Vehicle airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247629-B1
Application number	US-202016994781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Aug 17, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A seat includes a seatback. The seat includes a seat bottom extending away from the seatback in a seat-forward direction to a front of the seat bottom distal to the seatback. The seat bottom has a top surface defining an occupant-leg area. The seat includes an airbag supported by the seat bottom at the front of the seat bottom and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The airbag in the inflated position extends away from the seat bottom in the seat-forward direction and includes an uppermost surface positioned below the occupant-leg area of the seat bottom.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat, comprising:
a seatback;
a seat bottom extending away from the seatback in a seat-forward direction to a front of the seat bottom distal to the seatback, the seat bottom having a top surface defining an occupant-leg area, the seat bottom having a front surface facing the seat-forward direction; and
an airbag supported by the front surface of the seat bottom at the front of the seat bottom and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, the airbag in the inflated position extending away from the seat bottom in the seat-forward direction and including an uppermost surface positioned below the occupant-leg area of the seat bottom.

2. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom includes a covering and the airbag internal of the covering in the uninflated position and external of the covering in the inflated position.

3. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position is elongated along a cross-seat axis.

4. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom includes a covering having an outer surface that provides the top surface of the seat bottom, and wherein the uppermost surface of the airbag is above the top surface of the seat bottom in the inflated position.

5. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom includes a seat pan, and the airbag is supported by the seat pan.

6. The seat of claim 5 , wherein the seat pan includes the front surface and the airbag is fixed to the seat pan at the front surface.

7. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom includes a frame and the airbag in the inflated position extends below the frame.

8. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position is narrower than the seat bottom along a cross-seat axis.

9. The seat of claim 1 , further comprising a soft pack housing supporting the airbag.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
a floor;
a seat supported by the floor and facing a rear of the vehicle, the seat including a seat bottom and a seatback, the seat bottom having a front surface facing a seat-forward direction;
the seat bottom having a top surface defining an occupant-leg area; and
an airbag supported by the front surface of the seat bottom opposite the seatback, the airbag inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, the airbag in the inflated position extending away from the seat bottom toward the rear of the vehicle and including an uppermost surface positioned below the occupant-leg area of the seat bottom.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position is between the floor and the occupant-leg area of the seat bottom along a vehicle-vertical axis.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the seat bottom includes a covering, the airbag internal of the covering in the uninflated position and external of the covering in the inflated position.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the seat bottom includes a covering having an outer surface that provides the top surface of the seat bottom, and wherein the uppermost surface of the airbag in the inflated position is above the top surface of the seat bottom.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the seat bottom includes a seat pan, and the airbag is supported by the seat pan.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the seat pan includes the front surface, and the airbag is fixed to the seat pan at the front surface.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the seat bottom includes a frame, the airbag in the inflated position extending below the frame.

17. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position is between the front of the seat bottom and legs of an occupant of the seat along the seat-forward direction.

18. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position extends from the front surface along an axis elongated along the seat bottom from the seat back through the front surface.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• El-Jawahri Raed Essa
• Kim Agnes S
• Stancato Cortney
• Shen Ming

Classifications

• B60R21/01554

  Seat position sensors · CPC title

• B60R2021/0053

  Legs · CPC title

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R21/264

  using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic (B60R21/268 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R21/2165

  characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening · CPC title