Vehicle seating assembly with anchored airbag tethers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596993-B2
Application number	US-201815871321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2018
Priority date	Jan 15, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly is provided herein. The vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback coupled to a seat-base. An airbag assembly is coupled to the seatback and configured to deploy therefrom. A tether is coupled to the airbag assembly and at least one of the seatback and the seat-base. An anchoring feature is coupled to at least one of the seatback and the seat-base and is configured to restrain seating-assembly-upward movement of the tether.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
a seatback coupled to a seat-base;
an airbag assembly coupled to the seatback and configured to deploy therefrom;
a tether coupled to the airbag assembly and at least one of the seatback and the seat-base;
a cable coupled to the tether; and
a retractor coupled to the seat-base and configured to retract the cable.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag assembly comprises:
a side airbag configured to deploy out of a lateral side of the seatback.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2 , wherein the airbag assembly further comprises:
an overhead airbag configured to deploy seating-assembly-laterally-inboard of the side airbag.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retractor is further configured to retract the cable when the airbag assembly is in a deployed position.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable is partially disposed within at least one of the seat-base and the seatback while the airbag assembly is in a pre-deployment position.

6. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
a seatback coupled to a seat-base;
an airbag assembly coupled to the seatback and configured to deploy therefrom, wherein at least a portion of the airbag assembly is configured to deploy out of the seatback;
a tether coupled to the airbag assembly and at least one of the seatback and the seat-base; and
an anchoring feature configured to restrain seating-assembly-upward movement of the tether, coupled to at least one of the seatback and the seat-base.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6 , wherein the airbag assembly comprises:
A side airbag configured to deploy out of a lateral side of the seatback.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein the airbag assembly further comprises:
an overhead airbag configured to deploy seating-assembly-laterally-inboard of the side airbag.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6 , wherein the anchoring feature comprises:
a cable; and
a retractor configured to retract the cable.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6 , wherein the anchoring feature comprises:
an auxiliary hook coupled to the seat-base.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary hook is operable between a stowed position and a use position.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6 , wherein the anchoring feature comprises:
an armrest.

13. A method of operating a vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
deploying an airbag assembly from a seatback of a vehicle seating assembly that includes a seat-base coupled to the seatback;
restraining seating-assembly-forward movement of the airbag assembly with a tether coupled to the airbag assembly; and
restraining seating-assembly-upward movement of the tether with an anchoring feature coupled to the seat-base.

14. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
positioning the anchoring feature.

15. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein the anchoring feature is an auxiliary hook.

16. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 15 , wherein the step of positioning the anchoring feature further comprises the step of:
moving the auxiliary hook from a stowed position to a use position.

17. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein the anchoring feature is an armrest.

18. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 17 , wherein the step of positioning the anchoring feature further comprises the step of:
moving the armrest from a first position to a second position.

19. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein the anchoring feature is a cable coupled to the tether.

20. The method of operating a vehicle seating assembly of claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
retracting the cable into a retractor coupled to the seat-base.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Line Johnathan Andrew
• Spahn Brian Robert
• Yilma Benjamin
• Berry S M Akbar
• Preuss Kevin Wayne
• Kondrad Marcos Silva
• Ferretti Daniel

Classifications

• B60R21/23138

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

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R2021/23388

  having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment · CPC title