Airbag vent assembly

• US 8,500,163 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mallinger, Heather, Raska, Mary, Ledford, Derrick, Curry, Lyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/974,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 280/739, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag cushion of flexible sheet material has a vent opening with a vent cover of flexible sheet material stitched to an interior surface of the airbag cushion aligned with the vent opening in the airbag cushion to form a pocket. The vent cover has a vent opening therein allowing inflation gas to escape from the cushion via the vent opening. A vent flap of flexible sheet material is disposed at least partially within the pocket and inboard of the vent openings in the airbag cushion and vent cover. A tether extends inboard from vent flap to a tether end that is fixed in a releasable manner to a tether end securing device fixed to a module housing. The tether end is released in response to a sensor signal.

Claims

1. An airbag for restraining a vehicle occupant comprising an inflatable airbag cushion comprising a flexible sheet material that has at least one vent opening therein, a vent cover comprising a flexible sheet material is fixed to an interior surface of the airbag cushion aligned with the vent opening in the airbag cushion to form a pocket, the vent cover having at least one vent opening therein that allows an airbag inflation gas to escape from the airbag cushion via the vent opening in the airbag cushion, a vent flap comprising a flexible sheet material is disposed at least partially within the pocket and inboard of the vent openings in the airbag cushion and vent cover, the vent flap being fixed to a tether that extends outboard from the vent flap through an opening in the vent cover to a first end of the tether that is attached directly to the airbag cushion outboard of the vent cover in a permanent manner, the tether also extending inboard from the vent flap to a second end of the tether that is fixed in a releasable manner to a device that releases the second end of the tether when a sensor senses a predetermined parameter and a signal is sent to the device instructing the device to release the second end of the tether during a deployment of the airbag whereby the vent flap is pulled in an outboard direction by the tether to become interposed between the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover and prevent the escape of inflation gas from the airbag cushion through the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover;

and wherein the vent flap has two pairs of parallel slots therein, each slot having an inboard end and an outboard end, the airbag cushion having two pairs of raised features extending from an interior surface thereof with one of the raised features disposed in each slot to guide the vent flap in an outboard direction inside the pocket when the vent flap is deployed.

2. The airbag for restraining a vehicle occupant according to claim 1 wherein each raised feature comprises stitching.

3. An airbag for restraining a vehicle occupant comprising an inflatable airbag cushion comprising a flexible sheet material that has at least one vent opening therein, a vent cover comprising a flexible sheet material is fixed to an interior surface of the airbag cushion aligned with the vent opening in the airbag cushion to form a pocket, the vent cover having at least one vent opening therein that allows an airbag inflation gas to escape from the airbag cushion via the vent opening in the airbag cushion, a vent flap comprising a flexible sheet material is disposed at least partially within the pocket and inboard of the vent openings in the airbag cushion and vent cover, the vent flap being fixed to at least one vent flap pulling tether that extends outboard from the vent flap through an opening in the vent cover to an end of the vent flap pulling tether that is attached directly to the airbag cushion outboard of the vent cover in a permanent manner, the vent flap is also fixed to a vent flap restraining tether that extends inboard from the vent flap to an end of the vent flap restraining tether that is fixed in a releasable manner to a device that releases a second end of the tether when a sensor senses a predetermined parameter and a signal is sent to the device instructing the device to release a second end of the vent flap restraining tether during a deployment of the airbag whereby the end of the vent flap restraining tether is released and the vent flap is pulled in an outboard direction by the at least one vent flap pulling tether to become interposed between the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover and prevent the escape of inflation gas from the airbag cushion through the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover;

and wherein the vent flap has two pairs of parallel slots therein, each slot having an inboard end and an outboard end, the airbag cushion having two pairs of raised features extending from an interior surface thereof with one of the raised features disposed in each slot to guide the vent flap in an outboard direction inside the pocket when the vent flap is deployed.

4. The airbag for restraining a vehicle occupant according to claim 3 wherein each raised feature comprises stitching.

5. An airbag module for restraining a vehicle occupant comprising:

(a) a module housing;

(b) an inflator located in the module housing for providing an inflation gas to an inflatable airbag cushion that is fixed to the module housing;

(c) the inflatable airbag cushion comprising a flexible sheet material that has at least one vent opening therein;

(d) a vent cover comprising a flexible sheet material is stitched to an interior surface of the airbag cushion aligned with the vent opening in the airbag cushion to form a pocket, the vent cover having at least one vent opening therein that allows an airbag inflation gas to escape from the airbag cushion via the vent opening in the airbag cushion, a vent flap comprising a flexible sheet material is disposed at least partially within the pocket and inboard of the vent openings in the airbag cushion and vent cover that is aligned with the vent openings in the airbag and the vent cover when the vent flap is in a stored configuration, the vent flap being fixed to at least one tether, wherein a tether extends outboard from the vent flap through an opening in the vent cover to a tether end that is attached directly to the airbag cushion outboard of the vent cover in a permanent manner, and wherein a tether extends inboard from the vent flap to a tether end that is fixed in a releasable manner to a tether end securing device that is fixed directly or indirectly to the module housing and that releases the releasable tether end when a sensor senses a predetermined parameter and a signal is sent to the device instructing the device to release the releasable tether end during a deployment of the airbag whereby the vent flap is pulled in an outboard direction by a tether to close the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover and prevent the escape of inflation gas through the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover when the vent flap is deployed; and

wherein the vent flap has two pairs of parallel slots therein, each slot having an inboard end and an outboard end, the airbag cushion having two pairs of raised features extending from an interior surface thereof with one of the raised features disposed in each slot to guide the vent flap in an outboard direction inside the pocket when the vent flap is deployed.

6. The airbag module for restraining a vehicle occupant according to claim 5 wherein the vent openings in the airbag cushion and the vent cover are aligned with one another.

7. The airbag module for restraining a vehicle occupant according to claim 5 wherein each raised feature comprises stitching.