Airbag assembly

• US 8,764,053 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dix, Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US13/778,638
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/731, 280/742, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A vehicle includes a driver airbag and a curtain airbag. The driver airbag has a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion. The curtain airbag has a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a driver airbag having a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion; and

a curtain airbag having a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other, the secondary curtain portion is positioned longitudinally forward with respect to the secondary driver airbag portion such that the secondary curtain portion is between the secondary driver airbag portion and a front end of the vehicle, and the secondary curtain portion is taller than the secondary driver airbag portion.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is positioned laterally adjacent to the secondary driver airbag portion.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is substantially cylindrical.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag includes at least one communication aperture between the primary curtain portion and the secondary curtain portion, wherein during inflation, an inflation gas enters the secondary curtain portion from the primary curtain portion through the at least one communication aperture of the curtain airbag.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the curtain airbag includes an exterior panel, an interior panel, and a curtain extension panel, wherein the exterior panel and the interior panel cooperate to define the primary curtain portion, the interior panel and the curtain extension panel cooperate to define the secondary curtain portion, and the at least one communication aperture of the curtain airbag extends through the interior panel.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a first inflator associated with the driver airbag for inflating the driver airbag; and

a second inflator associated with the curtain airbag for inflating the curtain airbag.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a driver airbag having a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion, wherein the driver airbag includes at least one communication aperture between the primary driver airbag portion and the secondary driver airbag portion, wherein during inflation, an inflation gas enters the secondary driver airbag portion from the primary driver airbag portion through the at least one communication aperture of the driver airbag; and

a curtain airbag having a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the driver airbag includes a rear panel, a front panel, and a driver airbag extension panel, wherein the rear panel and the front panel cooperate to define the primary driver airbag portion, the front panel and the driver airbag extension panel cooperate to define the secondary driver airbag portion, and the at least one communication aperture of the driver airbag extends through the front panel.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a driver airbag having a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion, the driver airbag including a rear panel, a front panel, and a driver airbag extension panel, wherein the rear panel and the front panel cooperate to define the primary driver airbag portion, the front panel and the driver airbag extension panel cooperate to define the secondary driver airbag portion, and the front panel having at least one driver airbag communication aperture extending therethrough for fluid communication between the primary driver airbag portion and the secondary driver airbag portion; and

a curtain airbag having a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, the curtain airbag including an exterior panel, an interior panel, and a curtain extension panel, wherein the exterior panel and the interior panel cooperate to define the primary curtain portion, the interior panel and the curtain extension panel cooperate to define the secondary curtain portion, and the interior panel having at least one curtain airbag communication aperture extending therethrough for fluid communication between the primary curtain portion and the secondary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is positioned laterally adjacent to the secondary driver airbag portion.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is positioned longitudinally forward with respect to the secondary driver airbag portion.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is positioned longitudinally rearward with respect to the secondary driver airbag portion.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is taller than the secondary driver airbag portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is substantially cylindrical.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising:

a first inflator associated with the driver airbag for inflating the driver airbag; and

a second inflator associated with the curtain airbag for inflating the curtain airbag.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

a steering wheel connected to the vehicle body;

a driver airbag connected to the steering wheel, the driver airbag having a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion, the driver airbag including a rear panel, a front panel, and a driver airbag extension panel, wherein the rear panel and the front panel cooperate to define the primary driver airbag portion, the front panel and the driver airbag extension panel cooperate to define the secondary driver airbag portion, and the front panel having at least one driver airbag communication aperture extending therethrough for fluid communication between the primary driver airbag portion and the secondary driver airbag portion;

a first inflator associated with the driver airbag for inflating the driver airbag;

a curtain airbag connected to the vehicle body, the curtain airbag having a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, the curtain airbag including an exterior panel, an interior panel, and a curtain extension panel, wherein the exterior panel and the interior panel cooperate to define the primary curtain portion, the interior panel and the curtain extension panel cooperate to define the secondary curtain portion, and the interior panel having at least one curtain airbag communication aperture extending therethrough for fluid communication between the primary curtain portion and the secondary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other; and

a second inflator associated with the curtain airbag for inflating the curtain airbag.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein, when inflated, the secondary curtain portion is positioned longitudinally forward with respect to the secondary driver airbag portion.