Vehicle airbag assembly
First Claim
1. A vehicle airbag assembly comprising:
- an attachment bracket configured to attach to a vehicle body member and including a hinge portion;
an elongated support member having a first end pivotally connected to the attachment bracket for pivoting movement about a pivot axis defined by the hinge portion of the attachment bracket; and
an airbag having at least a portion thereof extending alongside the support member from the pivot axis to a distal end of the support member, the portion of the airbag being attached to the support member, the portion of the airbag and the support member being pivotal together about the pivot axis, the hinge portion directing pivoting movement of the portion of the airbag and the support member from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation upon inflation of the airbag such that in the stowed orientation the portion of the airbag and the support member extend alongside the attachment bracket, and in the deployed orientation the portion of the airbag and the distal end of the support member are pivoted away from the attachment bracket.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle airbag assembly includes an attachment bracket, an elongated support member and an airbag. The attachment bracket attaches to a vehicle body member and includes a hinge portion. The elongated support member is pivotally connected to the attachment bracket for pivoting movement about a pivot axis defined by the hinge portion of the attachment bracket. The airbag is attached to the support member and defines a lengthwise direction. The pivot axis is non-parallel to the lengthwise direction. The airbag and the support member are movable together about the pivot axis. The hinge portion is configured to direct movement of the airbag and the support member from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation upon inflation of the airbag.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A vehicle airbag assembly comprising:
-
an attachment bracket configured to attach to a vehicle body member and including a hinge portion; an elongated support member having a first end pivotally connected to the attachment bracket for pivoting movement about a pivot axis defined by the hinge portion of the attachment bracket; and an airbag having at least a portion thereof extending alongside the support member from the pivot axis to a distal end of the support member, the portion of the airbag being attached to the support member, the portion of the airbag and the support member being pivotal together about the pivot axis, the hinge portion directing pivoting movement of the portion of the airbag and the support member from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation upon inflation of the airbag such that in the stowed orientation the portion of the airbag and the support member extend alongside the attachment bracket, and in the deployed orientation the portion of the airbag and the distal end of the support member are pivoted away from the attachment bracket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A vehicle body structure comprising:
-
a first pillar structure; a roof rail extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a portion of the roof rail being fixedly attached to an upper end of the first pillar structure, a first section of the roof rail extending in a first direction away from the first pillar structure and a second section of the roof rail extending in a second direction away from the first pillar structure opposite the first direction, the first section of the roof rail and the first pillar structure at least partially defining a first opening in the vehicle body structure, and the second section of the roof rail and the first pillar structure at least partially defining a second opening in the vehicle body structure; a trim element coupled to the roof rail covering the roof rail; and an airbag including an attachment bracket attached to the first section of the roof rail, a support member having a first end pivotally connected to the attachment bracket and an inflatable cushion extension extending alongside the support member to proximate a distal end of the support member, the inflatable cushion extension being attached to the support member, with the inflatable cushion extension and the support member located above the first opening between the trim element and the first section of the roof rail while in a stowed orientation, and the inflatable cushion extension being configured and arranged to pivot with the support member relative to the attachment bracket upon deployment and extend across an interior surface of the first pillar structure to cover the second opening while in a deployed orientation such that in the stowed orientation the inflatable cushion extension of the airbag and the support member extend alongside the attachment bracket, and in the deployed orientation the inflatable cushion extension of the airbag and the distal end of the support member are pivoted away from the attachment bracket. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A vehicle airbag assembly comprising:
-
an attachment bracket configured to attach to a vehicle body member and including a hinge portion; an elongated support member having a first end pivotally connected to the attachment bracket for pivoting movement about a pivot axis defined by the hinge portion of the attachment bracket; and an airbag having a first portion attached to and extending along the attachment bracket and a second portion extending along the support member from the hinge portion to a distal end of the support member, the second portion of the airbag being attached to the support member, the second portion of the airbag and the support member being movable together about the pivot axis from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation upon inflation of the airbag such that in the stowed orientation the second portion and the support member extend alongside the attachment bracket such that the airbag has an overall first length, and in the deployed orientation with the distal end of the support member and the second portion being pivoted away from the attachment bracket the airbag has an overall second length that is greater than the first length.
-
Specification