Deployable panel for an airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021101553-A1
Application number	US-201916594191-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2019
Priority date	Oct 7, 2019
Publication date	Apr 8, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An assembly includes an interior component. The assembly includes a deployable panel having an upper panel and a lower panel supported by the interior component, the deployable panel being movable relative to the interior component from a retracted position to an extended position. The assembly includes a hinge between the upper panel and the lower panel. The assembly includes an airbag inflatable to an inflated position in which the airbag is positioned to abut the upper panel in the extended position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly comprising:
an interior component; a deployable panel supported by the interior component and having an upper panel and a lower panel, the deployable panel being movable relative to the interior component from a retracted position to an extended position; a hinge between the upper panel and the lower panel; and an airbag inflatable to an inflated position in which the airbag is positioned to abut the upper panel in the extended position.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring on the hinge, the spring positioned to bias the upper panel relative to the lower panel.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the airbag is positioned to load the spring in the inflated position.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring on the hinge, the spring biasing the upper panel toward a common plane with the lower panel.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge includes a rod fixed to one of the upper panel and the lower panel, and further comprising a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism engaged with the rod.

6 . The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a spring on the rod and positioned to bias the upper panel relative to the lower panel.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the spring is positioned to bias the upper panel in a first direction relative to the lower panel, and the ratchet-and-pawl mechanism allows rotation of the upper panel relative to the lower panel in a second direction opposite the first direction and prevents rotation of the upper panel relative to the lower panel in the first direction.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator releasably coupled to the deployable panel.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring biasing the deployable panel toward the extended position.

10 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper panel and the hinge are positioned to be above the interior component in the extended position.

11 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to move the deployable panel relative to the interior component and subsequently inflate the airbag.

12 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel is rigid relative to the airbag.

13 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel includes a reaction surface that is flexible relative to the airbag in the inflated position.

14 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interior component is elongated in a cross-vehicle direction.

15 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interior component is an instrument panel.

16 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployable panel is translatable between the retracted position and the extended position.

17 . The assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a track fixed to the interior component and slidably engaging the deployable panel.

18 . The assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a spring biasing the deployable panel along the track toward the extended position.

19 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a windshield, the deployable panel being positioned to be between the airbag and the windshield in the extended position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Malapati Srinivas Reddy
• Kadam Mangesh
• Zhao Yuqin
• Shaner Leonard Anthony
• Deng Zhibing

Classifications

• B60R21/205 Primary

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R21/026

  Rigid partitions inside vehicles, e.g. between passengers and load compartments (B60R21/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R21/215 Primary

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