Road vehicle front airbag

• US 8,794,667 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Pizzagalli, Veniero, Bruzzone, Michela
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/675,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 2807281-7432
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 27/045 by permanent magnets

Abstract

A front airbag for a road vehicle; the front airbag having: a stowage compartment formed in a front portion of the dashboard of the road vehicle; a bag normally deflated and folded inside the stowage compartment; and a generator which is housed inside the stowage compartment, is connected to the bag, and inflates the bag in the event of collision; the inflated bag has a longitudinal depth that decreases substantially in a thrust direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the road vehicle.

Claims

1. A steering wheel assembly provided with a front airbag for a road vehicle, the steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering column;

a central hub connected rigidly to a free end of the steering column so that the central hub is fixed and does not rotate;

a steering wheel extending about the central hub and mounted for rotation on the steering column;

a stowage compartment arranged in the central hub;

a bag of the front airbag normally deflated and folded inside the stowage compartment; and

a generator which is housed inside the stowage compartment, is connected to the bag, and inflates the bag in the event of collision,

wherein the inflated bag has a circular front section, except for;

with an additional volume on top that extends outside the circular front section, has an arc-shaped front section and an angular width of 90°

, and

two voids on opposite sides, that extend inside the circular front section up to the start of the additional volume, are located in the top half of the inflated bag, and each having an angular width of 60°

.

2. A steering wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional volume has an arc-shaped front section of a height roughly equal to 20% of the radius of the front section of the inflated bag.