Side impact air bag with head protection region

• US 7,198,293 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Olson, Mark O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/761,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An air bag assembly (20) including air bag (30) having at least a first inflatable region (32) having a plurality of restrictions peripherally located about the inflatable region and configured to restrict the degree of inflation of the air bag proximate the restrictions and configured to permit the first inflatable region of the air bag to achieve its maximum inflation in a region interior to the plurality of restrictions.

Claims

1. An air bag assembly 20 comprising:

an air bag 30 including at least a first inflatable region 32, 34 of determinable size, the inflatable region having a plurality of restrictions 120, 124, 126 peripherally located about the inflatable region, wherein the plurality of restrictions includes a first set of restrictions extending from a top uninflated portion of the air bag toward the central region and a second set of restrictions extending from a bottom uninflated portion so as to form a plurality of inflatable portions 162 having parallel sides, said first and second sets of restrictions being non-overlapping within the bag;

the restrictions configured to permit the first inflatable region of the air bag to achieve its maximum inflatable size in a central region interior to the plurality of restrictions, the central region configured to extend, upon inflation of the air bag, laterally substantially from a front to a rear of the first inflatable region, the size of the central region is determinable by the length of each of the first and second set of restrictions, wherein end or terminus portions of individual restrictions of the first set of restrictions are generally opposingly facing relative to individual restrictions of the second set of restrictions and wherein the individual restrictions of the first and second sets are generally parallel to and laterally off-set from each other.

2. The air bag as defined in claim 1 including the second set of restrictions extending from a bottom uninflated portion of the air bag toward the central region.

3. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:

an inflatable air bag comprising at least a first inflatable region or chamber, the first inflatable chamber or region including opposing panels of flexible material, the first inflatable chamber configured to have a top, middle and lower region, the middle region when the air bag is inflated is configured to be the widest of the top, middle and lower regions;

the lower region including a first plurality of restrictions, which restrict portions of the lower region from inflating, the middle region extending laterally across the first inflatable chamber and being generally parallel to the top and lower regions and not having any restrictions extending through a top and/or lower boundary of a medial region, the top region including a second plurality of restrictions which prevent portions of the top region from inflating, the first inflatable chamber having an uninflatable top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge and a generally opposite second side edge;

the plurality of generally parallel first restrictions includes a first set of restrictions, each restriction of the first set of restrictions which define an inflatable portion 162 having generally parallel sides having a base located in or extending from the bottom edge, a body extending generally pependicular from the base and having a distal end, each distal end located a predetermined distance above the bottom edge and each distal end of the first set of restrictions defining the lower boundary of the middle region;

the plurality of second restrictions includes a second set of restrictions, each restriction of the second set of restrictions having a base, and a body having a distal end, each distal end located a predetermined distance below the top edge and each distal end of the second set of restrictions defining the top upper boundary of the middle region.

4. The curtain air bag according to claim 3 wherein the distal ends of each of the restrictions of the first set of restrictions are located about the same distance from the bottom edge of the air bag.

5. The curtain air bag according to claim 3 wherein the distal ends of the restrictions of the second set of restrictions are located about the same distance from the top edge of the air bag.

6. The curtain air bag according to claim 3 including a third set of restrictions formed generally with a U-shape and configured as a second base having first and second ends and including stems extending from a respective one of the first and second ends of the second base, each of the stems extending to a distal end.

7. The curtain air bag according to claim 6 wherein the second base is spaced from the top edge forming an inflatable region between the second base and the top edge.

8. The curtain air bag according to claim 6 wherein each stem is orientated along a vertical line.

9. A curtain air bag having two major inflatable chambers, the air bag configured to inflate from a folded configuration at or about a roof rail of a vehicle to an inflated condition covering an interior side portion of the vehicle'"'"'s passenger compartment, the passenger compartment including a windowed area, the air bag including a rear facing surface which when inflated faces away from the passenger compartment and lies adjacent the windowed area, the air bag comprising:

a first inflatable chamber having a forward side region which faces a forward portion of the vehicle when the chamber is inflated and an oppositely facing rear side region;

a non-inflatable region having a forward side region operatively secured to the rear side region of the first inflatable chamber and located generally at the rear side region of the first inflatable chamber, the non-inflatable region also including an oppositely facing rear side region as well as a rear facing surface which faces away from the passenger compartment;

the second inflatable chamber having a forward side region operatively secured proximate the rear side of the non-inflatable region, the second inflatable chamber also having a rear side region, and when inflated a rear facing surface of the second inflatable chamber is configured to be placed in front of the windowed area of the vehicle;

a first tether having a first side thereof secured to the forward side region of the first inflatable chamber and having another portion securable to a first portion of the vehicle'"'"'s passenger compartment;

a second tether having a first side region secured proximate the rear side region of the non-inflatable region, the second tether extending behind the rear facing surface of the second inflatable chamber when the second inflatable chamber is inflated, wherein a distal end of the second tether is configured to be secured to the vehicle, the second tether configured to act as a barrier to prevent an occupant of the vehicle from being thrown from the vehicle.

10. An air bag assembly comprising:

an inflatable air bag comprising at least a first inflatable region or chamber, having a plurality of first restrictions, extending generally perpendicular to and vertically upward from a portion of the periphery of the inflatable region, and a second plurality of restrictions, extending generally vertically downward from and generally perpendicular to an opposing portion of the periphery of the inflatable region, each restriction, of the first set is spaced from each other so as to form an inflatable portions 162 there between, wherein individual restrictions of the first restrictions, are each generally misaligned horizontally and non-overlapping vertically relative to opposing individual restrictions of the second restrictions, the opposing and spaced restrictions configured to locally restrict the inflation of the inflatable region between adjacent restrictions and configured to permit the inflatable region to achieve a maximum width in a region generally between opposing restrictions;

wherein an imaginary vertical line beginning from an end point of some of the first restrictions and extending toward some of the second restrictions is positioned between two of the second restrictions.

11. An air bag assembly comprising:

an inflatable air bag comprising at least a first inflatable region or chamber having a forward side and a rear side, the first inflatable region configured to have a medial portion that extends generally from the forward side to the rear side;

the medial portion located generally between a lower portion and an upper portion each of which also extends from the forward side to the rear side, further the first inflatable region includes a plurality of first restrictions 120, extending generally perpendicular to and vertically upward from the lower portion of the first inflatable region, and a plurality of inflatable portions 162 having parallel sides and a second plurality of restrictions 124, extending generally vertically downward from the upper portion the first inflatable region, each of the plurality of first and second restrictions, including a body portion joined to a distal end, wherein the distal end of each of the first plurality of restrictions does not extend through a lower edge of the medial portion and wherein the distal end of each of the second plurality of restrictions does not extend through an upper edge of the medial portion.

12. The air bag assembly according to claim 11 wherein the distal ends of the first plurality of restrictions, are generally laterally misaligned relative to generally individual restrictions of the second plurality of restrictions.

13. The assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein at least some of the distal ends of the second set of restrictions include a stem portion and end portion are formed in a bulbous shape.

14. The assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein the end portions of the first set of restrictions interdigitate relative to the end portions of the second set of restrictions.