Active bolster deployed from vehicle seat
First Claim
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1. An integrated seat and active bolster for an automotive vehicle to protect an occupant of the seat during a crash event, comprising:
- a substantially rigid seat frame;
an inflatable bladder interfacing with the seat frame comprised of a gas chamber, the inflatable bladder having a standby state and a deployed state;
an outer cushion layer overlying the inflatable bladder and providing an outer contour along a seat support surface; and
an inflator responsive to the occurrence of the crash event to discharge an inflation gas into the gas chamber to expand the inflatable bladder from the standby state to the deployed state;
wherein the gas chamber is disposed between the seat frame and the outer cushion layer, and wherein the gas chamber is configured to be load-bearing when in the standby state so that the inflatable bladder elastically deforms to support a load applied against the outer cushion layer; and
wherein the seat frame provides a reaction surface when the inflatable bladder expands from the standby state to the deployed state, and wherein the deployed state extends the seat support surface to increase coverage of the occupant.
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Abstract
An active bolster is integrated within a seat for a transportation vehicle by covering an inner inflatable bladder with an outer cushion layer to provide a seating support surface. Seating loads are borne on the support surface from the weight of an occupant by elastic deformation of the bladder. When a vehicle crash event is detected, at least a portion of the bladder is inflated to extend a seat surface to protect the occupant. Size and weight of the seat are reduced as a result of the bladder contributing significantly to the normal cushioning of the seat in everyday usage.
67 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An integrated seat and active bolster for an automotive vehicle to protect an occupant of the seat during a crash event, comprising:
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a substantially rigid seat frame; an inflatable bladder interfacing with the seat frame comprised of a gas chamber, the inflatable bladder having a standby state and a deployed state; an outer cushion layer overlying the inflatable bladder and providing an outer contour along a seat support surface; and an inflator responsive to the occurrence of the crash event to discharge an inflation gas into the gas chamber to expand the inflatable bladder from the standby state to the deployed state; wherein the gas chamber is disposed between the seat frame and the outer cushion layer, and wherein the gas chamber is configured to be load-bearing when in the standby state so that the inflatable bladder elastically deforms to support a load applied against the outer cushion layer; and wherein the seat frame provides a reaction surface when the inflatable bladder expands from the standby state to the deployed state, and wherein the deployed state extends the seat support surface to increase coverage of the occupant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An active bolster method in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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forming a seat having an inner inflatable bladder covered by an outer cushion layer to provide a support surface; bearing seating loads on the support surface from the weight of an occupant by elastic deformation of the bladder; detecting a vehicle crash event; and inflating the bladder to extend a seat surface to protect the occupant during the crash event. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification