Motor vehicle airbag system

• US 9,914,426 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Glaser, Carsten, Fischer, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US15/059,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 2807302, 280736, 280740, 280741, 280742, 102530, 102531
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26076 characterised by casing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/262 Elongated tubular diffusers, e.g. curtain-type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

An airbag system for a motor vehicle includes an airbag arrangement with at least one airbag and a gas generator for filling the airbag arrangement. A base body includes two end regions, and an ignition element protrudes from the base body between the two end regions. The folded airbag arrangement in a packed state envelops at least one of the end regions in multiple layers on one part of its outer periphery.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a roof of a motor vehicle comprising:

an airbag arrangement with at least one airbag; and

a gas generator for filling the airbag arrangement, the gas generator including a base body that extends along a curved longitudinal axis, the base body having two end regions that are opposite each other along the longitudinal axis, the end regions each include an outflow nozzle for filling the airbag arrangement on an end face of the respective end region, the base body situated completely inside of the airbag arrangement and an ignition element protruding outwardly from the base body between the two end regions;

wherein the airbag arrangement in a packed state envelops a portion of an outer perimeter of both of the end regions with multiple layers folded one on top of the other and oppositely to each other about the portion of the outer perimeter to surround the end regions along the portion of the outer perimeter.

2. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the end regions enveloped by the airbag arrangement in the packed state have a maximum periphery of at most 80 mm and the multiple layers are situated on the end regions in such a way as to envelop at least 60% of the outer perimeter of both of the end regions with the multiple layers.

3. The airbag system according to claim 2, wherein the airbag arrangement envelops the base body, which has a maximum periphery of at most 80 mm on at least 25% of its length over a portion of an outer perimeter of the base body in the multiple layers.

4. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein each of the outflow nozzles includes a smaller maximum periphery than the end regions.

5. The airbag system according claim 1, wherein the ignition element comprises a housing and a fastening device configured to fasten the housing to a roof of the motor vehicle.

6. The airbag system according to claim 5, wherein the fastening device comprises at least one threaded fastener fixed to the housing and a nut that is bolted thereto.

7. The airbag system according to claim 5, wherein the fastening device comprises a fastening flange detachably fastened to the housing.

8. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the ignition element includes an electrical connection.

9. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body having a roof, and having an airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator is situated on the roof.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the longitudinal axis is curved to complement a roof side member of the roof.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the ignition element comprises a housing, which is fastened to the roof of the vehicle body.

12. A method for fastening an airbag system to a structure of a motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the ignition element comprises a housing and the method comprises fastening the housing to a roof of the motor vehicle to fasten the airbag system to the roof of the motor vehicle.