Mushroom airbag with adaptive chamber

A passenger airbag system for an automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield, and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield, the instrument panel having a top portion with a surface facing the windshield and a mid-portion facing a passenger, said airbag system comprising:

• a housing adapted to being mounted in the top portion of the instrument panel, a folded airbag cushion disposed therein when said airbag cushion is in a non-deployed configuration, said airbag cushion being deployable from said airbag housing through the instrument panel;
• said airbag cushion having a larger and deeper upper airbag chamber and a smaller shallower lower airbag chamber and which receives a flow of gas from a gas generating inflator incorporated into said housing;a membrane such as a fabric panel or wide tether dividing said upper airbag chamber into a front adaptive chamber and a rear chamber being combined with said lower airbag chamber forming a main airbag chamber, said membrane having an opening through which the gas flows from said main airbag chamber into said adaptive airbag chamber;said adaptive chamber defining a generally teardrop shape extending forwardly from said rear chamber, an upper front portion of said adaptive chamber extending at a downward and forward angled slant from an upper connection location with said membrane to a foremost point coinciding with a general midpoint of an overall height of the airbag cushion in a fully inflated configuration, following which said foremost point reverse angling in an inward reverse curve before rejoining said main airbag chamber at a lower connection region coinciding with the bottom end of said separating membrane located on a front face of said main airbag chamber above its bottom;in a first configuration, said adaptive chamber inflating minimally upon a crash event and contacting a passenger sitting closer to the instrument panel, forming a shallow airbag chamber;in a second configuration, said adaptive chamber inflating more fully for a passenger sitting further away from the instrument panel, forming a deeper airbag chamber;
• andsaid adaptive airbag chamber being softer with lower pressure than said main airbag chamber during an initial interaction with the passenger for providing a soft and uniform landing.

A passenger airbag system for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield, and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield, said airbag system comprising:

• a housing adapted to being mounted within the instrument panel, a folded airbag cushion contained within said housing when said cushion is in a non-deployed configuration, said airbag cushion being deployable from said airbag housing through the instrument panel;
• said airbag cushion having a rear chamber and a smaller forward adaptive chamber;
• a membrane such as a fabric panel or wide tether dividing said adaptive and rear chambers, said membrane having an opening through which the gas flows initially into said rear chamber and subsequently into said forward adaptive chamber;said adaptive chamber defining a generally teardrop shape extending forwardly from said rear chamber, an upper front portion of said adaptive chamber extending at a downward and forward angled slant from an upper connection location with said membrane to a forward most point coinciding with a general midpoint of an overall height of the airbag cushion in a fully inflated configuration, following which said upper front portion reverse angling in an inward reverse curve before rejoining said rear chamber at a lower connection region coinciding with the bottom end of said separating membrane located on a front face of said rear chamber above its bottom;in a first configuration, said adaptive chamber inflating minimally upon a crash event and contacting a passenger sitting closer to the instrument panel, forming a shallow airbag chamber and;in a second configuration, said adaptive chamber inflating more fully for a passenger sitting further away from the instrument panel, forming a deeper airbag chamber.