Inflatable curtain venting
AssigneeAutoliv ASP, Inc.
InventorsDavid Henderson, Kurt Petersen, Jeffrey D. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are embodiments of apparatus, methods, and systems for inflatable curtain venting. In one embodiment, an inflatable curtain airbag is tested using a 50th-percentile dummy. The inflatable curtain airbag comprises a vent opening positioned such that during the crash test, the head of the 50th-percentile dummy strikes the airbag at the location of the vent such that the exit of inflation gas through the vent is at least partially blocked. The same inflatable curtain airbag may then be used in a test involving a 5th-percentile dummy, in which case the head of the 5th-percentile dummy would not strike the airbag so as to block the vent, thereby allowing for venting of the airbag.
Claims26
A method for performing a test of an inflatable curtain airbag by simulating a side-impact crash, the method comprising:
- positioning a 50th-percentile dummy within a test module comprising an inflatable curtain airbag, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a vent opening;
- simulating a side-impact crash with the test module;
- deploying the inflatable curtain airbag;
- and
- impacting the dummy with the deployed airbag such that the head of the dummy strikes the airbag at the location of the vent opening so as to at least partially block the exit of inflation gas therethrough temporarily.
A method for performing a test of an inflatable curtain airbag by simulating a side-impact crash, the method comprising:
- positioning a 50th-percentile dummy within a test module comprising an inflatable curtain airbag, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a vent opening;
- simulating a side-impact crash with the test module;
- deploying the inflatable curtain airbag;
- impacting the 50th-percentile dummy with the deployed airbag such that the head of the dummy strikes the airbag at the location of the vent opening so as to at least partially block the exit of inflation gas therethrough temporarily;
- positioning a 5th-percentile dummy within a second test module comprising a second inflatable curtain airbag, wherein the second inflatable curtain airbag also comprises a vent opening;
- simulating a side-impact crash with the second test module;
- deploying the second inflatable curtain airbag;
- and
- impacting the 5th-percentile dummy with the deployed second inflatable curtain airbag such that the head of the dummy fails to strike the second inflatable curtain airbag at the location of the vent opening such that inflation gas is allowed to exit through the second inflatable curtain airbag vent opening.
A vehicle having a side-impact airbag system, the vehicle comprising:
- a seat positioned in a cabin of the vehicle and adjacent to a first side of the vehicle;
- and
- an inflatable curtain airbag at least a portion of which is positioned and configured to deploy adjacent the seat, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises a vent opening positioned to, upon deployment of the inflatable curtain airbag, at least approximately coincide with the location at which a 50th-percentile occupant's head would strike the inflatable curtain airbag in a typical collision involving a side impact to the first side of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.