Selective deployment of deflectors for an airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020398779-A1
Application number	US-201916446730-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2019
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A restraint system for a vehicle includes an instrument panel and an airbag supported by the instrument panel. The restraint system includes a right deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag. The right deflector is deployable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The restraint system includes a left deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag opposite the right deflector in a cross-vehicle direction. The left deflector is deployable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The restraint system includes a first pyrotechnic device coupled to the right deflector and a second pyrotechnic device coupled to the left deflector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A restraint system comprising:
an instrument panel; an airbag supported by the instrument panel; a right deflector supported by the instrument panel and being deployable from a retracted position to a deployed position; a left deflector supported by the instrument panel and being deployable from a retracted position to a deployed position; the airbag being between the right deflector and the left deflector; and a first pyrotechnic device coupled to the right deflector and a second pyrotechnic device coupled to the left deflector.

2 . The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the right deflector and the left deflector each include a panel movable between the retracted position and the deployed position.

3 . The restraint system of claim 2 , wherein the right deflector and the left deflector each include a spring between the panel and the instrument panel, the springs biasing the panels toward the deployed positions.

4 . The restraint system of claim 2 , wherein the right deflector and the left deflector each include a pusher rod translatable from the retracted position to the deployed position and the panel is rotatable from the retracted position and the deployed position.

5 . The restraint system of claim 4 , further comprising a lock locking the pusher rod in the deployed position.

6 . The restraint system of claim 1 , further comprising a computer having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to selectively deploy at least one of the right deflector or the left deflector based on a front-oblique vehicle impact.

7 . The restraint system of claim 1 , wherein the airbag is a knee airbag.

8 . A restraint system comprising:
an instrument panel; an airbag supported by the instrument panel; and a deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag, the deflector being translatable relative to the instrument panel between a retracted position and a deployed position.

9 . The restraint system of claim 8 , further comprising a second deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag opposite the deflector, the second deflector being translatable relative to the instrument panel between a retracted position and a deployed position.

10 . The restrain system of claim 9 , further comprising a computer having a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to selectively deploy at least one of the deflector or the second deflector based on a front-oblique vehicle impact.

11 . The restraint system of claim 8 , wherein the deflector includes a panel translatable from the retracted position to the deployed position and a spring biasing the panel toward the deployed position.

12 . The restraint system of claim 11 , further comprising a pyrotechnic device coupled to the deflector.

13 . The restraint system of claim 8 , wherein the deflector includes a pusher rod translatable from the retracted position to the deployed position and a panel rotatable from the retracted position and the deployed position.

14 . The restraint system of claim 13 , wherein the deflector includes a pyrotechnic device to deploy the pusher rod to the deployed position.

15 . The restraint system of claim 8 , wherein the airbag is a knee airbag.

16 . A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect a front-oblique vehicle impact; deploy an airbag supported by an instrument panel of the vehicle in response to the front-oblique vehicle impact; and selectively deploy at least one of a right deflector supported by the instrument panel or a left deflector supported by the instrument panel in response to the front-oblique vehicle impact.

17 . The computer of claim 16 , wherein the instructions include instructions to deploy the right deflector in response to a right front-oblique vehicle impact and to deploy the left deflector in response to a left front-oblique vehicle impact.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Malapati Srinivas Reddy
• Kadam Mangesh

Classifications

• B60R2021/23169

  specially adapted for knee protection · CPC title

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title

• B60R21/205 Primary

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R2021/0009

  Oblique collision · CPC title

• B60R2021/01211

  Expansion of air bags · CPC title