Dual chamber airbag cushions with a safety vent in the front chamber
First Claim
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1. An airbag module comprising:
- an inflatable frontal airbag cushion comprising a cushion membrane which defines an interior of the inflatable airbag cushion,wherein the cushion membrane has a front region configured to be directed toward an occupant in a vehicle when the cushion is deployed,wherein the front region has an upper portion and a lower portion,wherein the cushion membrane has a top region above the upper portion of the front region,wherein the cushion membrane has a bottom region below the lower portion of the front region; and
a partition that divides the interior of the inflatable airbag cushion into a back chamber and a front chamber;
wherein the back chamber is positioned to receive inflation gas directly from an inflator while the front chamber receives inflation gas through the partition from the back chamber;
wherein the back chamber is sized to be inflated to a substantially larger volume than the front chamber;
wherein the front chamber is at least partially defined by the upper portion of the front region and is positioned such that, when inflated, the front chamber cushions an occupant'"'"'s head while the back chamber cushions an occupant'"'"'s chest;
at least one closeable safety vent that is initially open to vent gas from the front chamber; and
a tether coupled to the closeable safety vent and to the front region of the cushion membrane, wherein the tether has a length that permits the closeable safety vent to remain open when the tether is slack and to be adaptively closed as the tether becomes taut;
whereby the front chamber inflates less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber and the closeable safety vent adaptively vents inflation gas based on the obstruction encountered by the front region to control the inflation of front chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag cushion has two chambers to permit the front chamber to inflate less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber. The front chamber has at least one safety vent.
215 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An airbag module comprising:
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an inflatable frontal airbag cushion comprising a cushion membrane which defines an interior of the inflatable airbag cushion, wherein the cushion membrane has a front region configured to be directed toward an occupant in a vehicle when the cushion is deployed, wherein the front region has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the cushion membrane has a top region above the upper portion of the front region, wherein the cushion membrane has a bottom region below the lower portion of the front region; and a partition that divides the interior of the inflatable airbag cushion into a back chamber and a front chamber; wherein the back chamber is positioned to receive inflation gas directly from an inflator while the front chamber receives inflation gas through the partition from the back chamber; wherein the back chamber is sized to be inflated to a substantially larger volume than the front chamber; wherein the front chamber is at least partially defined by the upper portion of the front region and is positioned such that, when inflated, the front chamber cushions an occupant'"'"'s head while the back chamber cushions an occupant'"'"'s chest; at least one closeable safety vent that is initially open to vent gas from the front chamber; and a tether coupled to the closeable safety vent and to the front region of the cushion membrane, wherein the tether has a length that permits the closeable safety vent to remain open when the tether is slack and to be adaptively closed as the tether becomes taut; whereby the front chamber inflates less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber and the closeable safety vent adaptively vents inflation gas based on the obstruction encountered by the front region to control the inflation of front chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An airbag module comprising,
an inflatable frontal airbag cushion comprising a cushion membrane which defines an interior of the inflatable airbag cushion, wherein the cushion membrane has a front region configured to be directed toward an occupant in a vehicle when the cushion is deployed, wherein the front region has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the cushion membrane has a top region above the upper portion of the front region, wherein the cushion membrane has a bottom region below the lower portion of the front region; -
a partition that divides the interior of the inflatable airbag cushion into a back chamber and a front chamber; a partition tether extending from the partition to an interior surface of the airbag cushion to maintain the partition in a configuration such that the front chamber has at least a portion that is surrounded by the back chamber; wherein the back chamber is sized to be inflated to a substantially larger volume than the front chamber such that, when inflated, the back chamber extends from the occupant'"'"'s chest to a windshield of a vehicle; wherein the back chamber is positioned to receive inflation gas directly from an inflator while the front chamber receives inflation gas through the partition from the back chamber; wherein the front chamber is at least partially defined by the upper portion of the front region and is positioned such that, when inflated, the back chamber is between the front chamber and a windshield of a vehicle to minimize contact between the front chamber and the windshield; wherein the partition is positioned such that the front chamber is supported by the base chamber and the front chamber; at least one closeable safety vent that is initially open to vent gas from the front chamber; and a vent tether coupled to the closeable safety vent and to the front region of the cushion membrane, wherein the vent tether has a length that permits the closeable safety vent to remain open when the vent tether is slack and to be adaptively closed as the vent tether becomes taut; whereby the front chamber inflates less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber and the closeable safety vent adaptively vents inflation gas based on the obstruction encountered by the front region to control the inflation of front chamber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An airbag module comprising:
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an inflatable frontal airbag cushion comprising a cushion membrane which defines an interior of the inflatable airbag cushion, wherein the cushion membrane has a front region configured to be directed toward an occupant in a vehicle when the cushion is deployed, wherein the front region has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the cushion membrane has a top region above the upper portion of the front region, wherein the cushion membrane has a bottom region below the lower portion of the front region; a partition that divides the interior of the inflatable airbag cushion into a back chamber and a front chamber; wherein the partition is sewn to the top region, the front region and the side regions in a configuration such that the front chamber has at least a portion that is surrounded by the back chamber; wherein the back chamber is sized to be inflated to a substantially larger volume than the front chamber such that, when inflated, the back chamber extends from the occupant'"'"'s chest to a windshield of a vehicle; wherein the back chamber is positioned to receive inflation gas directly from an inflator while the front chamber receives inflation gas through the partition from the back chamber; wherein the front chamber is at least partially defined by the upper portion of the front region and is positioned such that, when inflated, the back chamber is between the front chamber and a windshield of a vehicle to minimize contact between the front chamber and the windshield; wherein the partition is positioned such that the front chamber is supported by the base chamber and the front chamber; at least one closeable safety vent that is initially open to vent gas from the front chamber; and a vent tether coupled to the closeable safety vent and to the front region of the cushion membrane, wherein the vent tether has a length that permits the closeable safety vent to remain open when the vent tether is slack and to be adaptively closed as the vent tether becomes taut; whereby the front chamber inflates less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber and the closeable safety vent adaptively vents inflation gas based on the obstruction encountered by the front region to control the inflation of front chamber. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification