EXTENDING PASS-THROUGH AIRBAG OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160280171A1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AmSafe, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vargas, Louis Gregory, Humbert, Todd Joseph, Moeller, Trenton Dirk, Merrill, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,944,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0093 Aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/12 Construction of belts or harnesses B60R21/18 takes precedence ; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06205 Arrangements of airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2201/00 Airbags mounted in aircraft for any use

Abstract

Vehicle occupant restraint systems that include a compact, web-mounted airbag that can be deployed during a crash event are described herein. In some embodiments, the web (e.g., a shoulder belt) passes through the stowed airbag during normal use and, when the airbag inflates and deploys, the airbag extends along the length of the web (for example, along the entire length, or at least most of the length, of the web) to protect the occupant. In some embodiments, the restraint systems include shoulder belts having first and second overlapping web portions, and when the airbag inflates and deploys, the airbag extends along the length of the first web portion between the first web portion and the second web portion.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag;

a web portion extending through the airbag, wherein the web portion is configured to extend around an occupant to restrain the occupant in a vehicle seat, and wherein the airbag is operable to inflate and deploy along a length of the web portion in response to a vehicle dynamic event.

2. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein, when the airbag inflates and deploys in response to the vehicle dynamic event, the airbag includes a first inflated portion positioned to one side of the web portion and a second inflated portion positioned to an opposite side of the web portion.

3. The occupant restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a sheath disposed within the airbag, wherein the web portion extends through the sheath.

4. The occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the airbag is operable to inflate and deploy from a stored position to an inflated position, and wherein the web portion is configured to move back and forth through the airbag when the airbag is in the stored position.

5. The occupant restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a flexible cover, wherein the airbag is stored within the flexible cover prior to inflation of the airbag, and wherein the web portion is configured to slide back and forth beneath the flexible cover.

6. The occupant restraint system of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the airbag is stored within the housing prior to inflation of the airbag, and wherein the web portion is configured to move back and forth through the housing.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the web portion is configured to extend across the torso of the occupant, and wherein the airbag is operable to inflate and deploy along the length of the web portion from a first location proximate a shoulder of the occupant to a second location proximate the waist of the occupant.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the web portion is a first web portion, and wherein the restraint system further comprises a second web portion configured to underlay the first web portion between the first web portion and the occupant.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the web portion is a first web portion, wherein the restraint system further comprises a second web portion configured to underlay the first web portion, and wherein the airbag is operable to inflate and deploy between the first web portion and the second web portion.

11. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the web portion is a shoulder web portion of 3-point seat belt system.

12. The vehicle occupant restraint system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle seat is an aircraft passenger seat.

13. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

a first web portion;

a second web portion, wherein the first web portion is configured to overlay the second web portion, and wherein the first and second web portions are configured to extend across a torso of an occupant to restrain the occupant in a vehicle seat; and

an airbag configured to inflate and deploy along a length of the first web portion between the first web portion and the second web portion.

14. The occupant restraint system of claim 13 wherein the airbag is configured to inflate and extend from a first location proximate a shoulder of the occupant to a second location proximate a waist of the occupant.

15. The occupant restraint system of claim 13, further comprising a housing having an aperture, wherein the airbag is stored within the housing prior to inflation of the airbag, and wherein the first web portion is configured to move back and forth through the aperture in the housing.

16. The occupant restraint system of claim 13, further comprising a web retractor, wherein an end portion of the first web portion or the second web portion is operably coupled to the web retractor.

17. The occupant restraint system of claim 13, further comprising:

the vehicle seat; and

a web retractor mounted to at least one of the vehicle seat or a vehicle structure adjacent to the vehicle seat, wherein an end portion of the first web portion is operably coupled to the web retractor, and wherein an end portion of the second web portion is fixedly attached relative to the vehicle seat.

18. The occupant restraint system of claim 13, further comprising:

a web connector having a web aperture, wherein the first and second web portions are respective portions of a shoulder belt web that slidably passes through the web aperture; and

a lap belt, wherein the web connector is configured to be releasably coupled to the lap belt to provide a three-point harness for restraining the occupant in the vehicle seat during a vehicle dynamic event above a preset magnitude.

19. An airbag system, comprising:

an airbag having a passage extending therethrough;

a seat belt web; and

means for stowing the airbag with the seat belt web extending through the passage in the airbag.

20. The airbag system of claim 19, further comprising means for inflating the airbag from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, wherein the seat belt web extends through the passage when the airbag is in the stowed configuration and when the airbag is in the deployed configuration.