Front airbag for vehicle and method of controlling the same

• US 9,908,496 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Jae Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US15/254,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• 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 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• 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 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A front air bag for a vehicle is provided. The air bag includes an air bag cushion that has of a plurality of chambers and a gas flow passage that supplies each of the chambers with gas of an inflator. A variable valve selectively closes or opens the gas flow passage. Additionally, a controller determines a type of vehicle collision and operates the variable valve based on the collision type.

Claims

1. A front air bag for a vehicle, comprising:

an air bag cushion including an indoor side chamber, a central chamber, and a door side chamber;

a gas flow passage for directly supplying each of the chambers of the air bag cushion with gas of an inflator;

a variable valve disposed between the inflator and the gas flow passage to selectively close and open the gas flow passage; and

a controller configured to determine a type of vehicle collision using an impact sensor and operate the variable valve according to the vehicle collision type.

2. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the variable valve to deploy the central chamber and the indoor side chamber in response to detecting an oblique collision.

3. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the variable valve to deploy the central chamber and the door side chamber in response to detecting a front collision.

4. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gas flow passage connected to the indoor side chamber is formed to have a diameter greater than diameters of the other gas flow passages.

5. A method of controlling a front air bag for a vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

identifying, by a sensor, whether occupants enter the vehicle;

detecting, by a controller, collision signals for determining a type of vehicle collision;

selecting, by the controller, one or more chambers to be deployed in response to the detected collision signals; and

operating, by the controller, a variable valve to deploy the selected chambers.

6. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a first vent aperture that provides fluid communication between the indoor side chamber and the central chamber; and

a second vent aperture that provides fluid communication between the central chamber and the door side chamber.

7. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first and second vent apertures are active vent apertures and the controller is configured to operate the first vent aperture to be closed and the second vent aperture to be opened in response to detecting an oblique collision.

8. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first and second vent apertures are active vent apertures and the controller is configured to operate the first and second vent apertures to be opened in response to detecting a front collision.

9. The front air bag for a vehicle of claim 8, wherein the door side chamber further comprises:

a third vent aperture that provides the door side chamber to communicate fluidly with the outside.