Air bag assembly having controlled cushion deployment
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorJames Lloyd Webber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bag system for cushioning restraint of a vehicle occupant during an impact event. The air bag assembly includes an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to be inflated from a storage chamber to an inflated deployed condition within an occupant compartment. A gas emitting inflator is housed in fluid communication with the air bag cushion. At least one drag-inducing member engages the air bag cushion as the air bag cushion is inflated from the stored condition to the inflated deployed condition such that the period of energy transfer between the air bag cushion and the occupant is increased relative to unrestrained deployment from the storage chamber.
Claims21
An air bag assembly for cushioning restraint of an occupant in a vehicle during an impact event, the air bag assembly comprising:
- an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to be inflated from a storage chamber to an inflated deployed condition within an occupant compartment within the vehicle upon introduction of an inflation gas;
- a gas emitting inflator disposed in fluid communication with the air bag cushion;
- and
- at least one drag-inducing member adapted to engage the air bag cushion as the air bag cushion is inflated from the stored condition to the inflated deployed condition such that deployment of the air bag cushion is slowed and the period of energy transfer between the air bag cushion and the occupant is increased relative to unrestrained deployment from the storage chamber.
An air bag assembly for cushioning restraint of an occupant in a vehicle during an impact event, the air bag assembly comprising:
- an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to be inflated from a storage chamber to an inflated deployed condition within an occupant compartment within the vehicle upon introduction of an inflation gas;
- a gas emitting inflator disposed in fluid communication with the air bag cushion;
- and
- at least one drag-inducing member adapted to engage the air bag cushion as the air bag cushion is inflated from the stored condition to the inflated deployed condition such that deployment of the air bag cushion is slowed and the period of energy transfer between the air bag cushion and the occupant is increased relative to unrestrained deployment from the storage chamber, wherein said at least one drag-inducing member comprises a tension-inducing roller and wherein at least a portion of the air bag cushion is packaged in wrapped relation around said tension-inducing roller within the storage chamber such that during deployment of the air bag cushion the air bag cushion is pulled away from said tension-inducing roller prior to exiting the storage chamber such that the tension-inducing roller imparts a drag force to the air bag cushion.
An air bag assembly for cushioning restraint of an occupant in a vehicle during an impact event, the air bag assembly comprising:
- an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to be inflated from a storage chamber to an inflated deployed condition within an occupant compartment within the vehicle upon introduction of an inflation gas;
- a gas emitting inflator disposed in fluid communication with the air bag cushion;
- and
- at least one drag-inducing member adapted to engage the air bag cushion as the air bag cushion is inflated from the stored condition to the inflated deployed condition such that deployment of the air bag cushion is slowed and the period of energy transfer between the air bag cushion and the occupant is increased relative to unrestrained deployment from the storage chamber, wherein said at least one drag-inducing member comprises a friction bar disposed in raised relation to a base plate outboard of the inflator and wherein at least a portion of the air bag cushion is packaged within the storage chamber such that during deployment of the air bag cushion a portion of the air bag cushion is pulled beneath the friction bar prior to exiting the storage chamber such that the fiction bar imparts a drag force to the air bag cushion.
An air bag assembly for cushioning restraint of an occupant in a vehicle during an impact event, the air bag assembly comprising:
- an inflatable air bag cushion adapted to be inflated from a storage chamber beneath a dash panel of the vehicle through an elongate slotted deployment opening extending in the cross-vehicle direction, wherein the slotted deployment opening extends a length greater than the width of the occupant;
- a gas emitting inflator disposed in fluid communication with the air bag cushion adapted to distribute gas into a mouth portion of the air bag cushion;
- and
- at least one drag-inducing member comprising said elongate slotted deployment opening adapted to engage the air bag cushion as the air bag cushion is inflated from the stored condition to the inflated deployed condition such that deployment of the air bag cushion is retarded such that the period of energy transfer between the air bag cushion and the occupant is increased relative to unrestrained deployment from the storage chamber.
18 The invention as recited in claim 17, further comprising a drag inducing element disposed along a cushion travel path between the storage chamber and slotted deployment opening.
The invention as recited in claim 18, wherein the air bag system is adapted to deploy the air bag cushion through a portion of the dash panel facing the occupant to be protected and wherein a first portion of the air bag cushion is normally stored in folded relation forward of the inflator relative to the normal travel direction of the vehicle and wherein a second portion of the air bag cushion extends along a path below the inflator for attachment at a position between the inflator and said elongate slotted deployment opening such that upon inflation the first portion of the air bag cushion is progressively pulled along the path below the inflator and discharged through said elongate slotted deployment opening.
The invention as recited in claim 18, wherein the air bag system is adapted to deploy the air bag cushion through a top portion of the dash panel and wherein prior to inflation, a first portion the air bag cushion is stored in folded relation at a position below the inflator and a second portion of the air bag cushion extends partially around the inflator for attachment at a position between the inflator and said elongate slotted deployment opening.
The invention as recited in claim 18, wherein the drag inducing element disposed along a cushion travel path between the storage chamber and slotted deployment opening comprises a floating pinch point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.