Inflatable cushion for a side-impact airbag

• US 8,967,665 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lin, Chin-Hsu, Cheng, Yi-Pen
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/162,154
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material

Abstract

An inflatable cushion for a side-impact airbag includes first and second fabric panels forming an expandable chamber. The first fabric panel forms a tubular shape upon inflation and includes a top end and a bottom end having continuous outer perimeters and an inflator aperture. The second fabric panel joined to the top end of the first fabric panel and having a circumference equal to a circumference of the continuous outer perimeter of the top end of the first fabric panel and including a vent aperture. The second fabric panel is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel when the inflatable cushion is inflated. The bottom end of the first fabric panel is closed. The longitudinal axis of the tubular-shaped first fabric panel is parallel to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle seat back when the inflatable cushion is deployed.

Claims

1. An inflatable cushion for a side-impact airbag, comprising:

first and second fabric panels forming an expandable chamber;

the first fabric panel forming a tubular shape and including a top end and a bottom end having continuous outer perimeters upon inflation of the cushion;

the second fabric panel joined to the top end of the first fabric panel and having a circumference equal to a circumference of the continuous outer perimeter of the top end of the first fabric panel and including a vent aperture;

the second fabric panel orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel upon inflation of the cushion;

the bottom end of the first fabric panel closed; and

the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel parallel to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle seat back when the inflatable cushion is deployed.

2. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the second fabric panel is configured in a circular shape.

3. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the second fabric panel is configured in an elliptical shape.

4. The inflatable cushion of claim 3, wherein the elliptically shaped second fabric panel has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

5. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the tubular shape of the first fabric panel comprises a constant diameter along the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel.

6. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the tubular shape of the first fabric panel comprises an inverted frustum having a decreasing diameter along the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel.

7. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, further comprising:

an interior fabric panel joined to the first fabric panel orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel when the inflatable cushion is inflated;

the interior fabric panel including a vent aperture; and

the interior fabric panel separating the expandable chamber into an upper sub-chamber and a lower sub-chamber.

8. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the inflatable cushion for the side-impact airbag is deployable from the vehicle seat back.

9. The inflatable cushion of claim 1, wherein the first fabric panel further comprises an inflator aperture.

10. An inflatable cushion for an occupant restraint device deployable from a vehicle seat back and a side portion of a vehicle body, comprising:

first, second and third fabric panels forming an expandable chamber;

the first fabric panel inflatable into a tubular shape including a top end and a bottom end having continuous outer perimeters, and an inflator aperture;

the second fabric panel joined to the top end of the first fabric panel and having a circumference equal to a circumference of the continuous outer perimeter of the top end of the first fabric panel and including a vent aperture;

the third fabric panel joined to the bottom end of the first fabric panel and having a circumference equal to a circumference of the continuous outer perimeter of the bottom end of the first fabric panel;

the second and third fabric panels orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel when the inflatable cushion is inflated; and

the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle seat back when the inflatable cushion is deployed.

11. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, wherein the second fabric panel is configured in a circular shape and the third fabric panel is configured in a circular shape.

12. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, wherein the second fabric panel is configured in a circular shape and the third fabric panel is configured in an elliptical shape.

13. The inflatable cushion of claim 12, wherein the elliptically-shaped third fabric panel has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

14. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, wherein the second fabric panel is configured in an elliptical shape and the third fabric panel is configured in an elliptical shape.

15. The inflatable cushion of claim 14, wherein the elliptically-shaped second fabric panel has a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the elliptically-shaped third fabric panel has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

16. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, wherein the tubular shape of the first fabric panel comprises a constant diameter along the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel.

17. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, wherein the tubular shape of the first fabric panel comprises an inverted frustum having a decreasing diameter along the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel.

18. The inflatable cushion of claim 10, further comprising:

an interior fabric panel joined to the first fabric panel orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first fabric panel when the inflatable cushion is inflated;

the interior fabric panel permeable; and

the interior fabric panel separating the expandable chamber into an upper sub-chamber and a lower sub-chamber.