# US 12,109,968 B1 · Seat airbag assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,968 B1 - Document ID: US12109968B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/337,076 - Filed: 2023-06-19 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-19 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Zhibing Deng; Joseph E. Abramczyk; Deepak Patel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109968B1 ## CPC - B60R 21/23138: {specially adapted for side protection (B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence)} - B60N 2/206: {to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray} - B60R 21/01512: {Passenger detection systems} - B60R 21/207: in vehicle seats - B60R 21/233: comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other (B60R21/232 takes precedence) - B60R 21/239: characterised by their venting means - B60R 21/261: with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid - B60R 2021/01211: {Expansion of air bags} - B60R 2021/01286: {Electronic control units} - B60R 2021/23107: {the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system} - B60R 2021/23146: {seat mounted} - B60R 2021/23308: {the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag} - B60R 2021/26094: {characterised by fluid flow controlling valves} - B60R 2021/2615: {for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An assembly includes a vehicle seat including a seat back, an upper airbag mounted to the seat back, a lower airbag mounted to the seat back below the upper airbag, a flexible conduit fluidly coupling the upper airbag and the lower airbag, and a device actuatable between a first state permitting airflow through the conduit and a second state blocking airflow through the conduit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly comprising: a vehicle seat including a seat back; an upper airbag mounted to the seat back; a lower airbag mounted to the seat back below the upper airbag; a flexible conduit fluidly coupling the upper airbag and the lower airbag; and a device actuatable between a first state permitting airflow through the conduit between the upper airbag and the lower airbag and a second state blocking airflow through the conduit between the upper airbag and the lower airbag. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat back includes an upper seat-back portion, a lower seat-back portion, and a pivot rotatably coupling the upper seat-back portion and the lower seat-back portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper airbag is mounted to the upper seat-back portion, and the lower airbag is mounted to the lower seat-back portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat bottom, and the lower seat-back portion extends upward from the seat bottom. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the device includes a jaw actuatable to pinch the conduit closed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the device is pyrotechnically actuatable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the device is in the first state by default, and the device is actuatable from the first state to the second state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inflator positioned to inflate the upper airbag. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein the inflator is fluidly coupled to the lower airbag only via a path passing through the conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a diffuser sleeve, wherein the inflator is positioned in the diffuser sleeve, and the diffuser sleeve is shaped to direct airflow from the inflator to the upper airbag and to the conduit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein the inflator is activatable to inflate the upper airbag, and the device is configured to actuate together with activation of the inflator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a computer communicatively coupled to the device, the computer programmed to instruct the device to actuate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The assembly of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed to instruct the device to actuate based on a size of an occupant of the vehicle seat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The assembly of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed to at least one of instruct the device to actuate to the second state in response to a size of an occupant of the vehicle seat being greater than a size threshold or instruct the device to actuate to the first state in response to the size of the occupant being less than the size threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The assembly of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed to instruct the device to actuate based on a position of an occupant of the vehicle seat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The assembly of claim 12, wherein the computer is further programmed to at least one of instruct the device to actuate to the second state in response to an occupant of the vehicle seat being out of an occupant position or instruct the device to actuate to the first state in response to the occupant being in the occupant position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is a fold-flat seat. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat bottom, and the lower airbag in an uninflated position is positioned at least partially above the seat bottom. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper airbag includes an upper-airbag vent, and the lower airbag includes a lower-airbag vent. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inflator positioned to inflate one of the upper airbag or the lower airbag, wherein the conduit is separate from a path from the inflator to the one of the upper airbag or the lower airbag.