Patent Application
20060119083
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seating system for an automotive vehicle having a seat-mounted airbag which is positioned at least in part by a flexible tension member extending from the seat's structure to the airbag.
2. Disclosure Information
Side airbags have been used in automotive vehicles for several years. Such airbags may be mounted either in a door or other closure portion of a vehicle, such as a quarter trim panel. Alternatively, a side airbag may be mounted in a seatback at an occupant location within the vehicle. Mounting within the seatback offers an advantage inasmuch as the side airbag is maintained in a appropriate position vis-à-vis the occupant of the seat because the side airbag is positioned or repositioned along with the seatback itself.
Side airbags mounted upon a seatback have a limited package envelope which must be carefully managed because the side airbag must be projected forwardly and alongside the occupant of the seat in order to provide proper interaction between the airbag and the vehicle occupant. Because of the need to project the airbag, it is sometime possible for a side airbag to move out of position during a deployment sequence. U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,464 discloses a side airbag with a tether 70 is attached to upper and lower portions of the airbag. Unfortunately, the tether is attached only to the airbag and cannot stabilize the airbag to any greater extent than is otherwise promoted by the attachment of the airbag itself to the seat or side panel of the vehicle. A system according to the present invention overcomes the shortcoming possible with the tether of the '464 patent.
A seating system for an automotive vehicle includes a seat frame mounted upon a vehicle floorpan, with the seat frame having a seat cushion portion and a seatback portion. A seat cushion is attached to the seat cushion portion of the frame and the seatback is mounted to the seatback portion of the seat frame. A side airbag is mounted to an outboard portion of the seatback and has at least one flexible tension member having a first end attached to the seat frame and a second end attached to an external surface of the airbag. In one embodiment, the flexible tension member comprises a cable having a first end attached to the seat cushion frame. Alternatively, a first end of the flexible tension member may be attached to a lower portion of the seatback frame. According to yet another alternative, a first end of the flexible tension member may be attached to an upper portion of the seatback frame.
The second end of the previously described flexible tension member is preferably attached to an outboard portion of the side airbag. In one embodiment, the second end of the flexible tension member is attached to a lower outboard portion of the airbag.
A seating system according to the present invention may further include a second flexible tension member having a first end attached to an upper portion of the seatback, and a second end attached to an upper portion of the airbag.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the flexible tension members described herein may include either a cable member, or a fabric panel, or a combination of the two. Where a fabric panel is employed, such a panel in a first embodiment will have a first edge attached to the seatback and a second edge attached to the airbag at either a lower portion of the airbag or at an inboard upper portion of the airbag. Where a fabric panel is used, according to the present invention, the panel may be attached to substantially the entire lower edge of the airbag. This attachment will comprise a linear joint extending along a lower portion of the airbag. A second linear joint will extend along the seatback frame, uniting the fabric panel and the seatback.
A system according to the present invention is particularly useful where the airbag is mounted to an outboard side of the seatback.
It is an advantage of the present invention that a system according to the present invention positions a side airbag for maximum utility during an inflation event.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a system according to this invention increases the utility of an airbag having a smaller module suitable for mounting within a seatback.
Other advantages, as well as objects and features of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification.
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Although the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications, alterations, and adaptations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims. For example, the previously described flexible tension members could include fabric panels having cable reinforcements incorporated therein.
