Ramp bracket for a curtain airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865990-B2
Application number	US-202217824445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2022
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A ramp bracket for a curtain airbag of a vehicle includes a back wall, at least a first trim pushing portion, and a ramp portion. The back wall extends along a length of the ramp bracket and attaches to the vehicle. The first trim pushing portion longitudinally extends along a first length portion of the length of the ramp bracket, depends from the back wall and has a downwardly or side opening shape. The ramp portion extends along a second length portion of the length of the ramp bracket, also depends from the back wall, and has an upwardly opening shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ramp bracket for a curtain airbag of a vehicle, the ramp bracket comprising:
a back wall for attachment to the vehicle, the back wall extending along a length of the ramp bracket;
at least a first trim pushing portion longitudinally extending along a first length portion of the length of the ramp bracket, the first trim pushing portion depending from the back wall and having a downwardly opening shape; and
a ramp portion extending along a second length portion of the length of the ramp bracket, the ramp portion depending from the back wall and having an upwardly opening shape,
wherein the first length portion is spaced from the second length portion such that there is no overlap between the first trim pushing portion and the ramp portion in an up-down direction.

2. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first trim pushing portion includes a first leg at a front side of the ramp bracket and a second leg at a rear side of the ramp bracket, the first leg rotatable about a first longitudinally extending rotation axis in response to inflation of the curtain airbag.

3. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first trim pushing portion includes a first longitudinally extending relief line defining the first longitudinally extending rotation axis.

4. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the ramp portion includes a first leg at the front side of the ramp bracket and a second leg at the rear side of the ramp bracket, the first leg of the ramp portion rotatable about a second longitudinally extending rotation axis in response to inflation of the curtain airbag.

5. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the first trim pushing portion includes a first longitudinally extending relief line and the first trim pushing portion includes a second longitudinally extending relief line.

6. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein first trim pushing portion includes a plurality of engagement members forwardly extending from the first leg.

7. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 1 in combination with the airbag.

8. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the first trim pushing portion and the ramp portion each partially define a channel for receiving the curtain airbag.

9. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 7 in combination with the airbag, wherein the airbag is rolled or folded in a stowed condition.

10. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the airbag is rolled in an outboard roll or downward fold in the stowed condition.

11. A ramp bracket for a curtain airbag of a vehicle, the ramp bracket comprising:
a first longitudinally extending portion defining a first channel portion of a channel for receiving the curtain airbag, the first longitudinally extending portion being open in one of a downward and an inboard direction; and
a second longitudinally extending portion defining a second channel portion of the channel for receiving the curtain airbag, the second longitudinally extending portion being open in an upward direction,
wherein the first longitudinally extending portion includes a first leg at a front side of the ramp bracket, the first leg movable in a first direction from a first leg first position to a first leg second position in response to initial inflation of the curtain airbag, and
wherein the second longitudinally extending portion includes a second leg at the front side of the ramp bracket, the second leg movable in a second direction from a second leg first position to a second leg second position in response to initial inflation of the curtain airbag,
wherein the first longitudinally extending portion is distinct from the second longitudinally extending portion such that there is no overlap between the first and second longitudinally extending portions in an up-down direction.

12. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first direction is a first circumferential direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the channel and the second direction is a second circumferential direction.

13. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the ramp bracket is a one-piece structure unitarily formed to include the first longitudinally extending portion and the second longitudinally extending portion.

14. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the first longitudinally extending portion includes a first longitudinally extending relief line defining a first longitudinally extending rotation axis about which the first leg moves from the first leg first position to the first leg second position and the second longitudinally extending portion includes a second longitudinally extending relief line defining a second longitudinally extending rotation axis about which the second leg moves from the second leg first position to the second leg second position.

15. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 12 , in combination with the curtain airbag, the curtain airbag disposed in the channel.

16. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first longitudinally extending portion includes a trim pushing portion with a generally downwardly opening U-shape, and the second longitudinally extending portion includes a ramp portion with an upwardly opening U-shape.

17. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the trim pushing portion is moveable to displace a headliner of the vehicle from a path of the curtain airbag upon deployment.

18. The ramp bracket for the curtain airbag of the vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the second longitudinally extending portion defines a ramp surface in the second position for the curtain airbag upon deployment of the curtain airbag.

19. A method of deploying the curtain airbag with the ramp bracket of claim 11 , the method comprising:
moving the first leg in the first direction from the first leg first position to the first leg second position in response to initial inflation of the curtain airbag, and moving the second leg in the second direction from the second leg first position to the second leg second position in response to initial inflation of the curtain airbag.

20. The method of deploying the curtain airbag of claim 19 , further comprising further inflating the curtain airbag to deploy the curtain airbag in one of an inboard, outboard, and neutral direction and in a downward direction.

Assignees

• Autoliv Asp Inc

Inventors

• Witt John
• Ibarra Jason
• Reschke Matthew

Classifications

• B60R21/213 Primary

  in vehicle roof frames or pillars · CPC title

• B60R21/215

  characterised by the covers for the inflatable member {(B60R21/2176 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R21/232 Primary

  Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge · CPC title

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title