cushions. The deployment restraint systems of the invention regulate deployment of an airbag cushion to provide full radial expansion of the cushion prior to final expansion of the cushion toward a vehicle occupant. The deployment restraint systems of the invention thus increase the amount of contact surface area available to a vehicle occupant early in deployment and decrease the force with which the cushion is expanded toward a vehicle occupant during a collision event, thus reducing the likelihood of injury to an out-of-position vehicle occupant.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
-
a contact panel adapted to receive a vehicle occupant during a collision event; a reaction panel adapted to abut a surface of a vehicle; a deployment restraint system attached between the contact and reaction panels, the deployment restraint system being configured to restrict initial expansion of the airbag cushion toward a vehicle occupant in a first direction, the deployment restraint system including a releasable joint having a release trigger attached to a panel of the airbag cushion; and wherein expansion of the airbag cushion in a second direction at an angle to the first direction of expansion actuates the release trigger, thus enabling the airbag cushion to expand to a fully-inflated state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
-
a contact panel positioned to receive a vehicle occupant when deployed; a reaction panel positioned to abut a vehicular surface when deployed; a reaction tether having a first end extending from the reaction panel of the airbag cushion and a second end attached to a panel of the airbag cushion; a limiting tether having a first end extending from the contact panel of the airbag cushion and a second end linked to an intermediate portion of the reaction tether with a releasable joint, wherein the inflated depth of the inflatable airbag cushion is initially limited during inflation by the reaction and limiting tethers until the inflatable airbag cushion has substantially reached a predetermined inflated breadth. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:
-
a contact panel positioned to receive a vehicle occupant when deployed; a reaction panel positioned to abut a vehicular surface when deployed; a reaction tether having a first end extending from the reaction panel of the airbag cushion and a second end attached to a panel of the airbag cushion; a limiting tether having a first end extending from the contact panel of the airbag cushion and a second end linked to an intermediate portion of the reaction tether with a releasable joint, wherein the inflated depth of the inflatable airbag cushion is initially limited during inflation by the limiting tether until the inflatable airbag cushion has substantially reached a predetermined inflated breadth. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
Specification