Vehicle airbag assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975671-B1
Application number	US-202318308068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 27, 2023
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A seat assembly includes a seatback and an airbag supported by the seatback. The airbag is inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The seat assembly includes a bar pivotally supported by the seatback and fixed to the airbag. The bar is pivotable about a vertical axis of the seat assembly from a stowed position at the seatback with the airbag at the uninflated position to a deployed position forward of the seatback with the airbag at the inflated position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat assembly, comprising:
a seatback;
an airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position; and
a bar pivotally supported by the seatback and fixed to the airbag, the bar pivotable about a vertical axis of the seat assembly from a stowed position at the seatback with the airbag at the uninflated position to a deployed position forward of the seatback with the airbag at the inflated position.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a front distal edge and the bar at the deployed position is elongated along the front distal edge.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes an inflation tube that extends forward of the seat back toward the bar at the deployed position.

4. The seat assembly of claim 3 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a first inflation chamber above the inflation tube and a second inflation chamber below the inflation tube.

5. The seat assembly of claim 4 , wherein the inflation tube is in fluid communication with the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber.

6. The seat assembly of claim 5 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a second inflation tube below the second inflation chamber and a third inflation chamber below the second inflation tube, the second inflation tube extending forward of the seat back toward the bar at the deployed position and in fluid communication with second inflation chamber and the third inflation chamber.

7. The seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seat bottom supporting the seat back and a tether fixed to the airbag, the tether slidably engaged with the seat bottom and slidable from a first position with the airbag at the uninflated position along the seat bottom away from the seat back to a second position with the airbag at the inflated position.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a shuttle fixed to the tether and supported by the seat bottom, the shuttle and the tether slidable along the seat bottom from the first position to the second position.

9. The seat assembly of claim 7 , wherein the tether is fixed to a distal end of the bar.

10. The seat assembly of claim 7 , wherein the seat bottom includes a top surface and the airbag in the inflated position extends below the top surface of the seat bottom.

11. The seat assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ribs elongated vertically along the airbag in the inflated position, the ribs spaced from each other, the seat back, and the bar at the deployed position.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the ribs are stiffer than the airbag.

13. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a cover, and wherein the bar at the stowed position is internal of the cover and the bar at the deployed position is external of the cover.

14. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag is supported at a first side of the seatback, and further comprising a second airbag supported by the seatback at a second side of the seatback laterally spaced from the first side, the second airbag inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, and a second bar supported by the seatback and fixed to the second airbag, the second bar pivotable about the vertical axis from a stowed position at the seatback with the second airbag at the uninflated position to a deployed position forward of the seatback with the second airbag at the inflated position.

15. The seat assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a tether that extends from a first distal end to a second distal end, the first distal end releasably fixed to the second distal end, the first distal end and the second distal end supported at a top of the seatback with the airbag in the uninflated position, the first distal end and the second distal end forward of the seatback with the airbag in the inflated position.

16. A seat assembly, comprising:
a seatback;
a first airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, the first airbag in the uninflated position at a first side of the seatback and in the inflated position extending forward of the seatback to a first distal edge of the first airbag;
a second airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, the second airbag in the uninflated position at a second side of the seatback laterally spaced from the first side and in the inflated position forward of the seatback to a second distal edge of the second airbag; and
a tether supported by the seatback, the tether extending from a first distal end of the tether to a second distal end of the tether, the first distal end releasably fixed to the second distal end, the first distal end and the second distal end supported at a top of the seatback with the first airbag and the second airbag in the uninflated positions, the first distal end and the second distal end forward of the seatback at the first distal edge and the second distal edge with the first airbag and the second airbag in the inflated positions.

17. The seat assembly of claim 16 , wherein the seatback includes a seatback frame, and the tether extends from behind the seatback frame to forward of the seatback with the first airbag and the second airbag in the inflated positions.

18. The seat assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a second tether supported by the seatback, the second tether extending from a first distal end of the second tether to a second distal end of the second tether, the first distal end of the second tether releasably fixed to the second distal end of the second tether and supported at the top of the seatback with the first airbag and the second airbag in the uninflated positions and forward of the seatback below the first distal end of the tether and the second distal end of the tether at the first distal edge and the second distal edge with the first airbag and the second airbag in the inflated positions.

19. The seat assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a bar supported by the seatback and fixed to the first airbag, the bar pivotable about a vertical axis of the seat assembly from a stowed position at the seatback with the first airbag at the uninflated position to a deployed position forward of the seatback with the first airbag at the inflated position.

20. The seat assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a seat bottom supporting the seat back and a second tether fixed to the first airbag, the second tether slidably engaged with the seat bottom and slidable from a first position with the first airbag at the uninflated position along the seat bottom away from the seat back to a second position with the second airbag at the inflated position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kadam Mangesh
• Sundaram Ramasamy Murugan
• Malapati Srinivas Reddy

Classifications

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R21/233

  comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other (B60R21/232 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R2021/23107

  the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system · CPC title

• B60R2021/23388

  having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment · CPC title