Airbag assembly
First Claim
1. An airbag comprising:
- a rear panel having an inflation aperture for receiving an inflation gas;
a front panel having at least one communication aperture, and the front panel is connected to the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion having a central axis; and
an extension panel having an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion and an outer edge that is connected to at least one of the front panel or the rear panel to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture and, when the primary inflatable portion is inflated by the inflation gas, a portion of the inflation gas passes through the at least one communication aperture to inflate the extension panel such that the extension panel extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant, the front panel defines an occupant-facing surface around the central axis of the primary inflatable portion, the occupant-facing surface of the front panel is exposed to the vehicle occupant, and at least part of the extension panel is disposed farther from the inflation aperture of the rear panel in a direction parallel to the central axis than a furthest portion of the occupant-facing surface of the front panel at full inflation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag includes a rear panel, a front panel, and an extension panel. The rear panel has an inflation aperture for receiving an inflation gas. The front panel has at least one communication aperture, and the front panel is connected to the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion having a central axis. The extension panel has an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion and an outer edge that is connected to at least one of the front panel or the rear panel to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture. When inflated by the inflation gas, the secondary inflatable portion extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. An airbag comprising:
-
a rear panel having an inflation aperture for receiving an inflation gas; a front panel having at least one communication aperture, and the front panel is connected to the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion having a central axis; and an extension panel having an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion and an outer edge that is connected to at least one of the front panel or the rear panel to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture and, when the primary inflatable portion is inflated by the inflation gas, a portion of the inflation gas passes through the at least one communication aperture to inflate the extension panel such that the extension panel extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant, the front panel defines an occupant-facing surface around the central axis of the primary inflatable portion, the occupant-facing surface of the front panel is exposed to the vehicle occupant, and at least part of the extension panel is disposed farther from the inflation aperture of the rear panel in a direction parallel to the central axis than a furthest portion of the occupant-facing surface of the front panel at full inflation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An airbag assembly comprising:
-
a steering wheel; an inflator connected to the steering wheel for providing an inflation gas during inflation; a rear panel having an inflation aperture for receiving the inflation gas from the inflator; a front panel having at least one communication aperture, and the front panel is connected to the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion having a central axis; and an extension panel having an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion and an outer edge that is connected to at least one of the front panel or the rear panel to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture, is adapted to receive the inflation gas via the primary inflatable portion and, when the primary inflatable portion is inflated by the inflation gas, a portion of the inflation gas passes through the at least one communication aperture to inflate the extension panel such that the extension panel extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant, the front panel defines an occupant-facing surface around the central axis of the primary inflatable portion, the occupant-facing surface of the front panel is exposed to the vehicle occupant, and an annular crest is defined by a portion of the extension panel that is disposed farthest from the inflation aperture in a direction parallel to the central axis, wherein the annular crest is positioned farther from the inflation aperture than a furthest portion of the occupant-facing surface of the front panel from the rear panel in the direction parallel to the central axis at full inflation and the annular crest is disposed radially outward from the peripheral seam with respect to the central axis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An airbag assembly comprising:
-
a steering wheel; an inflator connected to the steering wheel for providing an inflation gas during inflation; a rear panel having an outer periphery and an inflation aperture for receiving the inflation gas from the inflator; a front panel having at least one communication aperture, an outer periphery of the front panel that is connected to the outer periphery of the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion that has a central axis and, when inflated by the inflation gas, is wider than the steering wheel, defines an occupant-facing surface around the central axis of the primary inflatable portion, and the occupant-facing surface of the front panel is exposed to the vehicle occupant; and an extension panel having an arc shape, the extension panel having an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion, and an outer edge that is connected to the front panel and the rear panel at the peripheral seam to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture, is adapted to receive the inflation gas via the primary inflatable portion and, when inflated by the inflation gas, extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant, is at least partially disposed farther from the inflation aperture of the rear panel in a direction parallel to the central axis than a furthest portion of the occupant-facing surface of the front panel at full inflation, is positioned closer to the vehicle occupant in a direction parallel to the central axis than the occupant-facing surface of the primary inflatable portion, is wider than the primary inflatable portion, and extends in an arc along a first portion of the peripheral seam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification