Door opening restraint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549707-B2
Application number	US-201815898312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2018
Priority date	Feb 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a first pillar. The vehicle includes a second pillar having a distal end and spaced from the first pillar. The vehicle includes an extendible member supported by the first pillar and moveable from a retracted position where the extendible member has a first length to an extended position where the extendible member extends to the second pillar spaced from the distal end and has a second length greater than the first length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a first pillar;
a second pillar having a distal end and spaced from the first pillar; and
an extendible member supported by the first pillar and moveable from a retracted position where the extendible member has a first length to an extended position where the extendible member extends to the second pillar spaced from the distal end and has a second length greater than the first length.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first pillar is an A-pillar and the second pillar is a B-pillar.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a roof supported at the distal end of the second pillar.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member is movable from the retracted position to the extended position along a vehicle-longitudinal axis.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an inflator operatively coupled to the extendible member.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the extendible member defines an inflation chamber, and the inflator is in fluid communication with the inflation chamber.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member includes a plurality of telescoping members.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member includes a folded member.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second pillar defines a socket, and the extendible member in the extended position extends into the socket.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the extendible member to move to the extended position upon detecting a vehicle impact.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the extendible member to move to the extended position upon detecting a vehicle impact and based on a determination of whether a door is present between the first pillar and the second pillar.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the extendible member to move to the extended position upon detecting a vehicle impact and before actuating an airbag.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member in the extended position is elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a door removably supported at one of the first pillar or the second pillar.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member in the extended position defines a chamber tapering from a first end to a second end.

16. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a second extendible member supported by the first pillar and spaced from the extendible member along a vehicle-vertical axis.

17. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member is positioned to restrain an occupant in a passenger cabin of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member is below a beltline.

19. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the extendible member in the retracted position is spaced from the second pillar.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef
• Nusier Saied
• Baccouche Mohamed Ridha

Classifications

• B62D25/02

  Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} · CPC title

• B60R21/21

  in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors (pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213) · CPC title

• B60J9/00

  Devices not provided for in one of main groups B60J1/00 - B60J7/00 (B60J10/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2021/028

  Means preventing passenger from falling out of vehicles · CPC title

• B60R21/08 Primary

  {automatically} movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision (electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01) · CPC title