Frontal airbag systems for oblique crash protection

• US 9,845,067 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morris, Christina, Paxton, Don, Kutchey, Michael, Park, Harry, Kruse, Dion
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew J
• Application Number:
  US14/839,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• 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

An inflatable airbag system can be configured to be mounted to a frontal region of a vehicle. The inflatable airbag system includes an airbag base cushion and one or more pluralities of cushion portions. In response to a collision event, the base cushion and pluralities of cushion portions may transition from a compact state to a deployed and expanded state. The airbag may receive the head of a vehicle occupant. One or more inner cushion portions may deflate as they receive the head of the vehicle occupant. An outer plurality of cushion portions may be configured to maintain a fully expanded state as they receive the head of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. An inflatable airbag system that is configured to be mounted to a steering wheel of a vehicle, the inflatable airbag system comprising:

a base cushion that defines an inflatable base cushion chamber configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand the base cushion from a compact state to an expanded state, the base cushion including a plurality of cushion vent apertures disposed in an occupant-facing panel of the base cushion;

a first set of cushion portions coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first set of cushion portions arranged concentric with a center of the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first set of cushion portions defining a first set of inflatable chambers each configured to receive inflation gas from a cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion to expand the first set of cushion portions from a compact state outward toward a seating position of the vehicle to an expanded state; and

a second set of cushion portions coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the second set of cushion portions arranged concentric with the center of the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion and the first set of cushion portions, the second set of cushion portions defining a second set of inflatable chambers each configured to receive inflation gas from at least one of a cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion and a cushion vent aperture of an adjacent cushion portion of the first set of cushion portions to expand from a compact state outward toward the seating position to an expanded state,

wherein the second set of cushion portions is disposed more centrally relative to the first set of cushion portions.

2. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the first set of cushion portions comprises a single toroidal cushion portion that is toroidal in shape, and wherein the second set of cushion portions is arranged more centrally than the toroidal cushion portion such that the second set of cushion portions is disposed within a center area of the toroidal cushion portion.

3. The inflatable airbag system of claim 2, wherein the second set of cushion portions comprises a single cushion portion.

4. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the first set of cushion portions comprises a plurality of cushion portions arranged about a circumference of the occupant-facing panel and around the second set of cushion portions.

5. The inflatable airbag system of claim 4, wherein the cushion portions of the first set of cushion portions are disposed in abutment one to another.

6. The inflatable airbag system of claim 4, wherein each cushion portion of the plurality of cushion portions of the first set of cushion portions is disposed a distance from an adjacent cushion portion.

7. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, wherein each of the second set of cushion portions is further configured to communicate inflation gas to the at least one cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion to transition from an expanded state to a deflated state in response to an impact of a head of a vehicle occupant with the second set of cushion portions.

8. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the first set of cushion portions and the second set of cushion portions are elliptically shaped.

9. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a third set of cushion portions coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the third set of cushion portions arranged concentric with the center of the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first set of cushion portions, and the second set of cushion portions, wherein the third set of cushion portions defines a third set of inflatable chambers that is configured to be disposed within a center of the second set of cushion portions and is configured to receive inflation gas from at least one of a cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion and a cushion vent aperture of an adjacent cushion portion to expand from a compact state outward toward the seating position to an expanded state.

10. The inflatable airbag system of claim 9, wherein the third set of cushion portions is further configured to communicate inflation gas to the at least one cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion to transition from the expanded state to the deflated state in response to an impact of a head of a vehicle occupant with the third set of cushion portions.

11. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of cushion portions, when in the expanded state, is configured to receive a vehicle occupant while retaining pressure of inflation gas within the inflation chambers defined by the first set of cushion portions and to remain expanded while receiving a head or other portion of a vehicle occupant.

12. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a housing from which the base cushion deploys from the compact state to the expanded state.

13. The inflatable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the base chamber to provide inflation gas to the base chamber upon actuation of the inflator.

14. An inflatable airbag system that is configured to be mounted to a steering wheel of a vehicle, the inflatable airbag system comprising:

a base cushion that defines an inflatable base cushion chamber configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand the base cushion from a compact state to a deployed state, the base cushion including at least one cushion vent aperture disposed in an occupant-facing panel of the base cushion;

a first cushion portion coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first cushion portion defining a first inflatable chamber in fluid communication with and configured to receive inflation gas from the base cushion through the at least one cushion vent aperture of the base cushion to expand the first cushion portion from a compact state outward toward a seating position of the vehicle to a deployed state; and

a second cushion portion coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the second cushion portion arranged concentric with the first cushion portion and defining a second inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from at least one cushion vent aperture of the first cushion portion to expand the second set of cushion portions from a compact state outward toward the seating position to a deployed state,

wherein the second cushion portion comprises a single toroidal cushion portion that is toroidal in shape, and wherein the first cushion portion is arranged more centrally than the toroidal cushion portion such that the first cushion portion is disposed within a center area of the toroidal cushion portion.

15. The inflatable airbag system of claim 14, further comprising a one-directional valve disposed in the at least one cushion vent aperture of the base cushion, the one-directional valve allowing inflation gas to pass in a single direction from the base cushion into the first cushion portion and limiting flow of inflation gas from the first cushion portion back to the base cushion.

16. An inflatable airbag system that is configured to be mounted to a steering wheel of a vehicle, the inflatable airbag system comprising:

a base cushion that defines an inflatable base cushion chamber configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand the base cushion from a compact state to an expanded state, the base cushion including a plurality of cushion vent apertures disposed in an occupant-facing panel of the base cushion;

a first set of cushion portions coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first set of cushion portions arranged concentric with a center of the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the first set of cushion portions defining a first set of inflatable chambers each configured to receive inflation gas from a cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion to expand the first set of cushion portions from a compact state outward toward a seating position of the vehicle to an expanded state; and

a second set of cushion portions coupled to the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion, the second set of cushion portions arranged concentric with the center of the occupant-facing panel of the base cushion and the first set of cushion portions, the second set of cushion portions defining a second set of inflatable chambers each configured to receive inflation gas from at least one of a cushion vent aperture of the plurality of cushion vent apertures of the base cushion and a cushion vent aperture of an adjacent cushion portion of the first set of cushion portions to expand from a compact state outward toward the seating position to an expanded state,

wherein the first set of cushion portions is disposed more centrally relative to the second set of cushion portions.

17. The inflatable airbag system of claim 16, wherein the second set of cushion portions comprises a single toroidal cushion portion that is toroidal in shape, and wherein the first set of cushion portions is arranged more centrally than the toroidal cushion portion such that the first set of cushion portions is disposed within a center area of the toroidal cushion portion.

18. The inflatable airbag system of claim 17, wherein the second set of cushion portions comprises a single cushion portion.