Side airbag energy management system

• US 9,849,856 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2016
• 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, Soyka, Jr., Richard Joseph, Voelker, Martin, Desai, Manoj, Hosbach, Christian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew J
• Application Number:
  US15/175,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170349133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/503 attached to the backrest B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• 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 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly that includes a seat back having a passenger support attached to a trim carrier with a suspension assembly connecting a support structure. The support structure includes a first trim piece, a seat frame, and a rear panel portion. The rear panel portion includes one or more upper inverted hooks, an energy transfer bracket, one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips, one or more outer wall detents, and one or more breaking members. An airbag deployment system is positioned proximate the first trim piece and a second trim piece and configured to deploy an airbag between the first and second trim pieces. The deployment energy is dissipated through the rear panel portion'"'"'s one or more upper inverted hooks, the energy transfer bracket, the one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips, the one or more outer wall detents, and the one or more breaking members of the rear panel portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat back assembly comprising:

a passenger support;

a suspension assembly coupling the passenger support to a support structure, wherein the support structure comprises a first trim piece, a seat frame, and a rear panel portion;

wherein the rear panel portion comprises one or more upper inverted hooks, an energy transfer bracket, one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips, one or more outer wall detents, and one or more breaking members;

a side airbag coupled in position to the seat frame; and

an airbag deployment system configured to deploy the side airbag generating a deployment energy wherein the deployment energy is at least partially transferred to the one or more upper inverted hooks, the energy transfer bracket, the one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips, the one or more outer wall detents, and the one or more breaking members.

2. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper inverted hooks, the energy transfer bracket, and the one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips are attached in a rectangular architecture on the rear panel portion.

3. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper inverted hooks has a hook angle from 40°

to 50°

to engage the seat frame through a frame member opening.

4. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper inverted hooks comprises a ribbed hook wall extending out towards the seat frame.

5. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more outer wall detents are located on an interior surface of an outer wall of the rear panel portion.

6. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear panel portion has two outer walls comprising one outer wall detent on an interior surface of each outer wall.

7. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat frame remains coupled to the seat back but the seat frame can be lifted up from the one or more upper inverted hooks and the one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips to facilitate a dissipation of the deployment energy.

8. The vehicle seat back assembly of claim 1, wherein the breaking member initiates bending of an outer wall on the rear panel portion along the one or more outer wall detents to facilitate dissipation of the deployment energy.

9. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a support structure comprising a first trim piece, a seat frame, and a rear panel portion; and

an airbag deployment system configured to deploy a side airbag using a breaking member to initiate bending of an outer wall on the rear panel portion along one or more outer wall detents to facilitate a dissipation of the deployment energy using one or more inverted hooks.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more upper inverted hooks have a hook angle from 40°

to 50°

to engage the seat frame through a frame member opening.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more outer wall detents are located on an interior surface of an outer wall of the rear panel portion.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more breaking members are positioned at an end of the outer wall detents.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the rear panel portion has two outer walls comprising one outer wall detent on an interior surface of each outer wall.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more breaking members of the rear panel portion initiates bending along the one or more outer wall detents and the seat frame remains attached to a seat back but the seat frame can be lifted up from both the one or more upper inverted hooks and one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips to facilitate a dissipation of the deployment energy.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein an energy transfer bracket is a reinforced area on the rear panel portion that forms an outer edge of a map pocket.

16. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a support structure comprising a first trim piece, a seat frame, and a rear panel portion; and

an airbag deployment system configured to deploy a side airbag coupled to the seat frame using the rear panel portion comprising one or more upper inverted hooks and one or more breaking members positioned at an end of one or more outer wall detents to facilitate a dissipation of a deployment energy.

17. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, wherein the rear panel portion has two outer walls comprising one outer wall detent on an interior surface of each outer wall.

18. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, wherein the one or more breaking members of the rear panel portion initiates bending along the one or more outer wall detents and the seat frame remains attached to a seat back but the seat frame can be lifted up from both the one or more upper inverted hooks and one or more lower 2-stage attachment clips to facilitate a dissipation of the deployment energy.