Vehicle including inflatable assembly supported by seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926733-B2
Application number	US-201916242452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 12, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seatback including a left lateral panel and a right lateral panel opposite the left lateral panel, a left airbag inflatable from the left lateral panel to an inflated position, a right airbag inflatable from the right lateral panel to an inflated position, a tether extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel, and a sheet connected to the left airbag and the right airbag. The tether is connected to the left and right airbags.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seatback including a left lateral panel and a right lateral panel opposite the left lateral panel;
a left airbag inflatable from the left lateral panel to an inflated position;
a right airbag inflatable from the right lateral panel to an inflated position;
a tether extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel, the tether connected to the left and right airbags;
a sheet connected to the left airbag and the right airbag; and
a front airbag attached to the tether;
wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position; and
the front airbag is between the seatback and the sheet when the left airbag, right airbag, and front airbag are in the inflated positions.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tether is inflatable.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inflator disposed in the seatback and fluidly connected to the tether and to the front airbag.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position, and the sheet is adjacent the front airbag when the left airbag, right airbag, and front airbag are in the inflated positions.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position, and the sheet is adjacent the left and right airbags when the left airbag, right airbag, and front airbag are in the inflated positions.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tether is a first tether, the vehicle seat assembly further comprising a second tether extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel and attached to the front airbag.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 6 , wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position, and the second tether is spaced below the first tether when the front airbag is in the inflated position.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 6 , wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position, and the sheet extends from the first tether to the second tether when the front airbag is in the inflated position.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a front panel extending laterally between the left lateral panel and the right lateral panel, and the tether extends across the front panel when the left airbag and the right airbag are in the inflated position.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a front panel extending laterally between the left lateral panel and the right lateral panel, and the sheet extends across the front panel when the left airbag and the right airbag are in the inflated position.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a support portion and an airbag portion, and the airbag portion is vertically adjustable relative to the support portion.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the airbag portion includes the left lateral panel and the right lateral panel.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the airbag portion includes a channel extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel, the left airbag and right airbag are inflatable from an uninflated position to the inflated position, and the left airbag, right airbag, and tether are disposed in the channel when the left airbag and right airbag are in the uninflated position.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein the seatback includes a covering extending over the airbag portion, and the covering includes a seam extending along the channel.

15. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 14 , wherein the tether is inflatable, and the seam is frangible from inflation of the tether.

16. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seat bottom coupled to the seatback, and a rotational mechanism coupled to the seat bottom and connectable to a floor, the rotational mechanism rotatable about an axis transverse to the floor.

17. A vehicle comprising:
a floor; and
a seat assembly including:
a seat bottom;
a seatback coupled to the seat bottom, the seatback including a left lateral panel and a right lateral panel opposite the left lateral panel;
a rotational mechanism coupled to the seat bottom and the floor and rotatable about an axis transverse to the floor;
a left airbag inflatable from the left lateral panel to an inflated position;
a right airbag inflatable from the right lateral panel to an inflated position;
a tether extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel, the tether connected to the airbags;
a sheet connected to the left airbag and the right airbag; and
a front airbag attached to the tether;

wherein the front airbag is inflatable to an inflated position; and
the front airbag is between the seatback and the sheet when the left airbag, right airbag, and front airbag are in the inflated positions.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Spahn Brian
• Yilma Benjamin
• Line Johnathan
• Berry S M Akbar

Classifications

• B60R21/23138 Primary

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

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title

• B60R2021/01027

  Safing sensors · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title