Airbag assembly and method of packing

• US 7,926,844 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ching, Cheong (Aaron) Chook, Williams, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US12/100,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

Embodiments herein include inflatable cushion airbag assemblies and methods for folding, rolling, and packing an airbag cushion within a housing such that the cushion deploys with predetermined characteristics.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly comprising:

an inflator configured to expel inflation gas in response to predetermined conditions; and

a packaged inflatable airbag cushion in fluid communication with the inflator,

wherein the cushion is coupled to and contained within a housing,

wherein the cushion comprises two opposing layers of material,

which further comprise a front face and a rear face,

wherein the cushion comprises a throat portion that further comprises a base portion that is coupled to a housing,

wherein the cushion comprises an upper occupant portion, a lower occupant portion, a left portion, and a right portion,

wherein the base portion of the cushion is disposed adjacent to a base portion of the housing,

wherein a bottom portion is been tucked into the lower occupant portion toward the housing, the left and right portions are accordion-folded such that the upper occupant portion and the lower occupant portion each comprise left and right portions that are respectively accordion-folded, and then followed by reverse rolling of the lower occupant portion of the cushion,

wherein the cushion is packaged into the housing in a packaged configuration such that the accordion-folded left and right portions of the upper occupant portion of the cushion are disposed on top of the reverse rolled lower occupant portion of the cushion, and

wherein, in the packaged configuration, the upper occupant portion of the cushion is adjacent to a cabin-proximal side of the housing, such that a center of mass of the packaged lower occupant portion is disposed nearer the base portion of the housing and nearer a cabin-distal side of the housing than is the center of mass of the upper occupant portion.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the tucked bottom portion in the lower occupant portion of the airbag cushion is held in place by tear stitching.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the cushion is deployed from a housing mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle, wherein a top surface of the instrument panel into which the housing is mounted is substantially horizontally oriented such that an exit face of the housing is horizontally oriented such that the exit face is within 60 mm of a windshield.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the windshield is characterized as having a low rake, wherein the cabin-distal side of the housing is about 100 mm from a junction of the instrument panel and the windshield, and wherein the cabin-distal side of the housing is about 60 mm from the windshield, a midpoint of the housing is about 100 mm from the windshield, and the cabin-proximal side of the housing is about 150 mm from the windshield.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the packaged configuration of the airbag cushion enables deployment with predetermined characteristics, comprising:

the upper occupant portion exiting the airbag housing, upon deployment of the airbag cushion, before the lower occupant portion such that the upper occupant portion is at least partially inflated while the lower occupant portion remains reverse rolled and remains within the housing,

the lower occupant portion remaining at least partially reverse rolled while it is pulled out of the airbag housing, and,

the lower occupant portion initially travelling in a direction that is substantially horizontal and then traveling in a direction that is substantially downward and substantially perpendicular to the initial direction of travel of the lower occupant portion such that the lower occupant portion remains in close proximity to an instrument panel throughout deployment of the lower occupant portion.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the tucked the bottom portion into the lower occupant portion yields a leading edge.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein a top portion is tucked into the upper occupant portion toward the housing.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper occupant portion is reversed rolled such that the upper occupant portion comprise left and right portions that are respectively accordion-folded and reverse-rolled.

9. An airbag assembly comprising:

an inflator configured to expel inflation gas in response to predetermined conditions; and

a packaged inflatable airbag cushion in fluid communication with the inflator,

wherein the cushion is coupled to and contained within a housing, wherein the cushion comprises two opposing layers of material, which further comprise a front face, a rear face, a left portion, and a right portion,

wherein the rear face comprises a throat portion that further comprises a base portion that is coupled to a housing, the front face comprising an upper occupant portion and a lower occupant portion,

wherein in a packaged configuration, the base portion of the cushion is disposed adjacent to a base portion of the housing,

wherein a bottom portion is been tucked into the lower occupant portion toward the housing with the cushion removed positioned such that the upper occupant portion and the lower occupant portion extend from the housing in opposing directions, the left and right portions are accordion-folded such that the upper occupant portion and the lower occupant portion each comprise left and right portions that are respectively accordion-folded, and is reversed rolled of the lower occupant portion of the cushion

wherein the cushion is packaged into the housing in the packaged configuration such that the accordion-folded, left and right portions of the upper occupant portion of the cushion are disposed on top of the reverse rolled lower occupant portion of the cushion, and

wherein, in the packaged configuration, a top portion is located adjacent to a cabin-proximal portion of the housing such that the top portion is positioned closer to a cover than the packaged lower occupant portion.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the tucked bottom portion in the lower occupant portion of the airbag cushion is held in place by tear stitching.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the cushion is deployed from a housing mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle, wherein a top surface of the instrument panel into which the housing is mounted is substantially horizontally oriented such that an exit face of the housing is horizontally oriented such that the exit face is within 60 mm of a windshield.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the windshield is characterized as having a low rake, wherein the cabin-distal side of the housing is about 100 mm from a junction of the instrument panel and the windshield, and wherein the cabin-distal side of the housing is about 60 mm from the windshield, a midpoint of the housing is about 100 mm from the windshield, and the cabin-proximal side of the housing is about 150 mm from the windshield.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the packaged configuration of the airbag cushion enables deployment with predetermined characteristics, comprising:

the upper occupant portion exits the airbag housing, upon deployment of the airbag cushion, before the lower occupant portion such that the upper occupant portion is at least partially inflated while the lower occupant portion remains reverse rolled and remains within the housing,

the lower occupant portion remaining at least partially reverse rolled while it is pulled out of the airbag housing, and,

the lower occupant portion initially travels in a direction that is substantially horizontal and then travels in a direction that is substantially downward and substantially perpendicular to the initial direction of travel of the lower occupant portion such that the lower occupant portion remains in close proximity to an instrument panel throughout deployment of the lower occupant portion.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the tucked bottom portion into the lower occupant portion yields a leading edge.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the top portion is tucked into the upper occupant portion toward the housing.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the upper occupant portion is accordion-folded onto itself.