Steering wheel assembly including an airbag tether

• US 9,963,099 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jayasuriya, Mangala A., McCoy, Robert William
• Primary Examiner(s): English, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/006,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20170210325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23388 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/11 incorporating energy-absorbing arrangements, e.g. by being yieldable or collapsible padded linings associated with the steering wheel B60R21/05; shock absorbers using plastic deformation of members in general F16F7/12

Abstract

A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a steering wheel and an airbag that is supported by the steering wheel. The airbag is inflatable away from the steering wheel in an inflation direction. An airbag tether includes a first end coupled to the steering wheel, and a second end spaced from the first end and coupled to the steering wheel. The airbag is disposed between the steering wheel and the airbag tether. During a frontal impact of the vehicle, the airbag tether may be positioned independent of steering wheel position to restrict inflation of the airbag adjacent a thorax of a driver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A steering wheel assembly comprising:

a steering wheel;

an airbag supported by the steering wheel;

a unitary airbag tether including a first end and a second end spaced from the first end, the airbag being disposed between the steering wheel and the airbag tether;

a first ring rotatably supported by the steering wheel, the first end and the second end of the airbag tether being coupled to the first ring;

a second ring fixed relative to the steering wheel and rotatably supporting the first ring; and

a ballast weight fixed to the first ring;

wherein the first ring is circular and the airbag tether is offset from a center of the first ring toward the ballast weight.

2. The steering wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one positioning tether including a first tether end coupled to the first ring and a second tether end spaced from the first tether end and coupled to the airbag tether.

3. The steering wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag tether is formed of an elastic material.

4. The steering wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag tether is formed of a non-elastic material.

5. The steering wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag tether is free from direct attachment to the airbag.

6. The steering wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the airbag is inflatable to an inflated position, and the airbag tether extends across the airbag in the inflated position.

7. An airbag assembly comprising:

a base;

an airbag supported by the base;

a unitary airbag tether including a first end and a second end spaced from the first end, the airbag being disposed between the base and the airbag tether;

a first ring rotatably supported by the base, the first end and the second end of the airbag tether being coupled to the first ring;

a second ring fixed relative to the base and rotatably supporting the first ring; and

a ballast weight fixed to the first ring;

wherein the first ring is circular and the airbag tether is offset from a center of the first ring toward the ballast weight.

8. The airbag assembly as set forth in claim 7, further comprising at least one positioning tether including a first tether end coupled to the first ring and a second tether end spaced from the first tether end and coupled to the airbag tether.

9. A tether assembly comprising:

a first ring;

a second ring rotatably mounted to the first ring;

a unitary airbag tether including a first end coupled to the first ring and a second end spaced from the first end and coupled to the first ring; and

a ballast weight fixed to the first ring;

wherein the first ring is circular and the airbag tether is offset from a center of the first ring toward the ballast weight.

10. The tether assembly as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a bearing between the first ring and the second ring.

11. The tether assembly as set forth in claim 10, further comprising at least one positioning tether including a first tether end coupled to the first ring and a second tether end spaced from the first tether end and coupled to the airbag tether.

12. The tether assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein the airbag tether is formed of an elastic material.