Seamless passenger airbag system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9533649-B2
Application number	US-201514660047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An airbag assembly includes a housing having a chute defining an opening. A panel is joined with the chute at a first end and extends over the opening to a second end opposite the first end and elevated with respect thereto. A substrate overlies the panel such that the elevated second end is closer to the substrate than the first end, and a foam layer extends from the substrate to the panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airbag assembly, comprising:
a housing, including:
a chute defining an opening; and
a panel joined with the chute at a first end and extending over the opening to a second end opposite the first end, the panel defining an inclined portion toward the second end thereof such that the second end is elevated with respect to the first end;

a substrate overlying the panel such that the second end is closer to the substrate than the first end; and
a foam layer extending from the substrate to the panel and defining a thinned portion thereof overlying the inclined portion of the panel.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the panel is elevated with respect to the first end by being positioned away from a reference line extending from the first end perpendicular to an adjacent portion of the chute.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing further includes a flange extending outwardly from the chute and surrounding the opening; and
the substrate is spaced above the flange at a generally uniform distance.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second end of the panel is closer to the substrate than the flange by at least 50%.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thinned portion of the foam layer extends over the panel through a distance of between about 30% and about 60% of a total distance of the panel between the second end and the first end, the tapered portion being adjacent the second end of the panel.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes an extension flange extending between a portion of the chute and the second end of the panel.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel is integrally coupled with the chute through an integral hinge portion such that the panel is moveable with respect to the chute by flexing of the integral hinge portion.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the second end of the panel is disconnected from the chute; and
the panel is moveable with respect to the chute such that the flexing of the integral hinge portion facilitates movement of the second end of the panel away from the chute.

9. A vehicle instrument panel, comprising:
a substrate defining a generally planar outer surface of the instrument panel;
an airbag chute underlying the substrate with a panel coupled thereto at a first end and extending thereover to a second end;
a support, the airbag chute being coupled with the support and the substrate further overlying the support; and
a foam layer between the substrate and the panel and tapering from a first thickness over the first end of the panel to a second thickness over the second end of the panel that is less than 50% of the first thickness, the foam layer further extending between the substrate and the support substantially at the first thickness;
wherein the panel defines an inclined area adjacent the second end thereof such that the panel extends toward the substrate such that the foam layer tapers from the first thickness to the second thickness.

10. The vehicle instrument panel of claim 9 , wherein the foam layer tapers from the first thickness to the second thickness over a tapering area adjacent the second end and extending through between about 30% and 60% of a distance between the first and second ends of the panel.

11. The vehicle instrument panel of claim 9 , wherein:
the airbag chute and the panel are portions of an airbag housing, the airbag housing further including a flange extending outwardly from the chute and surrounding an opening thereof; and
the substrate is spaced above the flange at a generally uniform distance.

12. The vehicle instrument panel of claim 9 , wherein the panel is integrally joined with the chute through an integral hinge portion such that the panel is moveable with respect to the chute by flexing of the integral hinge portion.

13. An airbag housing, comprising:
a chute including a plurality of walls and defining an opening;
a flange extending outwardly from the chute and generally surrounding the opening; and
a panel coupled with one of the walls at a first end adjacent the flange and extending over the opening to a second end opposite the first end, the panel defining an inclined section to position the second end at a distance above the flange.

14. The airbag housing of claim 13 , wherein:
the first end is adjacent the flange by being positioned within about 2 mm thereof in a direction perpendicular to the opening;
and the distance of the second end above the flange is at least 5 mm.

15. The airbag housing of claim 13 , wherein the inclined section of the panel extends through a distance of between about 30% and about 60% of a total distance of the panel between the second end and the first end, the inclined section being adjacent the second end of the panel.

16. The airbag housing of claim 13 , wherein the housing further includes an extension flange extending between a portion of the chute and the second end of the panel.

17. The airbag housing of claim 13 , wherein the panel is integrally coupled with the chute through an integral hinge portion such that the panel is moveable with respect to the chute by flexing of the integral hinge portion.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Luckett Thomas Junior
• Liu Frank Qiukui
• Kwasnik Kenneth J

Classifications

• B60R21/215 Primary

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

• B60R2021/21537

  characterised by hinges · CPC title

• B60R21/205 Primary

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R2021/21512

  the lid being displaced towards the occupant during deployment (B60R2021/2161, B60R2021/21525 take precedence) · CPC title

• B62D25/145

  having a crossbeam incorporated therein · CPC title