Vehicle airbag system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589708-B2
Application number	US-201815871350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2018
Priority date	Jan 15, 2018
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

An assembly includes a seat. The assembly includes a housing. The assembly includes an airbag inflatable to an inflated position having a first inflatable leg and a second inflatable leg extending from the housing, and an inflatable member extending from the first inflatable leg to the second inflatable leg. The assembly includes a tether having a first end fixed to the first inflatable leg and a second end spaced from the first end and the airbag.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a seat;
a housing;
an airbag inflatable to an inflated position and having a first inflatable leg and a second inflatable leg extending from the housing along a longitudinal axis, and an inflatable member extending from the first inflatable leg to the second inflatable leg along a lateral axis; and
a tether having a first end fixed to the first inflatable leg and a second end spaced from the first end and the airbag.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable member is elongated upward and away from the seat when the airbag is in the inflated position.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat is rear-facing.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the tether is behind the seat.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle roof, the housing supported by the roof, and the second end of the tether fixed to the vehicle roof.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle roof, the inflatable member spaced from the vehicle roof when the airbag is in the inflated position.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a seat back defining a midpoint, the first and second inflatable legs extending below the midpoint when the airbag is in the inflated position.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate the airbag in response to detecting a vehicle rear impact.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second seat, the seat and the second seat positioned to face each other;
a second housing;
a second airbag inflatable to an inflated position having a first inflatable leg and a second inflatable leg extending from the housing, and an inflatable member extending from the first inflatable leg to the inflatable second leg; and
a second tether having a first end fixed to the first inflatable leg of the second airbag and a second end spaced from the first end of the tether and the second airbag.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate the airbag and to refrain from actuating the second airbag upon detecting a vehicle impact.

11. An assembly comprising:
a housing;
an airbag inflatable to an inflated position having a first inflatable leg and a second inflatable leg extending from the housing and along a longitudinal axis, and an inflatable member extending from the first inflatable leg to the second inflatable leg along a lateral axis; and
a tether having a first end fixed to the first inflatable leg and a second end spaced from the first end and the airbag.

12. The assembly of the claim 11 , wherein the first inflatable leg has a first end and a second end spaced from the first end along the longitudinal axis, and a first length at the first end and a second length at the second end that is greater than the first length, when the airbag is in the inflated position.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a second tether external of the airbag and having a first end fixed to the first inflatable leg and a second end spaced from the first end and the airbag along the longitudinal axis.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first end of the tether is spaced from the first end of the second tether along a vertical axis.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first end of the tether is spaced from the first end of the second tether along the longitudinal axis.

16. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second end of the tether and the second end of the second tether are fixed at a same location.

17. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inflatable member is arcuate when the airbag is in the inflated position.

18. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first inflatable leg includes an inner panel and an outer panel spaced from the inner panel along the lateral axis, and a plurality of panels extending from the inner panel to the outer panel within the airbag.

19. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inflatable member includes a front panel and a rear panel spaced from the front panel along the longitudinal axis and a plurality of panels extending from the front panel to the rear panel within the airbag.

20. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first inflatable leg includes a plurality of panels internal of the airbag and extending to distal edges, the distal edges spaced from each other and free of attachment to other panels.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Cho Jaeho
• Mccoy Robert W
• Jayasuriya Mangala Ambalangodage

Classifications

• B60R2021/01211

  Expansion of air bags · CPC title

• B60R2021/23192

  Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation · CPC title

• B60R2021/23153

  specially adapted for rear seat passengers · CPC title

• B60R2021/23324

  Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title