Vehicle impact energy absorber including inflatable webbing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144381-B2
Application number	US-201715397058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A system includes an airbag, a seat, a strap, and an inflatable webbing. The airbag is inflatable to an inflated position. The seat includes a seat back. The strap has a first end connected the airbag and a second end connected to the seat back. The inflatable webbing is fluidly connected to the airbag and releasably connectable to the seat back.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an airbag inflatable to an inflated position;
a seat including a seat back;
a strap having a first end connected to the airbag and a second end connected to the seat back; and
an inflatable webbing having a first end fluidly connected to the airbag and a second end releasably connectable to the seat back.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable webbing.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a buckle connected to the seat back and a tongue connected to the inflatable webbing and releasably connectable to the buckle, the buckle including a channel fluidly connecting the inflator to the inflatable webbing when the tongue is connected to the buckle.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the inflatable webbing includes a sheath and a webbing tube disposed in the sheath, the webbing tube in fluid communication with the airbag, and a fill tube in fluid communication with the inflator, wherein the tongue includes a tongue channel, and, when the buckle is connected to the tongue, the fill tube, the channel of the buckle, the tongue channel, and the webbing tube form a continuous fluid channel from the inflator to the airbag.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat back has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the strap is connected to the upper portion and the inflatable webbing is releasably connectable to the lower portion.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat back has an upper portion, and the airbag extends above the upper portion of the seat back in the inflated position.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle floor, and wherein the seat includes a seat bottom and a shaft extending from the seat bottom to the vehicle floor, wherein the seat bottom is rotatable relative to the floor about the shaft.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a retractor connected to the seat back including a retractor shaft rotatable about a retractor axis, wherein the second end of the strap is fixed to the retractor shaft.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the retractor includes a locking mechanism movable to a locked position, wherein the locking mechanism prevents rotation of the retractor shaft in the locked position.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat back includes a slot and strap extends from the seat back to the airbag through the slot.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second strap having a first end connected to the airbag and a second end connected to the seat back.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second inflatable webbing fluidly connected to the airbag and releasably connectable to the seat back.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable webbing includes a sheath and a webbing tube disposed in the sheath and inflatable to an inflated position, wherein the webbing tube extends from the sheath in the inflated position.

14. A restraint assembly, comprising:
an airbag inflatable to an inflated position;
a retractor including a retractor shaft rotatable about a retractor axis;
a strap having a first end connected to the airbag and a second end fixed to the retractor shaft; and
an inflatable webbing having a first end fluidly connected to the airbag and a second end releasably connectable to a seat back.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a tongue fixed to the inflatable webbing.

16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the retractor includes a lockin mechanism movable to a locked position, wherein the locking mechanism prevents rotation of the retractor shaft in the locked position.

17. The assembly of claim 14 , further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the inflatable webbing.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a buckle connected to the seat back and a tongue connected to the inflatable webbing and releasably connectable to the buckle, the buckle including a channel fluidly connecting the inflator to the inflatable webbing when the tongue is connected to the buckle.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the inflatable webbing includes a sheath and a webbing tube disposed in the sheath, the webbing tube in fluid communication with the airbag, and a fill tube in fluid communication with the inflator, wherein the tongue includes a tongue channel, and, when the buckle is connected to the tongue, the fill tube, the channel of the buckle, the tongue channel, and the webbing tube form a continuous fluid channel from the inflator to the airbag.

20. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the inflatable webbing includes a sheath and a webbing tube disposed in the sheath and inflatable to an inflated position, wherein the webbing tube extends from the sheath in the inflated position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Faruque Mohammed Omar
• Jaradi Dean M
• Farooq S M Iskander

Classifications

• B60R21/18 Primary

  the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement · CPC title

• B60R22/12

  Construction of belts or harnesses (B60R21/18 takes precedence {; woven fabrics for safety belts D03D1/0005}) · CPC title

• B60R22/46

  {Reels} with means to tension the belt in an emergency {by forced winding up}(electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 {; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195}) · CPC title

• B60R21/261 Primary

  with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid · CPC title

• B60N2002/022

  the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a vertical axis · CPC title