Curtain airbag for small overlap

• US 8,894,094 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaohong, Makioka, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US13/837,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. The airbag assembly may have a restraint member in the form of a forward tether or a first tether secured to the forward tether such that the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone during deployment to help control deployment of the second protection zone. Portions of the first and second protection zones may be fold-over sewn together to control the angle at which the second protection zone unfolds relative to the first protection zone.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly for disposition proximate a roof of a vehicle to shield a vehicle occupant from impacting at least one of a lateral surface, an A-pillar, and an instrument panel of the vehicle, the airbag assembly comprising:

an inflatable curtain airbag having a stowed configuration for disposition proximate the roof of the vehicle and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable curtain airbag deploys downward between the vehicle occupant and the at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the inflatable curtain airbag comprising;

a first protection zone comprising a first interior chamber; and

a second protection zone comprising a second interior chamber in fluid communication with the first interior chamber;

a restraint member coupled to the second protection zone, the restraint member comprises one of a forward tether comprising a first end secured to the inflatable curtain airbag and a second end securable to the A-pillar, and a first tether secured to the forward tether; and

a plurality of mounting assemblies distributed along a length of the inflatable curtain airbag to facilitate attachment of the inflatable curtain airbag to the vehicle;

wherein in the stowed configuration, all of the plurality of mounting assemblies are positioned rearward of the A-pillar so that the second end of the forward tether is the only feature of the airbag assembly that is secured to the A-pillar;

wherein, in the stowed configuration, the inflatable curtain airbag is folded at a first stowed fold line such that the second protection zone lies alongside a portion of the first protection zone;

wherein, during deployment, the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone to move the second protection zone forward to be positioned forward of the first protection zone in the deployed configuration;

wherein, in the deployed configuration, the second protection zone is positioned between an occupant zone that would ordinarily be occupied by the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head and at least one of the A-pillar of the vehicle and a portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein, in the deployed configuration, the second protection zone extends to a height proximate the roof of the vehicle.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a deployed fold line comprising a divider that defines the first interior chamber as distinct from the second interior chamber;

wherein, in the deployed configuration, the second protection zone is unfolded at the deployed fold line to define an angle less than 180°

relative to the first protection zone.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 3, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises an inboard section that faces inboard and is disposed in the first protection zone and the second protection zone in the deployed configuration;

wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises an attachment feature by which the inboard section of the first protection zone is secured to the inboard section of the second protection zone, wherein the attachment feature is displaced from the deployed fold line by a displacement selected to keep the second protection zone from unfolding beyond the angle.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein in the stowed configuration, the inflatable curtain airbag is further folded at a second stowed fold line generally parallel to the first stowed fold line such that the inflatable curtain airbag defines a Z-shape when viewed from along the first and second stowed fold lines.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the restraint member comprises a forward tether comprising a first end secured to the inflatable curtain airbag and a second end securable to the A-pillar.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 6, wherein the second protection zone comprises an opening proximate a forward edge of the second protection zone;

wherein the forward tether extends through the opening such that, during deployment, the opening slides along the tether toward the second end of the forward tether to urge the forward edge to move generally along the forward tether.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 7, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises an outboard section that faces outboard in the deployed configuration;

wherein the first end of the forward tether is secured to an outboard section of the first protection zone such that, between the first end and the opening, the tether is positioned outboard of the inflatable curtain airbag.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 5, further comprising a forward tether comprising a first end secured to the inflatable curtain airbag and a second end securable to the A-pillar;

wherein the second protection zone comprises an opening proximate a forward edge of the second protection zone;

wherein the restraint member comprises a first tether comprising an intermediate portion that extends through the opening such that, during deployment, the opening slides along the intermediate portion to urge the forward edge to move generally along the first tether.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the first tether further comprises a first end secured to the forward tether, and a second end secured to the forward tether at a location selected such that, in the deployed configuration, the second end of the first tether is forward of the first end of the first tether.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an inflator that produces gas in response to detection of impact to trigger deployment of the inflatable curtain airbag; and

a rearward tether comprising a first end secured to the inflatable curtain airbag and a second end securable to the vehicle rearward of the inflatable curtain airbag;

wherein, in the deployed configuration, the rearward tether and the forward tether cooperate to keep the first protection zone under tension in a longitudinal direction.

