The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive protective systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to inflatable airbags for automobiles.
Understanding that drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Described below are embodiments of an airbag cushion and venting mechanism. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, the principles of the invention may be applied to and used with a variety of airbag deployment systems including frontal driver and passenger airbags, knee airbags, overhead airbags, curtain airbags, and the like. Thus, the present invention is applicable to airbag cushions of various shapes and sizes.
Airbag cushions are frequently located in an instrument panel and directly in front of an occupant. During a collision, the airbag cushion inflates and deploys through a cosmetic cover. The airbag cushion deploys towards the occupant and provides a restraint. A potentially dangerous situation occurs when an occupant is positioned too closely to the airbag which causes the occupant to contact the airbag as it is deploying. Ideally, the occupant should be in position to impact the airbag only after full deployment. It would be advantageous to provide an airbag with a softer deployment when an occupant is out-of-position. Embodiments described below provide an airbag cushion that responds to an occupant's position and vents accordingly to reduce the severity of a deploying contact. With reference now to the accompanying figures, particular embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail.
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A strap 108 couples at one end to the vent flap 104 and at an opposing end to the interior surface 106. The strap 108 is coupled to the interior surface 106 at a location opposing a face surface 110 that contacts an occupant 12. One or more loops 112 are coupled to the interior surface 106 and retain the strap 108 in position. The vent flap 104 and the strap 108 may be integrally formed or may be coupled to one another by stitches, bonds, or adhesives. The vent flap 104 and strap 108 may include a nylon fabric material or any other material suitable in the art.
During deployment, the strap 108 is initially slack and the vent flap 104 remains partially outside of the cushion interior 114. As the airbag cushion 100 deploys, the face surface 110 contacts the out-of-position occupant 12. Because of the limited deployment, the strap 108 is not able to fully extend and the vent flap 104 remains extending through the vent 102. Gas freely vents through the vent 102 and pushes against the vent flap 104 so that the vent 102 is not obscured. The airbag cushion 100 builds up less pressure and avoids injuring an occupant 12 impeding the deployment.
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The strap 402 is depicted as a rectangular shaped member, although it may be embodied in other shapes including a cord or braid. The strap 402 couples at an end 410 to the interior surface 106 by stitches, bonds, adhesives, or the like. The strap 402 may optionally include one or more tabs 412 that are configured to pass through a loop 112 in a deployment direction, but restrict movement through the loop 112 in the opposite direction such as during ride-down. The tabs 412 may be arrayed in a “pine-tree” configuration as depicted or in other configurations known in the art.
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The strap 502 includes a strap flap 506 that may be formed by folding over and securing a portion of the strap 502. Alternatively, the flap 506 is formed by securing a material to the strap 502. The flap 506 is configured to pass through a loop 112 in one direction, such as during deployment, but to catch on the loop 112 and prevent strap movement in the reverse direction. The flap 506 and loop 112 operate together to restrict movement of the strap 502 during deflation. Both the tabs 410 of
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In an alternative embodiment, a single strap may be used rather than the straps 710, 712. The single strap would be secured to vent flaps 706, 708 and feed through one or more loops secured to an interior surface 718. The single strap operates similar to previously described embodiments but would not be secured to the interior surface 718.
The airbag cushion 700 may further include one or more additional vents 720 to increase venting. The vents 720 provide consistent venting in that they do not depend on an occupant's position. The vents 720 may be symmetrically disposed to equalize venting distribution. The need for vents 720 is based on the airbag cushion design and the venting requirements. The vents 720 may be embodied as aperture, tubes outlets, and other shapes known in the art.
Embodiments disclosed herein illustrate novel techniques for venting an airbag cushion to retain an open vent when an occupant obstructs the path of a deploying cushion and a closed vent when an occupant does not obstruct a deploying cushion. Airbag cushions provide improved safety by deploying with less pressure when an occupant is obstructing deployment. The airbag cushions deploy with more pressure when an occupant is not obstructing deployment and when high pressure is required to provide the necessary restraint. The airbag cushions described herein have application to both driver and passenger positions. Furthermore, the airbag cushions may be configured in a variety of sizes based on design constraints.
The above description fully discloses the invention including preferred embodiments thereof. Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can use the preceding description to utilize the invention to its fullest extent.
It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. Note that elements recited in means-plus-function format are intended to be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶6.