Vehicle seating assembly with side airbag deployment

• US 9,302,643 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Line, Johnathan Andrew, Kondrad, Marcos Silva, Billardello, Nicholas Alphonse, Hosbach, Christian J., Lyons, David Frederick Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US14/243,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/5808 comprising opening zones for airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21506 comprising tearing tabs, legs or the like for holding the lid before deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly having a first trim piece including a flange having a first side with intermittently-spaced elongate protrusions and a second side with intermittently-spaced attachment elements. A second trim piece including an inner wall having intermittently-spaced retention windows and an outer wall having an elongate channel disposed on an inner wall surface thereof, the inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween. The flange engages the cavity such that the intermittently-spaced elongate protrusions are removably engaged with the elongate channel and the intermittently-spaced attachment elements are removably engaged with the intermittently-spaced retention windows. An airbag deployment system is positioned proximate the first and second trim pieces and configured to deploy an airbag between the first and second trim pieces.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a first trim piece including a flange having a first side with intermittently-spaced elongate protrusions and a second side with intermittently-spaced attachment elements;

a second trim piece including an inner wall having intermittently-spaced retention windows and an outer wall having an elongate channel disposed on an inner wall surface thereof, the inner and outer walls defining a cavity therebetween;

wherein the flange engages the cavity such that the intermittently-spaced elongate protrusions are removably engaged with the elongate channel and the intermittently-spaced attachment elements are removably engaged with the intermittently-spaced retention windows; and

an airbag deployment system positioned proximate the first and second trim pieces and configured to deploy an airbag between the first and second trim pieces.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the retention windows and elongated protrusions are configurable to provide a predetermined resistance to deployment of the airbag between the first and second trim pieces.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of ribs spanning the cavity, wherein the flange is configured to mate with the ribs such that upon mating the retention windows and the attachment elements are aligned and engaged.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the first trim piece is a front trim piece of a vehicle seat and the second trim piece is a rear trim piece of the vehicle seat.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer walls of the second trim piece are configured to deflect during engagement of the flange to the cavity.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongate channel extends a majority of the length of the cavity.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the flange and the cavity removably engage to form a seam between the first and second trim pieces.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the flange extends laterally and at an angle from the first trim piece such that the seam between the first and second trim pieces is flush.

9. A seating assembly comprising:

a first trim piece including a flange having a first side with an elongate protrusion and a second side with an attachment element;

a second trim piece including an inner wall having a window and an outer wall having an elongate channel, the inner and outer walls defining a cavity along an edge of the second trim piece, wherein the elongate protrusion engages the elongate channel and the attachment element engages the window; and

an airbag deployment system configured to deploy an airbag between the first and second trim pieces.

10. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the first trim piece is a front trim piece of a seat and the second trim piece is a rear trim piece of the seat.

11. The seating assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a location rib spanning the cavity, wherein the flange is configured to mate with the rib such that upon mating the window and the attachment element are aligned and engaged.

12. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the elongate channel extends along a majority of the cavity length.

13. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the inner and outer walls of the second trim piece are configured to deflect during insertion of the flange into the cavity.

14. The seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the flange and the cavity engage to form a seam between the first trim piece and the second trim piece.

15. The seating assembly of claim 14, wherein the flange extends laterally and at inward angle from the first trim piece such that the seam of the first and second trim pieces is flush.

16. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:

an airbag;

a front trim piece including a flange having intermittently-spaced attachment elements;

a rear trim piece including inner and outer walls defining a cavity, the inner wall having a plurality of intermittently-spaced retention windows disposed thereon; and

wherein the attachment elements snap-fit into the windows such that the flange engages the cavity to define a breakaway seam upon airbag deployment.

17. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

an elongate protrusion disposed on the flange; and

an elongate channel disposed on a wall of the cavity, wherein the elongate protrusion removably engages the elongate channel such that the protrusion disengages the channel upon deployment of the airbag.

18. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 17, wherein the elongate channel extends along a majority of the cavity length.

19. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a locating rib spanning the cavity; and

a notch disposed through the flange, wherein the notch is configured to mate with the locating rib such that upon mating the retention windows and the attachment element are aligned and engaged.

20. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, wherein the flange and the cavity engage to form a flush seam between the front trim piece and the rear trim piece.