Patent Application
20070108739
The present invention relates to the field of airbag safety systems, and more particularly to an airbag assembly.
Airbag safety systems have come into widespread use in automotive vehicles and trucks. For example, a modern car can have various airbags, such as a driver airbag, passenger airbag, knee airbags, side airbags and/or other airbags.
Such airbag systems comprise an inflatable cushion, commonly referred to as an ‘airbag’ which is stored folded in a storage receptacle and then very rapidly inflated, as with gas from a pyrotechnic gas generator, when a collision of the vehicle is detected by sensors. The airbag is thereby deployed in a position to absorb the impact of the driver or a passenger.
One or more airbag deployment doors normally overlie the airbag receptacle and are forced open when the airbag is inflated to allow deployment of the airbag through the opening created by the door panel movement.
It is critical that the airbag deploys within milliseconds of activation of the airbag system in order to protect the occupant. However, the inflating airbag can exercise a considerable force onto the occupant. This causes a concern for child safety when the airbag deploys into a forward facing child safety seat. In such instances, the airbag may cause considerable harm or even death to the front facing child.
To prevent such harm some prior art airbag safety systems have an airbag deactivation switch. By means of the airbag deactivation switch the airbag safety system can be switched off in order to prevent deployment of the airbag when a collision is detected. This allows placing a child in front of an airbag. However, there is still a residual risk in case the driver has inadvertently forgotten to switch off the airbag system when the child is placed in front of the airbag. Another risk of such systems is that the airbag needs to be reactivated when an adult is placed in front of the airbag which may also be forgotten by the driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,012 shows a child seat sensor assembly. Upon sensing the presence of a child seat, a control signal is sent to the vehicle control system in order to limit or prevent deployment of the airbag. However, this system requires a special child safety seat.
The invention aims to provide an improved airbag assembly that reduces the maximum force impaled to an occupant in order to reduce the risk of injury, especially when the occupant is a child.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an airbag assembly comprising a folded airbag adapted to be inflated and deployed into a passenger compartment upon detection of a collision, a chute for guiding the airbag when it is inflated, the chute extending between the folded airbag and a deployment opening, wherein the chute widens into a side direction.
The widening of the chute into a side direction has the effect that the airbag is filled out at its sides ahead of its middle region when it is deployed into the passenger compartment. By pushing the airbag to an outer area, the maximum force onto an occupant located directly in front of the airbag is reduced, thus reducing the risk of injury. The reduction of the maximum force allows placing a child in front of the airbag.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the chute has at least one sloped sidewall. For example, the chute has a top wall, a bottom wall and left and right sidewalls. In this instance at least the left or the right sidewall is sloped. For example, both the left and the right sidewalls are sloped with the same or a different slope angle. In addition the top and/or bottom sidewalls can also be sloped with the same or a different slope angle than the left and/or right sidewalls.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the sloped angle of the at least one sloped sidewall is between 20° and 70°. Preferably the slope angle is approximately 45°.
The at least one sloped sidewall has the effect that the gas flow streaming into the airbag when it is deployed into the passenger compartment is directed such that the sides of the airbag are filled out ahead of the middle region of the airbag.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sloped sidewalls of the chute form a V-shape.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention at least one of the sloped sidewalls of the chute has a convex surface or a concave surface.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the chute is funnel-shaped.
The present invention can be used for various kinds of airbags, such as driver airbags, passenger airbags, knee airbags, side airbags and other airbag safety systems.
In the following preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in greater detail by way of example only making reference to the drawings in which:
For the purpose of ease of explanation it is assumed in the following that the airbag assembly 202 is a passenger airbag assembly.
A folded passenger airbag 204 is arranged below an instrument panel 206 in the interior of the automotive vehicle. The airbag assembly 202 operates by deploying the passenger airbag 204 which expands towards the instrument panel 206 and is guided in chute 208. The deploying airbag encounters airbag deployment door 210 and forces the airbag deployment door 210 to separate from the instrument panel 206 and open. In order for the airbag deployment door 210 to open, a weakening line, such as a groove or a perforation can be provided, such as along a portion of the perimeter of the airbag deployment door 210 as it is as such known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,776.
The chute 208 has (viewed into the x-direction) a left sidewall 212 and a right sidewall 214. The left sidewall 212 encloses an angle 216 with the x-direction and the right sidewall 214 encloses an angle 218 with the x-direction. Preferably both angles 216 and 218 are within the range between 20° to 70°. For example, both angles 216 and 218 are approximately 45°.
The airbag deployment door covers an airbag deployment opening 326. An airbag chute 308 is arranged below the airbag deployment opening 326. The airbag chute 308 serves to guide an airbag when it is inflated upon detection of a collision. In other words the chute 308 transitions the space between the canister where the folded airbag is stored and the back of the airbag deployment door that covers the airbag deployment opening 326 in order to guide the deployment of the inflating airbag. When the inflating airbag hits the back of the airbag deployment door, the airbag deployment door opens and the inflating airbag deploys into the passenger compartment.
Due to the sloped left and right sidewalls 312, 314 of the chute 308 that widen the chute into the y-direction the sides of the airbag are filled out ahead of the middle region of the airbag when the inflating airbag travels along the chute 308 and deploys into the passenger compartment. In addition the upper wall 328 and the lower wall 330 of the chute 308 are also sloped in the embodiment considered here. Hence, in this embodiment the chute 308 has a V-shape both in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane.
It is to be noted that a common feature of the funnel-shaped chutes 408, 508 and 608 of
When the inflating passenger airbag 704 hits the airbag deployment door, the airbag deployment door 736 opens such that the passenger airbag 704 can penetrate into the passenger compartment. The dashed lines in
Due to the sloped sidewalls 712 and 714 the pressure built-up in the side portions 738 and 740 is more abrupt than in the middle region 742. Therefore the force with which the middle region 742 eventually hits the passenger 734 is reduced. This reduces the risk of injury of the passenger 734 and it also facilitates to place a child in front of the passenger airbag assembly 702.
The sidewall 712 and/or the sidewall 714 can have a convex or concave shape. The doted lines in
The chute 708 can be attached to an airbag deployment door cover, airbag module or to the instrument panel 720. The chute 708 can be designed as a separate part or integral to the airbag module, instrument panel or instrument panel structure.
It is to be noted that the present invention is broadly applicable to various airbag designs with or without an inner door. It can be applied to either seamless or discrete airbag deployment doors. The location of the airbag assembly can be on the upper passenger side as well as the lower driver or passenger sides.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP05/01364 | 2/14/2005 | WO | 10/24/2006 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60545707 | Feb 2004 | US |
