Vehicle side air curtain with tether including a hole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994185-B2
Application number	US-201615244182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A side air curtain includes an inner panel and an outer panel defining an inflation chamber. The inflation chamber is inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The side air curtain includes a tether attached to the inner panel and the outer panel. The tether includes at least one hole extending through the first tether and spaced from the inner panel and the outer panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A side air curtain, comprising:
an outer panel and an inner panel defining an inflation chamber therebetween, the inflation chamber being inflatable to an inflated position;
a tether attached to the outer panel and the inner panel, the tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel in the inflated position;
a hole extending through the tether and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel; and
wherein in the inflated position, the tether includes a base portion having a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rearward end, and a leg portion extending in a direction transverse to the base portion between the vehicle-forward end and the vehicle-rearward end.

2. The side air curtain of claim 1 , wherein in the inflated position, the leg portion has a distal end spaced from the base portion, and the leg portion tapers between the distal end and the base portion in a direction toward the base portion.

3. The side air curtain of claim 1 , wherein in the inflated position, the base portion has a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rearward end, and the vehicle-forward end tapers between the vehicle-forward end and the leg portion in a direction toward the leg portion, and the vehicle-rearward end tapers between the vehicle rearward end and the leg portion in a direction toward the leg portion.

4. The side air curtain of claim 1 , wherein the leg portion has a plurality of holes extending through the leg portion and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel, and the base portion has a plurality of holes extending through the base portion and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel.

5. The side air curtain of claim 1 , further comprising a second tether attached to the outer panel and the inner panel, the second tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel, the tether and the second tether are substantially parallel to each other in the inflated position.

6. The side air curtain of claim 5 , wherein the tether and the second tether each have first ends spaced from each other and second ends adjacent each other, the tether and the second tether each taper between the respective first end and second end in a direction toward the second end in the inflated position.

7. The side air curtain of claim 6 , wherein a length of the tether is greater than a length of the second tether in the inflated position.

8. The side air curtain of claim 5 , wherein the tether has a plurality of holes extending through the tether and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel, and the second tether has a plurality of holes extending through the second tether and spaced from the outer panel and inner panel.

9. A vehicle, comprising:
a reaction surface; and
a side air curtain supported by the reaction surface, the side air curtain including an outer panel and an inner panel defining an inflation chamber therebetween, the inflation chamber being inflatable to an inflated position;
the side air curtain including a tether attached to the outer panel and the inner panel, the tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel in the inflated position;
a hole extending through the tether and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel; and
wherein in the inflated position, the tether includes a base portion extending in a vehicle fore-aft direction and a leg portion extending in a direction transverse to the base portion toward the reaction surface.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the side air curtain includes a depression in the inner panel formed by the tether in the inflated position.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the depression is designed to be aligned with a head of an occupant in the inflated position.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein in the inflated position, the leg portion has a distal end spaced from the base portion between the base portion and the reaction surface, and the leg portion tapers between the distal end and the base portion in a direction toward the base portion.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein in the inflated position, the base portion has a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rearward end, and the base portion tapers between the vehicle-forward end and the leg portion in a direction toward the leg portion, and the base portion tapers between the vehicle-rearward end and the leg portion in a direction toward the leg portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the leg portion has a plurality of holes extending through the leg portion and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel, and the base portion has a plurality of holes extending through the base portion and spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 further comprising a second tether attached to the outer panel and the inner panel and spaced from the tether in a vehicle-rearward direction, the second tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel in the inflated position.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the tether and the second tether are substantially parallel to each other in the inflated position.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the tether and the second tether each have first ends spaced from each other and second ends adjacent each other, the first ends being spaced above the second ends in the inflated position, the tether and the second tether each taper between the respective first end and second end in a direction toward the second end in the inflated position.

18. The side air curtain of claim 15 , wherein a length of the tether is greater than a length of the second tether in the inflated position.

19. A side air curtain, comprising:
an outer panel and an inner panel defining an inflation chamber therebetween, the inflation chamber being inflatable to an inflated position;
a first tether attached to the outer panel and the inner panel, the first tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel in the inflated position;
a second tether attached to the outer panel and inner panel, the second tether having a length from the outer panel to the inner panel, the first tether and the second tether substantially parallel to each other in the inflated position, the first tether and the second tether each having first ends spaced from each other and second ends adjacent each other, the first tether and the second tether each tapering between the respective first end and second end in a direction toward the second end in the inflated position; and
a hole extending through the first tether, the hole spaced from the outer panel and the inner panel.

20. The side air curtain of claim 19 , wherein a length of the first tether is greater than a length of the second tether in the inflated position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Deng Zhibing
• Aekbote Krishnakanth E
• Abramczyk Joseph Edward

Classifications

• B60R21/232 Primary

  Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge · CPC title

• B60R21/213

  in vehicle roof frames or pillars · CPC title

• B60R21/2338 Primary

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R2021/23382

  Internal tether means · CPC title