Deployable panel for an airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10864876-B2
Application number	US-201916263975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

An assembly includes a vehicle interior component. The assembly includes an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component. The assembly includes a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position. The assembly includes a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel. The spring biases the deployable panel toward the extended position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
a vehicle interior component;
an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component;
a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position; and
a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel and biasing the deployable panel toward the extended position;
an actuator releasably coupled to the deployable panel;
the spring biasing the deployable panel toward the actuator.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic release.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle interior component defines a cavity, the deployable panel being in the cavity in the retracted position and extendable from the cavity to the extended position.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a slidable rail between the deployable panel and the vehicle interior component.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel is translatable between the retracted position and the extended position.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a windshield, the deployable panel being positioned to be between the airbag and the windshield in the extended position.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel has a reaction surface positioned to abut the airbag in an inflated position when the deployable panel is in the extended position.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle interior component is an instrument panel.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a controller programed to actuate the actuator in response to a vehicle impact.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel is rigid relative to the airbag.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel is elongated in a cross-vehicle direction.

12. An assembly, comprising:
a vehicle interior component;
an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component;
a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position;
a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel and biasing the deployable panel toward the extended position; and
a windshield, the deployable panel being positioned to be between the airbag and the windshield in the extended position.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the deployable panel is translatable between the retracted position and the extended position.

14. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the deployable panel is rigid relative to the airbag.

15. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the deployable panel is elongated in a cross-vehicle direction.

16. An assembly, comprising:
a vehicle interior component, the vehicle interior component is an instrument panel;
an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component;
a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position; and
a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel and biasing the deployable panel toward the extended position.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the deployable panel is translatable between the retracted position and the extended position.

18. The assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the deployable panel is rigid relative to the airbag.

19. The assembly as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the deployable panel is elongated in a cross-vehicle direction.

20. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the deployable panel has a reaction surface positioned to abut the airbag in an inflated position when the deployable panel is in the extended position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Malapati Srinivas Reddy
• Kadam Mangesh

Classifications

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title

• B60R21/205 Primary

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R2021/01252

  Devices other than bags · CPC title

• B60R2021/0273

  automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title