Patent Application
20180281728
The present invention is related to airbag deployment and particularly to the inclusion of a steering wheel deployable airbag positioner.
Airbag design is required to satisfy certain criteria for occupants including out-of-position (OOP) occupants. Airbag suppliers have relied on tuning the inflator and airbag design to satisfy the in-position (IP) and OOP occupant requirements simultaneously. Generally, satisfying the requirements simultaneously leads to a compromise for the IP occupants. Therefore, a need exists to disconnect the design of IP and OOP occupants so that a compromise of the IP occupant is not needed.
A system and method of inflating an airbag are disclosed. The system and method include detecting application of a force at at least one of a plurality of sensors, initiating an inflation system to cause inflation of the airbag and an airbag positioner responsive to the detecting, inflating the airbag positioner based on the initiating, inflating the airbag, and breaching a compartment initially housing at least one of the airbag and the airbag positioner. The system and method include inflating the airbag positioner to reposition an out-of-position occupant reducing the constraints on the design of the airbag and improving protection for the in-position occupant. The airbag positioner may be an airbag. The airbag positioner is inflated or sized to produce a force to re-position an out-of-position occupant.
A passive restraint system is also disclosed. The passive restraint system includes an airbag that is capable of deploying upon impact to restrain a body of at least one occupant, and at least one airbag positioner operating in conjunction with the airbag, the at least one airbag positioner capable of repositioning the occupant if the original position of the occupant is out-of-position. The repositioning the out-of-position occupant reduces the constraints on the design of the airbag and improves protection for the in-position occupant. The airbag positioner may be an airbag. The airbag positioner is inflated or sized to produce an appropriate force to re-position an out-of-position occupant.
An automobile including a passive restraint system is also disclosed. The automobile includes an airbag that is capable of deploying upon impact to restrain a body of at least one occupant, and at least one airbag positioner operating in conjunction with the airbag, the at least one airbag positioner capable of repositioning the occupant if the original position of the occupant is out-of-position. The repositioning the out-of-position occupant reduces the constraints on the design of the airbag and improves protection for the in-position occupant. The airbag positioner may be an airbag. The airbag positioner is inflated or sized to produce an appropriate force to re-position an out-of-position occupant.
A more detailed understanding can be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
In an implementation, airbag 110 is made of thin, nylon fabric and folded into steering wheel compartment 160 or other compartment in the vehicle. As is known to those possessing an ordinary skill in the art, airbag 110 may be part of a passive vehicle restraint system within a vehicle; the airbag 110 being designed to rapidly inflate on impact to restrain the body of an occupant or occupants, often above torso level, to prevent direct contact with the vehicle structure.
Airbag 110 may have associated therewith an airbag positioner 120 which may also be referred to as an airbag cushion. Airbag positioner 120 may also be made of thin, nylon fabric. Airbag positioner 120 may be included within airbag 110, may be discrete from airbag 110, or may be adjacent to airbag 110 (as shown), such as in the steering wheel rim, for example. Airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120 may be inflated by inflation system 130. As shown, a single inflation system 130 may be used for the inflation of both airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120, although multiple inflation systems 130 may be used for inflation of airbag 110 and/or airbag positioner 120. Each of airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120 may have discrete inflation systems 130. While a single airbag positioner 120 and/or airbag 110 is discussed in the examples below, the present invention encompasses the use of multiple airbag positioners 120 and/or multiple airbags 110.
Airbag positioner 120 may be sized or may be fed by inflation system 130 to generate a small amount of force to push the occupant's head, neck or chest away from the deploying airbag 110. This push may move the out-of-position (OOP) occupant to lessen the potential realm of positions the OOP occupant may occupy. The push of the occupant may occur either before or during the deployment of airbag 110. The push may include constraining the OOP occupant to a smaller OOP location, in order to provide less constraint on the airbag 110 design dictated by the OOP occupant allow more design freedom to offer better protection for the in-position (IP) occupant.
The size of airbag positioner 120 may be used to cause a force to push or move the OOP occupant. The inflation rate or other configurations may be used to alternatively or additionally cause the push force.
Airbag positioner 110 may include a deployable positioner or other movable apparatus that is deployed to interact with the occupant for purposes of repositioning the occupant prior to occupant's interaction with the airbag 110. That is, airbag positioner 110 may be any mechanical device and may not be a type of airbag at all, even though the present examples show airbag positioner as an airbag.
Inflation system 130 may include an inflator mechanism, such as a chemical reaction to produce a large pulse of gas. This gas inflates airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120, thereby causing airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120 to burst out of steering wheel compartment 160 or other compartment as airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120 expand. The breaching of steering wheel compartment 160 may be caused by the inflation of airbag positioner 120 without any inflation of airbag 110, by the inflation of airbag 110 without any inflation of the airbag positioner 120, or may be caused by a combination of the inflation of airbag positioner 120 and airbag 110 with any combination between the airbag positioner 120 and airbag 110. Airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120 are deflated as appropriate during the energy absorption phase of interaction with the vehicle occupant.
Inflation system 130 may be controlled or initiated by a single or series of signals from a sensor or plurality of sensors 140. Sensors 140 may detect an impact or deceleration of the vehicle and provide a signal to inflation system 130 to initiate inflation of airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120. Sensors 140 send an electric signal to inflation system 130 to initiate filing of airbag 110 and airbag positioner 120. Sensors 140 may be located throughout the vehicle, generally at the periphery of the vehicle, such as in the doors, in the front and back of the vehicle.
Airbag and associated inflation device 200 is a depiction of the inflated state of the airbag and associated inflation device 100 of
Upon application of a force 245, or otherwise initiating sensor 240, a signal is generated by the sensor 240 and sent to inflation system 230 initiating inflation. This results in airbag 210 and airbag positioner 220 inflating and breaching compartment 260. Airbag 210 and airbag positioner 220 may be within a common compartment or may be separate compartments.
As set forth hereinbefore, inflating the airbag positioner generates a small amount of force to reposition the occupant away from the deploying airbag. This force generation may occur before the airbag inflates, as the airbag begins to inflate, and/or as the airbag inflates.
By way of example, in an implementation illustrated in
Upon application of gas, non-filled tube 550 becomes filled with gas via holes 410a,b,c,d and expands from the non-filled state to take the shape defined by the materials and geometry of the airbag positioner 120. This may include a first side 510 of airbag positioner 120 and a second side 520 of airbag positioner 120 illustrated in the two-dimensional depiction of
Alternatively, or additionally, there also may be a physical attachment between the airbag positioner 120 and the airbag 110 which may provide advantages in the inflation of airbag 110 once airbag positioner 120 creates and utilizes the pushing force and subsequently becoming unnecessary.
Other locations for the airbag positioner may include part of the shoulder belt, the center of the steering wheel, steering wheel spoke or spokes, forward of steering wheel including on the steering column, attachment to the steering column, the knee bolster, or other instrument panels location, and may be deployed through a gap in the steering wheel rim and the center.
Having thus described the presently preferred embodiments in detail, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes, only a few of which are exemplified in the detailed description of the invention, could be made without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. It is also to be appreciated that numerous embodiments incorporating only part of the preferred embodiment are possible which do not alter, with respect to those parts, the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiments and optional configurations are therefore to be considered in all respects as exemplary and/or illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all alternate embodiments and changes to this embodiment which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of said claims are therefore to be embraced therein.
