1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular seating system in which a side airbag serves not only as a direct occupant reaction device, but also as a positioning device for additional occupant reaction surface members in which, when combined with the airbag provide increased occupant reaction capability.
2. Disclosure Information
Deployable side airbags typically have a central portion attached to the airbag module, which is itself mounted to a seatback of the vehicle, and upper and lower portions. With a conventional side airbag, the ability to react to the occupant is limited because the airbag may tend move out of position during an occupant reaction event. U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,464 discloses a door mounted airbag module with a tether covering the upper and lower portions of the airbag. When engaged by the occupant, the tether pulls the airbag toward the vehicle's occupant. Unfortunately, the system of the '464 patent is not suitable for use with an airbag system packaged within the seatback of a vehicle. This means that the system of the '464 patent does not track the position of the occupant seat, which tends to limit the efficiency of the airbag system.
A seating system for an automotive vehicle includes a seat cushion attached to a frame mounted upon a vehicle floorpan, a seatback mounted to the seat cushion frame, and an airbag-based occupant reaction surface including a side airbag mounted to an outboard portion of the seatback, with the side airbag having an occupant reaction surface with a vertical midpoint, an uppermost portion, and a lowermost portion. An upper reaction member includes a fabric panel having a first linear edge attached to an upper portion of the seatback and a second linear edge attached to the reaction surface of the airbag at a location which is mediate the vertical midpoint and the uppermost portion of the airbag. A lower reaction member includes a generally planar fabric panel having a first linear edge attached to a lower portion of a seatback and a second linear edge attached to the reaction surface of the airbag at a location which is mediate the vertical midpoint of the occupant reaction surface and the lowermost portion of the airbag.
Each of the upper and lower reaction members includes a separate fabric panel attached to both the seatback and to the airbag's cover. A seatback according to the present invention may include either a modular headrest, or an integral headrest, with the upper reaction member extending to an upper portion of the integral headrest. The airbag is preferably mounted within a module fixed to an outboard side of the seatback and may be inflated by either a pyrotechnic or other type of inflation device upon detection of a side impact event. The module within which the airbag is mounted preferably includes upper and lower walls, with the upper wall having an aperture permitting passage of the upper reaction member and with the lower wall having an aperture permitting passage of the lower reaction member. The upper and lower reaction members are oriented such that their first linear edges are generally vertically oriented, whereas the second linear edges are generally horizontally oriented. The horizontal edges of the upper and lower reaction members are generally located proximate the upper and lower walls of the airbag module.
In essence, the airbag functions as an inflatable positioning unit having a stowed position within a seatback and a deployed position extending generally forward. Similarly, the upper and lower reaction members have stowed positions within the seatback and deployed positions extending from the seatback and generally forward along horizontal second binding edges with the central reaction surface of the airbag. Taken together, the central reaction surface of the airbag and the upper and lower reaction members define an occupant reaction surface which is substantially planar. When the occupant reaction system is in its deployed position, the upper and lower reaction members are subjected to tensioning force when the airbag is in its deployed position.
The present vehicle seating system offers the advantage of increasing the size of the side airbag's occupant reaction surface without increasing the package size of the airbag mounting module.
The present vehicle seating system offers the additional advantage of automatically tracking the fore-and-aft location of the seat, which permits more precise positioning of the present composite occupant reaction surface.
Other advantages, as well as objects and features of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification.
As shown in
Airbag 26, which is shown in a deployed position in
Side airbag 26 is mounted within a module, 27, which is itself mounted within seatback 18. Module 27 has an upper aperture, 30, formed in an upper wall, and a lower aperture, 31, formed in a lower wall. Apertures 30 and 31 allow upper reaction member 38 and lower reaction member 50 to remain outside module 27 when airbag 26 is in its stowed position.
When the present occupant reaction system is fully deployed as shown in
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.