Cargo area airbag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296351-B1
Application number	US-201414495352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle cargo restraint system is provided for a vehicle having a forward seating area and an interior rearward cargo area. The system includes a pane mounted adjacent an interior roof of the vehicle. An airbag is provided for powering the panel from a position adjacent the roof of the vehicle to a position wherein a portion of the panel is adjacent the forward seating area dividing the forward seating area from the cargo area of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle cargo restraint system for a vehicle having a forward seating area and an interior rearward cargo area, said system comprising:
a panel mounted adjacent an interior roof of said vehicle; and
an airbag for powering said panel from a position adjacent said roof of said vehicle to a position wherein a portion of said panel is contacting a seat of said forward seating area dividing said forward seating area from said cargo area.

2. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel is fabricated from a rigid polymeric material.

3. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel has means of latching with a vehicle seat within said vehicle seating area when said panel has been deployed by said airbag.

4. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel forms a portion of an interior roof panel of said vehicle.

5. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel is concealed by an interior roof panel of said vehicle.

6. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 5 wherein said interior roof panel forms a secondary panel.

7. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said vehicle has at least first and second rows of seating and said cargo space can be extended by modifying said second row of seating and wherein there is at least first and second longitudinally spaced panels mounted adjacent said interior roof of said vehicle.

8. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 7 wherein when said second row of seating is not modified to extend said cargo area, said first panel is disabled.

9. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein there is an operator controlled switch for deactivating said vehicle cargo restraint system.

10. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel has a living hinge.

11. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said panel has a pivotal hinge.

12. A vehicle cargo restraint system as described in claim 1 wherein said portion of said panel is pivoted forwardly along an obtuse angle for contacting said seat.

13. A method of restraining cargo items in a rearward interior cargo area of a vehicle from a forward seating area during an exigent event comprising:
mounting a panel adjacent a roof of said vehicle;
signaling an existence of an exigent event; and
deploying an airbag in response to said signaling to position a portion of said panel contacting a seat in said seating area to separate said cargo area from said seating area to inhibit travel of items within said cargo area from passing into said seating area.

14. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising latching said panel with a seat within said seating area to maintain the position of said panel separating said cargo area from said seating area.

15. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising signaling said cargo restraint system based upon a sensing of a rollover incident.

16. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising signaling said system of an exigent situation based upon a sensing of a crash of said vehicle.

17. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising preventing a deployment of said panel based upon a seat being in an upright position when said seat is in an extendable portion of said cargo area.

18. An automotive vehicle comprising:
a frame providing an enclosure with a forward seating area and a rearward interior cargo area;
a panel mounted adjacent an interior roof of said vehicle; and
an airbag for powering said panel from a position adjacent said roof of said vehicle to a position wherein a portion of said panel is adjacent said forward seating area dividing said forward seating area from said cargo area; and wherein said vehicle has at least first and second rows of seating and said cargo space may be extended by modifying said second row of seating and wherein there is at least first and second longitudinally spaced panels mounted adjacent said interior roof of said vehicle with air bags for powering said respective panels.

19. A vehicle as described in claim 18 wherein when said second row of seating is not modified to extend said cargo area, said first panel is disabled.

20. A vehicle as described in claim 18 wherein there is an operator controlled switch for deactivating said airbag.

21. A method of restraining cargo items in a rearward interior cargo area of a vehicle from a forward seating area during an exigent event; comprising:
mounting a panel adjacent a roof of said vehicle;
signaling an existence of an exigent event;
deploying an airbag in response to said signaling to position a portion of said panel adjacent a seat in said seating area to separate said cargo area from said seating area to inhibit travel of items within said cargo area from passing into said seating area; and
preventing a deployment of said panel based upon a seat being in an upright position when said seat is in an extendable portion of said cargo area.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Systems

Inventors

• Madrigal Medina Saúl Alejandro
• Limon Sepulveda Jonathan Efren
• Ruiz Alberto

Classifications

• B60R21/214 Primary

  in roof panels · CPC title

• B60R21/13

  Roll-over protection (electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01) · CPC title

• B60R21/013

  including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over · CPC title

• B60R21/08 Primary

  {automatically} movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision (electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01) · CPC title

• B60R21/06 Primary

  Safety nets, transparent sheets, curtains, or the like, e.g. between occupants and glass ({B60R21/026} , B60R21/11, B60R21/12, B60R21/16 take precedence) · CPC title