Tether guided inflatable sail panel

• US 7,841,621 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dix, Jeffery Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris; Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US12/790,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An airbag assembly can include a side curtain airbag having an inflatable curtain portion and an inflatable sail portion, and a first fold of the sail portion with respect to the curtain portion prior to folding the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in the vehicle. The curtain portion is disposed rearward of the first fold and the sail portion is disposed at least partially forward of the first fold. A tether has a first end attached to the side curtain airbag rearward of the first fold and a second end attachable to a structural pillar of the vehicle for guiding a direction of expansion of the sail portion during inflation.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly, comprising:

a side curtain airbag having an inflatable curtain portion and an inflatable sail portion;

a first fold of the sail portion with respect to the curtain portion prior to folding the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in a vehicle, wherein the curtain portion is disposed rearward of the first fold and the sail portion is disposed at least partially forward of the first fold;

a tether having a first end attached to the side curtain airbag rearward of the first fold and a second end attachable to a structural pillar of the vehicle for guiding a direction of expansion of the sail portion during inflation; and

a first aperture formed through the side curtain airbag forward of the first fold, wherein the side curtain airbag is operably engaged with the tether at the first aperture for guiding the direction of expansion of the sail portion during inflation.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a foremost attachment point of the side curtain airbag with respect to the vehicle, wherein the curtain portion is disposed rearward of the foremost attachment point and the sail portion is disposed forward of the foremost attachment point.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 2, wherein the first fold is forward of the foremost anchor point.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the sail portion is operably engaged with the tether forward of first fold for guiding the direction of expansion of the sail portion during inflation.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the sail portion includes a first inflatable chamber portion disposed between the first aperture and the first fold.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein an upper end of the first inflatable chamber portion extends above the first aperture.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the sail portion includes a second inflatable chamber portion disposed below the first aperture and fluidly coupling the first inflatable chamber portion of the sail portion to the inflatable curtain portion.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a second aperture formed through the side curtain airbag and positioned such that the first fold is disposed between the first aperture and the second aperture, wherein the side curtain airbag is operably engaged with the tether at the second aperture for guiding the direction of expansion of the sail portion during inflation.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a first eyelet, wherein the first aperture is defined by the first eyelet; and

a second eyelet, wherein the second aperture is defined by the second eyelet.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the side curtain airbag is non-inflatable directly adjacent to the first aperture, the second aperture, and the first end of the tether.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the sail portion includes a first inflatable chamber portion disposed between the first and second apertures and an upper end of the first inflatable chamber extends above the first aperture.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein the sail portion includes a second inflatable chamber portion disposed below the first aperture.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein the tether further includes a central portion between the first and second ends, and wherein the first end of the tether is attached on a first side of the side curtain airbag and the central portion is disposed on a second side of the side curtain airbag opposite the first side of the side curtain airbag.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 13, wherein the first side of the side curtain airbag is an outboard side of the side curtain airbag and the second side of the side curtain airbag is an inboard side of the side curtain airbag when the side curtain airbag is inflated.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a second fold of the sail portion with respect to the curtain portion prior to folding the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in the vehicle, wherein the first fold and the second fold cooperate to define a Z-shaped fold of the sail portion with respect to the curtain portion.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

an accordion fold of the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in the vehicle.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

a roll fold of the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in the vehicle.

18. The airbag assembly of claim 15 further comprising:

a combination of an accordion fold and a roll fold of the side curtain airbag into a stowed condition for installation in the vehicle.

19. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the first fold is generally vertically oriented with respect to the vehicle when the sail portion is inflated.