PASSENGER AIRBAG WITH EXTENDED BASE

• US 20150307056A1
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: CHENG, James Chih, CHO, Jaeho, BELWAFA, Jamel E., FARUQUE, Mohammed Omar
• Granted Patent: US 9,969,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• 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 21/2334 Expansion control features

Abstract

An airbag module for a vehicle includes an inflator disposed behind an instrument panel and an airbag arrangement. The airbag arrangement includes a cushion section configured to receive an occupant during impact and a balloon section disposed proximate a base of the cushion section and adjacent the instrument panel such that, upon inflation, the balloon section contacts and pushes against the instrument panel. This forms a swell on the cushion section adjacent to the balloon section configured to hinder movement of the occupant toward the balloon section.

Claims

1. A vehicle airbag system comprising:

an airbag module including a passenger side frontal airbag arrangement defining a primary bag configured to cushion an occupant torso during driver side oblique impacts and a satellite bag positioned on a side of the primary bag and configured to, in response to inflation, cause the primary bag to recoil in a direction away from a passenger side to shift a position of the primary bag toward the driver side.

2. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the satellite bag is configured to contact and push against an instrument panel during inflation.

3. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the satellite bag is further positioned proximate a base of the primary bag.

4. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein a volume defined by the satellite bag is less than a volume defined by the primary bag.

5. The airbag system of claim 4 wherein the volume defined by the satellite bag is approximately one third the volume defined by the primary bag.

6. A vehicle comprising:

an instrument panel; and

an airbag module including a passenger side frontal airbag and an inflator disposed behind the instrument panel, the airbag defining, when inflated, a cushion section configured to receive an occupant torso during driver side oblique impacts and a balloon section configured to, during inflation, press against the instrument panel to propel the cushion section in a direction away from a passenger side to shift a position of the cushion section toward driver side.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein a volume defined by the balloon section is less than a volume defined by the cushion section.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the volume defined by the balloon section is approximately one third the volume defined by the cushion section.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the balloon section is positioned proximate the inflator.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the balloon section, when inflated, is positioned proximate a base of the cushion section.

11. An airbag module for a vehicle comprising:

an inflator disposed behind an instrument panel; and

a passenger side frontal airbag arrangement including a cushion section configured to receive an occupant torso during driver side oblique impacts and a balloon section disposed proximate a base of the cushion section and adjacent the instrument panel such that, upon inflation, the balloon section contacts and pushes against the instrument panel to propel the cushion section in a direction away from a passenger side form a swell on the cushion section adjacent to the balloon section configured to hinder movement of the occupant toward a driver side.

12. The airbag module of claim 11 wherein the balloon section is partitioned from the cushion section via a panel configured such that upon an oblique impact by the vehicle, the panel vents inflation gas to the balloon section.

13. The airbag module of claim 11 wherein the balloon section is disposed proximate the inflator.

14. The airbag module of claim 11 wherein the cushion section is made of a material different than a material of the balloon section.

15. The airbag module of claim 11 further comprising a tether arranged to at least partially define the balloon section.