Passenger protection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511734-B2
Application number	US-201514608717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A passenger protection system includes a rotatable arm, a rotation mechanism rotatably attached to the rotatable arm, and a flexible sheet connected to the rotatable arm and connectable to a vehicle roof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A passenger protection system, comprising:
a rotatable arm;
a rotation mechanism rotatably attached to the rotatable arm; and
a flexible sheet connected to the rotatable arm and connectable to a vehicle roof;
wherein the rotation mechanism is directly mounted to the vehicle roof and arranged to deploy the flexible sheet from an undeployed state to a deployed state.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a triggering mechanism arranged to cause the rotatable arm to rotate about an axis of the rotation mechanism, thereby placing the system in the deployed state.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a pretensioner that includes a piston, a shaft connected to the rotatable arm, and a cable connecting the piston to the shaft, wherein the triggering mechanism is an ignitable charge that, when ignited, moves the piston, thereby extending the cable and rotating the shaft.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a tether having a first end connected to an attachment point on the flexible sheet and a second end attached to an anchor point on the vehicle roof.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a base connected to the vehicle roof, wherein the flexible sheet is connectable to the base.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a tether having a first end connected to an attachment point on the flexible sheet and a second end attached to an anchor point on one of the base and the vehicle roof.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcing member attached to the flexible sheet, wherein the flexible sheet has a bottom edge having an arcuate shape and the reinforcing member is arranged to maintain the arcuate shape in the deployed state.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second rotatable arm and a second flexible sheet, the flexible sheet being attached to the first rotatable arm and the second flexible sheet being attached to the second rotatable arm.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a connecting arm connecting the first and second rotatable arms.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable arm, the base, and the flexible sheet substantially define a plane in the deployed state.

11. A passenger protection system, comprising:
a vehicle roof having a roof support;
a base fixedly attached to the roof support;
a rotatable arm;
a rotation mechanism rotatably attached to the rotatable arm and directly mounted to the vehicle roof; and
a flexible sheet connected to the base and the rotatable arm;
wherein the rotation mechanism is arranged to deploy the flexible sheet from an undeployed state to a deployed state.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a triggering mechanism, the base being arranged to hold the rotatable arm in an undeployed state until triggering of the triggering mechanism causes the rotatable arm to rotate about an axis of the rotation mechanism, thereby placing the system in the deployed state.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a pretensioner that includes a piston, a shaft connected to the rotatable arm, and a cable connecting the piston to the shaft, wherein the triggering mechanism is an ignitable charge that, when ignited, moves the piston, thereby extending the cable and rotating the shaft.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second rotatable arm, the flexible sheet being attached to the rotatable arm and a second flexible sheet being attached to the second rotatable arm.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a connecting arm connecting the rotatable arm to the second rotatable arm.

16. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a tether having a first end attached to an attachment point on the flexible sheet and a second end attached to an anchor point on at least one of the base, the roof support, and the vehicle roof.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an airbag, wherein the flexible sheet contacts the airbag in the deployed state.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a reinforcing member attached to the flexible sheet, wherein the flexible sheet has an arcuate bottom edge and the reinforcing member is arranged to maintain the arcuate bottom edge in the deployed state.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the rotatable arm, the base, and the flexible sheet substantially define a plane in the deployed state.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the flexible sheet extends below a vehicle headrest in the deployed state.

21. A passenger protection system, comprising:
a rotatable arm;
a rotation mechanism rotatably attached to the rotatable arm;
a flexible sheet connected to the rotatable arm and connectable to a vehicle roof;
a second rotatable arm and a second flexible sheet, the flexible sheet being attached to the first rotatable arm and the second flexible sheet being attached to the second rotatable arm; and
a connecting arm connecting the first and second rotatable arms.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Weerappuli Parakrama V
• Cheng James Chih
• El-Jawahri Raed Essa
• Faruque Mohammed Omar

Classifications

• 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

• B60R2021/0009

  Oblique collision · CPC title

• B60R2021/024

  mounted on dash-board · CPC title

• B60R21/02 Primary

  Occupant safety arrangements or fittings {, e.g. crash pads (seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839)} · CPC title