Active armrest for side impact protection
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsA. Mangala M. Jayasuriya, Nripen Kumar Saha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle occupant protection system features an upper panel of an armrest is maintained in an arm supporting position during normal vehicle operation, and is moved to a safety position by an actuation device upon sensing of an actual or impending impact on the side of the vehicle. In the arm supporting position, the arm support panel contributes to the structural strength of the armrest so that it is able to withstand rugged use. In the safety position, the arm support panel is positioned so that it does not present a rigid edge oriented directly toward the occupant, but rather is in a partially or completely folded position. Both mechanical and electronic actuation systems are disclosed.
Claims20
An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle having a sidewall comprising an interior wall and an exterior wall and an armrest disposed adjacent the interior wall, the system comprising:
- a panel forming a portion of the armrest, the panel movable between an arm supporting position wherein the panel is generally perpendicular to the interior wall and a safety position wherein the panel is relatively less perpendicular to the interior wall;
- and
- a panel actuation mechanism operative to urge the panel from the arm supporting position to the safety position in response to an impact on a side of the vehicle.
An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle having an interior wall, the system comprising:
- an armrest disposed adjacent the interior wall and comprising a panel having an arm supporting position wherein the panel is relatively perpendicular to the interior wall and movable to a safety position wherein the panel is relatively less perpendicular to the interior wall;
- and
- a panel actuation mechanism operative to hold the panel in the arm supporting position during normal vehicle operations and urge the panel from the arm supporting position to the safety position in response to at least one of an actual impact on a side of the vehicle and a predicted impact on the side of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.