Winged driver airbag

• US 9,561,774 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cheng, James Chih, Jaradi, Dean M., Faruque, Mohammed Omar
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US14/260,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20150307055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• 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 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A vehicle includes a steering wheel having a steering wheel cover and an airbag module. The airbag module includes an airbag arrangement and an inflator disposed behind the steering wheel cover. The inflator is configured to inflate the airbag arrangement. The airbag arrangement has a primary bag configured to cushion an occupant and a secondary bag disposed on a side of the primary bag adjacent to a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle. The secondary bag is configured to catch an occupant during impact of the vehicle. The airbag arrangement further includes a patch having a seam. The patch partitions the primary and secondary bags. The seam is configured to split when a pressure in the primary bag exceeds a threshold allowing gas to inflate the secondary bag.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel including a steering wheel cover; and

an airbag module including an airbag arrangement and an inflator disposed behind the steering wheel cover, the airbag arrangement having,

a primary bag configured to cushion an occupant,

a secondary bag disposed on a side of the primary bag adjacent to a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle and configured to catch the occupant during impact of the vehicle, wherein the secondary bag includes at least one vent arrangement defined by a flap covering an opening in the secondary bag and attached to the secondary bag via a tear seam configured to vent gas away from the airbag arrangement such that a peak inflated stiffness of the primary bag is less than a peak inflated stiffness of the secondary bag through splitting the tear seam and

a patch having a seam disposed between the primary and secondary bags, wherein the seam is configured to split when a pressure in the primary bag exceeds a threshold to inflate the secondary bag.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein a material of the patch is different than a material of the bags.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein a shape of the secondary bag, when inflated, is at least partially defined by a plurality of tethers.

4. A steering wheel comprising:

an airbag arrangement including

primary and secondary bags, the secondary bag including a vent defining a flap covering an opening, attached thereto via a tear seam to vent gas from the arrangement, by splitting, such that a primary bag peak inflated stiffness is less than a secondary bag peak inflated stiffness, and

a patch, partitioning the bags, including a seam for tearing when a primary bag pressure exceeds a threshold.

5. The steering wheel of claim 4 wherein the secondary bag defines a wing portion disposed on a side of the primary bag.

6. The steering wheel of claim 4 wherein a material of the patch is different than a material of the bags.

7. A vehicle airbag system comprising:

a steering wheel including a steering wheel cover; and

an airbag module including an airbag arrangement and an inflator disposed behind the steering wheel cover, the arrangement defining a primary bag, a secondary bag including at least one vent defined by a flap covering an opening in the secondary bag and attached to the secondary bag via a tear seam configured to vent gas away from the arrangement by splitting the tear seam such that a peak inflated stiffness of the primary bag is less than a peak inflated stiffness of the secondary bag, and a patch partitioning the primary and secondary bags, wherein the patch includes a seam configured to tear in response to a pressure within the primary bag exceeding a threshold value to permit gas to enter the secondary bag from the primary bag.

8. The vehicle airbag system of claim 7 wherein a shape of the secondary bag, when inflated, is at least partially defined by a plurality of tethers.

9. The vehicle airbag system of claim 7 wherein the secondary bag defines a wing portion disposed on a side of the primary bag.