Exterior airbag cushion for vehicle and device having the same

• US 7,967,098 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Jun Yeol
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US12/479,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20100116580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 180/274, 280/728.1, 296/187.04
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags

Abstract

An exterior airbag cushion for a vehicle is constructed so that a cushion unit is rapidly expanded ahead of a vehicle and a device having the exterior airbag cushion. The exterior airbag device includes a plurality of airbag housings which are mounted to a vehicle bumper, a cushion unit which is accommodated in the airbag housings and expanded ahead of the vehicle bumper, a shape memory wire which extends along the edge of the cushion unit, and an inflator which supplies airbag gas to provide an expansionary force.

Claims

1. An exterior airbag cushion for a vehicle comprising:

a cushion unit that surrounds a forward portion of a bumper upon a vehicle collision; and

a shape memory wire coupled to the cushion unit and configured to extend along an outer edge of the cushion unit and thus deploy the cushion unit, wherein the shape memory wire is restored to a memorized shape corresponding to a shape of the cushion unit which has expanded fully when a temperature in the cushion unit equals or exceeds a predetermined temperature;

wherein the shape memory wire is enclosed in the cushion unit by a tube made of a flexible material.

2. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape memory wire comprises:

a first wire extending along an upper front edge of the cushion unit; and

a second wire extending along a lower front edge of the cushion unit, both ends of the first and second wires being disposed in a rear direction of the cushion unit, wherein portions of the first and second wires in the upper front edge and lower front edge are spaced with a predetermined distance in a vertical direction of the cushion unit.

3. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 2, wherein both ends of the first and second wires are connected to form a closed loop and coupled to an airbag housing.

4. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 2, wherein each end of the first and second wires are respectively connected to an airbag housing.

5. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first and second wires include a rectilinear portion extending between a front portion and a rear portion of the cushion unit, the rectilinear portion configured to be bent with a predetermined angle with a traverse direction of the vehicle.

6. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 2, wherein a shape memory panel which is configured to be in contact with another vehicle in the vehicle collision is mounted to a front portion of the cushion unit.

7. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 6, wherein the shape memory panel is disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cushion unit along the front portion thereof between the first and second wires.

8. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 1, wherein a shape memory panel which is configured to be in contact with another vehicle in the vehicle collision is mounted to a front portion of the cushion unit.

9. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 8, wherein the shape memory panel is disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cushion unit along the front portion thereof between first and second wires.

10. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cushion unit is provided with a vent hole having a shape memory wire configured to open the vent hole to evenly discharge gas when a temperature equals or exceeds a predetermined temperature.

11. An exterior airbag device for a vehicle, comprising:

airbag housings mounted to a vehicle bumper;

a cushion unit accommodated in the airbag housings and configured to expand ahead of the vehicle bumper;

a shape memory wire extending along an outer edge of the cushion unit to deploy the cushion unit; and

an inflator supplying airbag gas to provide an expansionary force to the cushion unit;

wherein the shape memory wire comprises;

a first wire extending along an upper front edge of the cushion unit; and

a second wire extending along a lower front edge of the cushion unit, both ends of the first and second wires being connected to each other in a vertical direction.

12. The exterior airbag device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the cushion unit is provided with a vent hole having a shape memory wire configured to open the vent hole and to evenly discharge gas when temperature equals or exceeds a predetermined temperature.

13. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 11, wherein first and second wires include a rectilinear portion extending between a front portion and a rear portion of the cushion unit, the rectilinear portion configured to be bent with a predetermined angle with a traverse direction of the vehicle.

14. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 11, wherein a shape memory panel which is configured to be in contact with another vehicle in the vehicle collision is mounted to a front portion of the cushion unit.

15. The exterior airbag cushion as set forth in claim 14, wherein the shape memory panel is disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cushion unit along the front portion thereof between first and second wires.

16. The exterior airbag device as set forth in claim 11, wherein an expansion guide is installed in the cushion unit to guide a flow of the airbag gas in the inflator, and an expansion wire comprising shape memory alloy is inserted into the expansion guide.