Vehicle seat assembly with side-impact airbag deployment mechanism

• US 9,566,930 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• 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, Marc Silva, Ronzi, Brett, Hosbach, Christian J., Godin, Keith Allen, Lyons, David Frederick Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, James
• Application Number:
  US14/635,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6671 with cable actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6673 with motor driven adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21506 comprising tearing tabs, legs or the like for holding the lid before deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection

Abstract

A vehicle seatback assembly includes an outer shell coupled to a seatback carrier via a releasable coupling arrangement. The releasable coupling arrangement can take various forms in order to securely couple the outer shell to the seatback carrier. A seatback frame is disposed between the seatback carrier and the outer shell in assembly. An airbag module is coupled to the seatback frame, and the releasable coupling arrangement is configured to release upon deployment of an airbag from the airbag module to define a peripheral gap between the outer shell and seatback carrier through which the airbag can be deployed.

Claims

1. A vehicle seatback assembly, comprising:

a rear seatback module defined by an outer shell having first and second side members;

one or more mounting features disposed on one of the first and second side members of the outer shell, wherein each of the one or more mounting features includes first and second mounting fins spaced-apart from one another;

a seatback carrier having first and second side members, wherein the first and second side members of the seatback carrier are configured to align with the first and second side members of the outer shell in assembly;

one or more mounting members disposed on one of the first and second side members of the seatback carrier, wherein the one or more mounting members disposed on the seatback carrier include substantially planar mounting tabs configured to align with the first and second mounting fins disposed on the outer shell in assembly;

a releasable coupling arrangement defined between the one or more mounting features disposed on the outer shell and the one or more mounting members disposed on the seatback carrier;

a seatback frame disposed between the outer shell and the seatback carrier; and

an airbag module coupled to the seatback frame, wherein the releasable coupling arrangement is configured to release upon deployment of the airbag module to disengage a portion of the outer shell from the seatback carrier along a mating joint formed therebetween.

2. The vehicle seatback assembly of claim 1, wherein the releasable coupling arrangement includes a clip member configured to releasably couple the substantially planar mounting tabs of the seatback carrier to the first and second mounting fins of the outer shell.

3. The vehicle seatback assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag module is a side-impact airbag module.

4. The vehicle seatback assembly of claim 1, wherein the airbag module is substantially concealed by the outer shell.

5. The vehicle seatback assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second side members of the outer shell are configured to flex under a force imparted by the deployment of the airbag module to release the releasable coupling arrangement.