Multi-chamber airbag with pinch valve

• US 9,272,684 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paxton, Donald, Keyser, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US14/512,025
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag can include a first cushion portion that defines a first inflatable chamber and a second cushion portion that defines a second inflatable chamber. An inflator generates inflation gas to inflate the inflatable chambers. The first inflatable chamber is in fluid communication with the inflator to receive inflation gas to expand the first cushion portion. The second inflatable chamber is in fluid communication with a fill tube or other conduit, which is in fluid communication with the inflator to receive inflation gas to expand the second cushion portion. The fill tube is configured to be disposed between a portion of the first cushion portion and a portion of a vehicle, such that expansion of the first cushion portion as the first inflatable chamber inflates causes the fill tube to be closed. The fill tube is pinched closed against the vehicle portion by expansion of the first cushion portion.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted in a dashboard of a vehicle at a first position;

an inflator; and

an airbag coupled to the inflator to receive inflation gas to expand from a compact state to a deployed state, the airbag comprising;

a first inflatable cushion portion configured to deploy from the housing and, in the deployed state when the housing is mounted in the dashboard of the vehicle at the first position, to cover a first portion of the dashboard to receive a torso of a vehicle occupant moving from a vehicle occupant position primarily in a forward direction relative to the vehicle, wherein the first cushion portion is a primary cushion configured to deploy from the housing in a first direction toward the vehicle occupant position;

a second inflatable cushion portion configured to deploy from the housing and, in the deployed state when the housing is mounted in the dashboard of the vehicle at the first position, to cover a second portion of the dashboard that is laterally spaced from the first portion of the dashboard;

wherein the second cushion portion is a supplemental cushion configured to expand away from the first cushion portion in a second direction, wherein the second cushion portion is configured to receive a head of the vehicle occupant when the vehicle occupant moves from the vehicle occupant position in a direction that is oblique relative to the forward direction and includes a component in the second direction; and

a fill tube in fluid communication with the second inflatable cushion portion that when open permits flow of inflation gas generated by the inflator to the second inflatable cushion portion, wherein the fill tube is configured to be closed by expansion of the first inflatable cushion portion as the first inflatable cushion portion inflates.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the second direction is lateral relative to the first direction.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the fill tube, in the deployed state, is disposed forward of a front panel of the first cushion portion, between a portion of the front panel and a portion of the dashboard, such that expansion of the first cushion portion during inflation presses the fill tube against the dashboard to close the fill tube.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the fill tube, in the deployed state, is disposed on an upper surface of the first cushion portion, between the first cushion portion and a windshield of the vehicle, such that expansion of the first cushion portion during inflation presses the fill tube against the windshield to close the fill tube.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the fill tube, in the deployed state, is disposed between a portion of a panel of the first inflatable cushion and another portion of the vehicle, such that expansion of the first inflatable cushion portion during inflation pinches the fill tube against the another portion of the vehicle to close the fill tube.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the fill tube provides fluid communication between the first inflatable cushion portion and the second inflatable cushion portion, such that inflation gas flows from the inflator, to the first inflatable cushion portion, through the fill tube, and into the second inflatable cushion portion.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the fill tube couples to a front panel of the first inflatable cushion portion in fluid communication with an inflatable chamber of the first inflatable cushion portion at an aperture in the front panel.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein a first end of the fill tube is coupled to the inflator and a second end of the fill tube is coupled to the second inflatable cushion portion to provide fluid communication directly between the inflator and the second inflatable cushion portion.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the first inflatable cushion portion comprises a throat configured to couple to the inflator to receive inflation gas from the inflator, wherein the fill tube is in fluid communication with the throat of the first inflatable cushion portion.

10. An airbag assembly comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted in a vehicle at a first position;

an inflator; and

an airbag cushion that comprises;

a first cushion portion that defines a first inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from the inflator to expand the first cushion portion from a compact state to a deployed state, wherein the first cushion portion is configured to deploy from the housing, and wherein the first cushion portion is configured to receive a torso of a vehicle occupant when the vehicle occupant moves from a vehicle occupant position primarily in a forward direction relative to the vehicle, wherein the first cushion portion is configured to deploy from the housing in a first direction toward the vehicle occupant position;

a second cushion portion connected to the first cushion portion, wherein the second cushion portion defines a second inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from the first inflatable chamber to expand the second cushion portion from a compact state to a deployed state to cover a region of the vehicle that is at a second position, wherein the second position is spaced laterally from the first position, wherein the second cushion portion is configured to expand away from the first cushion portion in a second direction, wherein the second cushion portion is configured to receive a head of the vehicle occupant when the vehicle occupant moves from the vehicle occupant position in a direction that is oblique relative to the forward direction and includes a component in the second direction; and

a conduit in fluid communication with the second inflatable chamber to permit flow of inflation gas into the second inflatable chamber, wherein the conduit is configured to be closed by expansion of the first cushion portion as the first inflatable chamber inflates.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit, upon deployment of the airbag assembly, is configured to be disposed between a portion of the first inflatable cushion and a portion of a vehicle in which the airbag assembly is mounted, such that expansion of the first cushion portion during inflation pinches the conduit closed against the portion of the vehicle.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit provides fluid communication between the first inflatable chamber and the second inflatable chamber, such that inflation gas generated by the inflator flows from the first inflatable chamber through the conduit and into the second inflatable chamber.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the conduit, when closed, restricts flow of inflation gas from the second inflatable chamber to the first inflatable chamber, to isolate inflation gases in the second inflatable chamber from the inflation gases in the first inflatable chamber.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein a first end of the conduit is coupled to the inflator to provide fluid communication directly between the inflator and the second inflatable chamber.

15. An airbag comprising:

a first cushion portion that defines a first inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand the first cushion portion from a compact state to a deployed state;

a second cushion portion that defines a second inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas generated by the inflator to expand the second cushion portion from a compact state to a deployed state; and

a conduit in fluid communication with the second inflatable chamber that, when open, permits inflation gas to flow into the second inflatable chamber and that is configured to be closed by expansion of the first cushion portion as the first inflatable chamber inflates;

wherein the conduit is disposed outside the first inflatable chamber of the first cushion portion at a position where, upon deployment of the airbag, the conduit is between a portion of the first inflatable cushion and a portion of a vehicle in which the airbag is utilized, such that expansion of the first cushion portion during inflation causes pressure on the conduit against the portion of the vehicle to close the conduit.

16. The airbag of claim 15, wherein the first cushion portion comprises a front panel defining an aperture in fluid communication with the first inflatable chamber;

wherein the conduit is coupled to the front panel of the first cushion portion in fluid communication with the first inflatable chamber via the aperture defined in the front panel such that expansion of the first cushion portion during inflation pinches the conduit between the first cushion portion and a dashboard of the vehicle to close the conduit.

17. The airbag of claim 15, wherein the conduit is configured to couple in direct fluid communication with an inflator that is configured to inflate the airbag.