12. A method for stowing an airbag assembly proximate a roof of a vehicle having a lateral surface, an A-pillar, and an instrument panel, to protect an occupant in the vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an inflatable curtain airbag comprising a first protection zone comprising a first interior chamber and a second protection zone comprising a second interior chamber in fluid communication with the first interior chamber;

providing a restraint member;

folding the inflatable curtain airbag at a first stowed fold line such that the second protection zone overlies at least a portion of the first protection zone;

compacting the inflatable curtain airbag into a generally elongated shape; and

securing the inflatable curtain airbag proximate the roof of the vehicle such that, in response to introduction of inflation gas into the inflatable curtain airbag, the first protection zone expands downward to be positioned between the vehicle occupant and the lateral surface of the vehicle;

coupling the restraint member to the second protection zone such that, during deployment, the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone to move the second protection zone forward to be positioned forward of the first protection zone;

wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a deployed fold line comprising a divider that defines the first interior chamber as distinct from the second interior chamber;

wherein unfolding the second protection zone comprises positioning the second protection zone between an occupant zone that would ordinarily be occupied by the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head and at least one of the A-pillar of the vehicle and a portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle; and

wherein unfolding the second protection zone comprises unfolding the second protection zone at the deployed fold line to define an angle less than 180°

relative to the first protection zone after deployment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises an inboard section disposed in the first protection zone and the second protection zone that faces inboard after deployment;

the method further comprising;

securing the inboard section of the first protection zone to the inboard section of the second protection zone with an attachment feature displaced from the deployed fold line by a displacement selected to keep the second protection zone from unfolding beyond the angle during deployment.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising folding the inflatable curtain airbag at a second stowed fold line generally parallel to the first stowed fold line such that the inflatable curtain airbag defines a Z-shape when viewed from along the first and second stowed fold lines.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the restraint member comprises a forward tether comprising a first end and a second end, and the second protection zone comprises an opening proximate a forward edge of the second protection zone, the method further comprising:

securing the first end of the forward tether to the inflatable curtain airbag;

securing the second end of the forward tether to the A-pillar; and

inserting the forward tether through the opening such that, during deployment, the opening slides along the tether toward the second end of the forward tether to urge the forward edge to move generally along the forward tether.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second protection zone comprises an opening proximate a forward edge of the second protection zone, the method further comprising:

providing a forward tether comprising a first end secured to the inflatable curtain airbag and a second end securable to the A-pillar;

wherein the restraint member comprises a first tether coupled to the forward tether, the restraint member comprising an intermediate portion that extends through the opening such that, during deployment, the opening slides along the intermediate portion to urge the forward edge to move generally along the first tether.

17. An airbag assembly, comprising:

an airbag within a vehicle, the airbag comprising a first protection zone and a second protection zone folded against the first protection zone such that the second protection zone overlies at least a portion of the first protection zone, the airbag comprising a deployed fold line comprising a divider that defines a first interior chamber of the first protection zone as distinct from a second interior chamber of the second protection zone;

wherein the first protection zone is secured to the second protection zone via an attachment feature displaced from the deployed fold line by displacement;

an inflator in fluid communication with a first chamber within the first protection zone and a second chamber within the second protection zone;

wherein, in response to production of gas by the inflator, the airbag deploys such that the first protection zone is positioned between an occupant of the vehicle and an interior surface of the vehicle;

wherein, in response to production of the gas, the second protection zone pivots away from first protection zone;

wherein, during deployment, the second protection zone unfolds at the deployed fold line;

wherein the displacement is selected such that the attachment feature limits unfolding of the second protection zone to an angle less than 180°

relative to the first protection zone.

18. The airbag assembly of claim 17, wherein the attachment feature comprises fold-over stitching;

wherein the airbag comprises an inflatable curtain airbag having a stowed configuration proximate a roof of the vehicle and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable curtain airbag deploys downward between the occupant and the at least one lateral surface of the vehicle, the airbag assembly further comprising;

a restraint member coupled to the second protection zone such that, during deployment, the restraint member urges the second protection zone to unfold forward of the first protection zone.