Vehicle airbag assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11001217-B2
Application number	US-201916372733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

An assembly includes a front console having an outer surface and a pair of outboard ends spaced along an axis and defining a center therebetween. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the front console at one of the outboard ends and inflatable from an uninflated position elongated transverse to the axis to an inflated position extending along the outer surface toward the center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
a front console having an outer surface and a pair of outboard ends spaced along an axis and defining a center therebetween; and
an airbag supported by the front console at one of the outboard ends and inflatable from an uninflated position elongated transverse to the axis to an inflated position extending along the outer surface toward the center.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a housing supported by the front console closer to one of the outboard ends than to the center, the housing supporting the airbag.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the housing is longer along at least one of a vertical axis and a longitudinal axis than along the axis, the vertical axis and the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the axis.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the front console includes a crossbeam and a plurality of support arms fixed to the housing and the crossbeam.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of support arms extend radially from the crossbeam to the housing.

6. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position extends from the housing toward the center farther than the airbag in the inflated position extends from the housing away from the center.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first inflator in fluid communication with the airbag, and a second inflator in fluid communication with the airbag, the first inflator spaced from the second inflator along a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the axis.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seat defining a seat center along the axis, the seat center between the center of the front console and one of the outboard ends along the axis, the airbag in the uninflated position spaced from and outboard of the seat center along the axis.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position extends along the axis from one of the outboard ends towards the center beyond the seat center.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a top panel and a bottom panel, the top panel extending away from the front console perpendicular to the axis further than the bottom panel.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the front console is a class-A surface, and the airbag in the inflated position includes a panel that abuts the class-A surface.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface defines a curved profile transverse to the axis, and the airbag in the inflated position includes a panel that defines a profile that conforms to the curved profile.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface supported by the front console spaced from the center along the axis, the airbag in the uninflated position is outboard of the user interface.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a seat, the user interface in front of and overlapping a center of the seat along the axis, and the airbag in the inflated position abutting the user interface.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first seat and a second seat spaced along the axis, and a user interface extending along the front console at least from a first center of the first seat to a second center of the second seat, the airbag in the uninflated position outboard of the user interface along the axis.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first inflator and a second inflator, and wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a plurality of tethers spaced along the axis, the first inflator spaced from the second inflator along a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the axis, the plurality of tethers between the first inflator and the second inflator along the vertical axis.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a second plurality of tethers spaced along the axis and below the plurality of tethers.

18. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a pair of panels spaced along the axis, each panel including a vent.

19. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the uninflated position is curved.

20. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the uninflated position is longer along at least one of a vertical axis and a longitudinal axis than along the axis, the vertical and longitudinal axis perpendicular to the axis.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Shen Ming
• El-Jawahri Raed Essa

Classifications

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R21/205 Primary

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R2021/23382

  Internal tether means · CPC title

• B60R21/239

  characterised by their venting means · CPC title

• B60R21/26

  characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow {(arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10)} · CPC title