Displaceable steering wheel safety systems and related methods

• US 9,994,178 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Paxton, Donald James, Forton, Dino Anthony, Siddharthan, Chandrakanth, Keyser, David, Kruse, Dion Karl-Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US15/156,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2173 the module or part thereof being movably mounted on the vehicle
• 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 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/10 Hubs; Connecting hubs to steering columns, e.g. adjustable B62D1/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/197 incorporating devices for preventing ingress of the steering column into the passengers space in case of accident
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/19 Pyrotechnical actuators

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for repositioning a steering wheel and/or airbag cushion prior to and/or during deployment of the airbag cushion resulting from an impact event. Some embodiments may comprise a steering wheel configured to be positioned between a first, operational configuration and a second, deployed configuration, wherein in the second configuration the steering wheel is positioned laterally relative to the first configuration, and wherein the steering wheel is configured to be repositioned between the first configuration and the second configuration. A steering wheel actuator may be configured to move the steering wheel laterally from the first configuration to the second configuration.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system, comprising:

a steering wheel configured to be positioned between a first, operational configuration and a second, deployed configuration, wherein in the second configuration the steering wheel is positioned laterally relative to the first configuration, wherein the steering wheel is configured to be repositioned between the first configuration and the second configuration at least in part by a translational movement of the steering wheel, and wherein the vehicle safety system comprises an airbag system configured to deploy an airbag cushion in either the first configuration or the second configuration to protect the same vehicle occupant; and

a steering wheel actuator configured to move the steering wheel laterally from the first configuration to the second configuration.

2. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel actuator comprises a spring.

3. The vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the steering wheel actuator further comprises a pyrotechnic release mechanism, wherein the pyrotechnic release mechanism is configured to retain the spring in a compressed configuration and, upon actuation of the pyrotechnic release mechanism, release the spring, and wherein, upon release of the spring, the spring is configured to reposition the steering wheel from the first configuration to the second configuration.

4. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel actuator comprises:

a piston; and

a pyrotechnic device coupled with the piston such that, upon deployment of the pyrotechnic device, the piston forces the steering wheel from the first configuration to the second configuration.

5. The vehicle safety system of claim 4, wherein, upon deployment of the pyrotechnic device, the piston is further configured to decouple the steering wheel from a steering column shaft.

6. The vehicle safety system of claim 5, further comprising:

a steering wheel shaft; and

a connector configured to couple the steering wheel shaft to a steering column shaft, wherein, upon deployment of the pyrotechnic device, the piston is configured to decouple the steering wheel shaft from the steering column shaft prior to forcing the steering wheel from the first configuration to the second configuration.

7. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that the steering wheel is operably coupled to wheels of a vehicle in both the first and second configurations.

8. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that, in the second configuration, the steering wheel is positioned at least one of closer to a driver-side door of a vehicle and closer to a passenger-side door of the vehicle relative to the first configuration.

9. The vehicle safety system of claim 8, wherein the steering wheel actuator further comprises a pyrotechnic device.

10. The vehicle safety system of claim 9, wherein the pyrotechnic device is configured to, upon actuation, decouple the steering wheel from a steering column shaft.

11. The vehicle safety system of claim 10, wherein the pyrotechnic device is further configured to, upon actuation, force the steering wheel from the first configuration to the second configuration.

12. The vehicle safety system of claim 11, further comprising a ramp structure configured to decouple the steering wheel from the steering column shaft following actuation of the pyrotechnic device.

13. The vehicle safety system of claim 12, wherein the ramp structure is forked to allow a portion of the ramp structure to extend past the steering column shaft and engage a steering wheel shaft during actuation of the pyrotechnic device.

14. The vehicle safety system of claim 12, further comprising a piston coupled with the pyrotechnic device.

15. The vehicle safety system of claim 12, further comprising:

a steering wheel shaft; and

a connector configured to couple the steering wheel shaft to a steering column shaft, wherein, upon deployment of the pyrotechnic device, the pyrotechnic device is configured to decouple the steering wheel shaft from the steering column shaft prior to forcing the steering wheel from the first configuration to the second configuration.

16. The vehicle safety system of claim 15, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises a recess configured to receive the connector upon decoupling of the steering wheel shaft from the steering column shaft.

17. The vehicle safety system of claim 16, wherein the recess is tapered so as to allow the connector to be locked in place within the recess upon decoupling of the steering wheel shaft from the steering column shaft.

18. A vehicle safety system, comprising:

a steering wheel configured to be positioned between a first, operational configuration and a second, deployed configuration, wherein in the second configuration the steering wheel is positioned laterally relative to the first configuration, and wherein the steering wheel is configured to be repositioned between the first configuration and the second configuration at least in part by a translational movement of the steering wheel, and wherein the system is configured such that, in the second configuration, the steering wheel is positioned at least one of closer to a driver-side door of a vehicle and closer to a passenger-side door of the vehicle relative to the first configuration; and

a steering wheel actuator comprising a pyrotechnic device configured to move the steering wheel laterally from the first configuration to the second configuration, wherein the pyrotechnic device is configured to, upon actuation, decouple the steering wheel from a steering column shaft.