Dynamic airbag venting

• US 8,251,398 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Parks, Robert A., Geyer, David L., Vigeant, Peter L., Mannino, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US13/276,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/739
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An exemplary airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct having an duct opening for venting gas. The duct has a first position and a second position. The duct is configured to direct less gas out of the airbag when in the second position than when in the first position. A tether kinks about the duct to move the duct from the first position to the second position. The inflating causes the tether to kink about the duct.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly, comprising:

an airbag;

a duct having an duct opening for venting gas, said duct having a first position and a second position, said duct configured to direct less gas out of said airbag when in the second position than when in the first position; and

a tether that kinks about said duct to move said duct from the first position to the second position, wherein inflating causes said tether to kink about said duct, said tether contacting a radially outer surface of said duct when said duct is in the first position and said tether contacting said radially outer surface of said duct when said duct is in the second position.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said tether attaches to an interior surface of said airbag opposite an airbag inflator for moving gas through said duct to the duct opening.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said tether attaches to an interior surface of said airbag adjacent an airbag contact face.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 3, wherein said duct moves to said second position when said contact face extends away from an airbag inflator for moving gas through said duct to the duct opening.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said duct extends through and past the airbag opening when said duct is in the first position and said duct extends through and past the airbag opening when said duct is in the second position.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said duct is open in the first position and closed in the second position.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said airbag is inflated by gas redirected from said tether kinked around said duct.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said duct is entirely noninverted when in the first position and said duct is entirely noninverted when in the second position.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein said duct extends through and past a loop of said tether.

10. An airbag assembly, comprising:

an airbag providing an airbag interior;

a duct, at least a portion of said duct moveable from a first position to a second position; and

at least one clamping tether that clamps said portion of said duct to move said duct from the first position and the second position, wherein said duct directs more gas out of said airbag in the first position than in the second position, wherein said portion of said duct is within said airbag interior when said duct is in the first position and when said duct is in the second position.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein said duct is open in the first position and closed in the second position.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein an end of said clamping tether moves with a contact face of said airbag, and movement of said contact face causes said tether to clamp said duct.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein said duct is attached directly to said airbag.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein said airbag is inflated by gas redirected from said tether when said duct is in the second position.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein said tether attaches to an interior surface of said airbag adjacent an airbag contact face.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least one clamping tether extends circumferentially about an entire outer periphery of said duct.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein another portion of said duct is outside said airbag interior when said duct is in the first position and when said duct is in the second position.

18. An airbag inflation method, comprising:

directing fluid outside an interior of an airbag using a duct; and

inflating the airbag to clamp a tether about the duct to lessen said directing,

wherein the tether is located exclusively within the interior of the airbag.

19. The airbag inflation method of claim 18, including redirecting fluid from the duct to the airbag interior when the tether is clamped around the duct.

20. The airbag inflation method of claim 18, wherein a portion of the duct extends outside the interior of the airbag.