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US 8,474,866 B1Granted
Airbag with zones of less elastic material
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorNora Arellano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airbag is provided that includes one or more rigid regions within a restraint zone that has an elasticity lower than neighboring regions of the airbag. The rigid regions serve to contact the head of an occupant and provide directional support and guidance for the position of an airbag upon deployment or contact with an occupant.
Claims25
A side airbag comprising:
- a first restraint zone, said zone positioned in said airbag so as to be at or proximal to an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first pillar section connected to said first restraint zone and adjacent thereto, said pillar section positioned in said airbag so as to be remote from an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first rigid region, said rigid region positioned within said first restraint zone and associated with said first restraint zone, said first rigid region comprising material having lower elasticity than neighboring first restraint zone material.
A side airbag comprising:
- a first restraint zone, said zone positioned in said airbag so as to be at or proximal to an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first pillar section, said pillar section positioned in said airbag so as to be remote from an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first rigid region, said rigid region positioned within said restraint zone, said first rigid region comprising material having lower elasticity than neighboring first restraint zone material, said first rigid region further comprising a tether positioned in said region so as to be capable of contacting a pillar of a vehicle.
A side airbag comprising:
- a first restraint zone, said zone positioned in said airbag so as to be at or proximal to an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first pillar section connected to said first restraint zone and adjacent thereto, said pillar section positioned in said airbag so as to be remote from an occupant's head when said airbag is fully deployed;
- a first rigid region, said rigid region positioned within said restraint zone and associated therewith, said first rigid region comprising material having lower elasticity than neighboring first restraint zone material, said first rigid region positioned within said first restraint zone at a position operable to contact an occupant's head when said airbag is deployed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.