Back to results
US 12,330,578 B1Granted
Panel assembly for a vehicle
AssigneeVolvo Car Corporation
InventorsSebastian Rutelin, Johan Rosenberg, William Hübinette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A panel assembly for a vehicle. The panel assembly includes an occupant-facing surface, and a detachable portion of the occupant-facing surface. The detachable portion is adapted to contact an occupant when the detachable portion is detached from the occupant-facing surface during deployment of an airbag from behind the occupant-facing surface.
Claims20
A panel assembly for a vehicle, the panel assembly comprising:
- an occupant-facing surface;
- and
- a detachable portion of the occupant-facing surface, wherein the detachable portion is adapted to contact an occupant when the detachable portion is detached from the occupant-facing surface during deployment of an airbag from behind the occupant-facing surface, and wherein the detachable portion is rigid or semi-rigid such that a surface area of the detachable portion that contacts the occupant during the deployment of the airbag is greater than a surface area of the airbag that would otherwise contact the occupant during the deployment of the airbag without the detachable portion.
A panel assembly for a vehicle, the panel assembly comprising:
- an occupant-facing surface;
- a detachable portion of the occupant-facing surface;
- and
- at least one airbag, wherein the detachable portion is adapted to contact an occupant when the detachable portion is detached from the occupant-facing surface during deployment of the at least one airbag from behind the occupant-facing surface, and wherein the detachable portion is rigid or semi-rigid such that a surface area of the detachable portion that contacts the occupant during the deployment of the airbag is greater than a surface area of the airbag that would otherwise contact the occupant during the deployment of the airbag without the detachable portion.
1 more element
A computer-implemented method for restraining an occupant in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- detecting a collision of the vehicle;
- and
- causing a detachable portion of an occupant-facing surface of a panel assembly to contact the occupant when the detachable portion is detached from the occupant-facing surface during deployment of an airbag from behind the occupant-facing surface, wherein the detachable portion is rigid or semi-rigid such that a surface area of the detachable portion that contacts the occupant during the deployment of the airbag is greater than a surface area of the airbag that would otherwise contact the occupant during the deployment of the airbag without the detachable portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.