External airbag system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046729-B2
Application number	US-201415103316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides for an advantageous external side airbag system ( 1 ), comprising at least one airbag ( 3, 3 a - 3 c ) with at least one dedicated inflator ( 5 a - 5 c ). The external airbag system is characterized in that at least one airbag has in a folded state an elongated shape that extends in a longitudinal direction (L) and is configured to be integrated in a side structure ( 19 ) of a vehicle, and in particular between a rocker panel ( 21 ) and a sill cover ( 31 ) of a vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external airbag system ( 1 ), comprising at least one airbag ( 3 ) with at least one dedicated inflator ( 5 a - 5 c ), the at least one airbag ( 3 ) having a first chamber ( 47 ″) and at least one second chamber ( 47 , 47 ′),
wherein the at least one airbag ( 3 ) has in a folded state an elongated shape that extends in a longitudinal direction and is integrated in a side structure ( 19 ) of a vehicle (K) outside of a vehicle's occupant compartment and between a rocker panel ( 21 ) and a sill cover ( 31 ) of the vehicle, and
in an inflated state of the at least one airbag ( 3 ), the at least one second chamber ( 47 , 47 ′) covers doors of the vehicle (K), and the first chamber ( 47 ″) at least partially surrounds the at least one second chamber ( 47 , 47 ′) and covers both the sill cover ( 31 ) and pillars ( 23 , 25 , 27 ) of the vehicle (K).

2. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein fixation means ( 7 a - c ) are provided for fixing the at least one inflator ( 5 a - 5 c ) and the at least one airbag ( 3 ) to the rocker panel ( 21 ) of the vehicle (K).

3. The external airbag system according to the claim 1 , wherein there are at least three inflators ( 5 a - 5 c ) provided that are substantially regularly distributed over an entire length of the at least one airbag ( 3 ) in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof.

4. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a pre-crash sensing system being adapted to detect a collision object and upon detection to fully deploy the at least one airbag before physical contact with the collision object, wherein the pre-crash sensing system comprises at least one sensor for sensing the collision object.

5. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one airbag ( 3 ) comprises a double-layer fabric.

6. A vehicle comprising an external airbag system according to claim 1 .

7. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein in the folded state, the airbag ( 3 ) continuously extends along a complete length of the rocker panel ( 21 ), and continuously extends from an A-pillar ( 23 ), over a B-pillar ( 25 ) and to a C-pillar ( 27 ).

8. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein in the inflated state of the airbag ( 3 ), the first chamber ( 47 ″) has a first region that covers an A-pillar ( 23 ), a second region that covers a B-pillar ( 25 ), and a third region that covers a C-pillar ( 27 ), the second region of the first chamber ( 47 ″) extends further in a vertical direction (V) than the first and third regions of the first chamber ( 47 ″), and the at least one second chamber ( 47 , 47 ″) is positioned in both a space between the first and second regions of the first chamber ( 47 ″) and a space between the second and third regions of the first chamber ( 47 ″).

9. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein each chamber ( 47 , 47 ′, 47 ″) receives inflation gas from a dedicated inflator such that the separate chambers ( 47 , 47 ′, 47 ″) may contain different pressure levels in the inflated state of the airbag ( 3 ).

10. The external airbag system according to claim 9 , wherein the separate chambers ( 47 , 47 ′, 47 ″) are arranged adjacent to each other and are distributed uniformly or non-uniformly over an entire length of the at least one airbag ( 3 ) in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof, wherein the separate chambers contain different sizes and shapes.

11. The external airbag system according to the claim 1 , wherein the at least one airbag ( 3 ) comprises at least one internal tether ( 35 , 35 ′) that is attached to internal walls ( 41 a , 41 b ) of the at least one airbag ( 3 ) and constructed such that the at least one airbag ( 3 ) deploys in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) of the at least one airbag ( 3 ).

12. The external airbag system according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one internal tether ( 35 , 35 ′) extends in the inflated airbag in a vertical direction (V) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) of the folded airbag and is attached to the internal walls ( 41 a , 41 b ) that are arranged on opposite sides with respect to a plane (C) that cuts a longitudinal axis of the at least one airbag ( 3 ).

13. The external airbag airbag system according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) is provided that are strap-shaped and substantially regularly distributed in at least one row over an entire length of the at least one airbag ( 3 ) in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof.

14. The external airbag system according to claim 11 , wherein a plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) is arranged in at least two layers that are arranged a distance from each other in a vertical direction (V) of the at least one airbag ( 3 ).

15. The external airbag system according to claim 1 , wherein a first plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ) are arranged in parallel in a first common plane (A) and a second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ′) are arranged in parallel in a second common plane (B), the first plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ) being positioned vertically above the second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ′), each of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) having first and second ends ( 37 , 39 ) that are connected to opposing internal walls ( 41 a , 41 b ) of the airbag ( 3 ), the first ends ( 37 ) of each of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) being spaced at a different vertical distance from each other than the second ends ( 39 ) of each of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′).

16. The external airbag system according to claim 15 , wherein the first ends ( 37 ) of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) are spaced at a shorter vertical distance from each other than the second ends ( 39 ) of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) so that in the inflated state of the airbag ( 3 ), the airbag ( 3 ) extends substantially in a vertical direction (V).

17. The external airbag system according to claim 15 , wherein the second ends ( 39 ) of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) are spaced at a shorter vertical distance from each other than the first ends ( 37 ) of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) so that in the inflated state of the airbag ( 3 ), the airbag ( 3 ) extends in a vertical direction (V) and substantially in a horizontal direction (H) away from the side structure ( 19 ) of the vehicle (K).

18. An external airbag system ( 1 ), comprising at least one airbag ( 3 ) with at least one dedicated inflator ( 5 a - 5 c );
a first plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ) being arranged in parallel in a first common plane (A) and a second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ′) being arranged in parallel in a second common plane (B), the first plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ) being positioned vertically above the second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 ′), each of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) having first and second ends ( 37 , 39 ) that are connected to opposing internal walls ( 41 a , 41 b ) of the airbag ( 3 ), the first ends ( 37 ) of each of the first and second plurality of internal tethers ( 35 , 35 ′) being spaced at a different vertical distance from each other than the second ends ( 39 ) of each of the first and seco

Assignees

• Dalphi Metal Espana Sa
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Perez Garcia Azucena
• Core Almarza Emiliano
• Casanova Mateo Andres
• Weiss Christian
• Pichler Michael

Classifications

• B60R2021/26058

  using a combination of inflators · CPC title

• B60R2021/23382

  Internal tether means · CPC title

• B60R2021/0006

  Lateral collision · CPC title

• B60R21/233 Primary

  comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other (B60R21/232 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R21/23138

  specially adapted for side protection (B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence) · CPC title