Tethered airbags
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsAtul Gupta, Peter Craig Lombrozo, Daniel Lynn Larner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate to airbag systems for vehicles. The airbag systems may prevent the airbags from splitting apart during impact with a pedestrian or object. The airbag system may include a first airbag attached to a first connector and a second airbag attached to a second connector. The airbag system may also include a tether attached to the first connector and the second connector, and wherein the tether is configured to be pulled taut upon the first or second airbag being deployed in an environment of a vehicle in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle.
Claims19
An airbag system comprising:
- a first airbag attached to a first connector;
- a second airbag attached to a second connector;
- a tether attached to a vehicle at a first end of the tether;
- and
- wherein the tether is configured to be pulled taut upon the first or second airbag being deployed in an environment of a vehicle in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle, and wherein the tether is further configured to be pulled taut by the first or second connector pulling on a second end of the tether upon the first or second airbag being deployed.
A method for deploying airbags in a vehicle's vicinity in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle comprising:
- deploying a first airbag attached to a first connector;
- deploying a second airbag attached to a second connector;
- wherein a tether, attached to the vehicle at a first end of the tether, and configured to be pulled taut upon the first or second airbag being deployed in an environment of the vehicle, and wherein the tether is further configured to be pulled taut and by the first or second connector pulling on a second end of the tether upon the deployment of the first or second airbag.
A method for deploying airbags in a vehicle's vicinity in order to reduce the likelihood of an object colliding directly with the vehicle comprising:
- determining, by one or more processors, a collision with the object is imminent;
- predicting, by the one or more processors, a location on the vehicle where the collision with the object is expected to occur;
- determining an airbag system at the location on the vehicle where the collision is expected to occur;
- sending, by the one or more processors, a triggering signal to deploy the airbag system;
- and
- in response to receiving the triggering signal, deploying by one or more processors, a first airbag attached to a first connector and second airbag attached to a second connector, the first connector and second connector being attached to a tether, and wherein deploying the first airbag and the second airbag causes the tether to be pulled taut.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.