Low-volume seat-mounted airbag with knee restraint
AssigneeAutoliv ASP, Inc.
InventorDavid W. Schneider
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low-volume airbag can deploy from a seat back to cushion an occupant disposed rearward of the seat during a collision event. The low-volume airbag can deploy from the seat at a position that is level with or lower than the position of the occupant's knees. When deployed, the low-volume airbag may adopt a curved or bent configuration. The low-volume airbag can be shaped and positioned to receive the head and/or torso of the occupant during a collision event. Cushioning of the knees of an occupant during a collision event may also be provided.
Claims21
An airbag assembly comprising:
- an airbag housing that is configured to be disposed within or adjacent to a seat back of a seat in a vehicle;
- an inflator;
- an airbag cushion that is deployable from the airbag housing to cushion at least one of a head and a torso of a back-seat occupant seated in a vehicle occupant position in a back seat of the vehicle during a collision event, wherein the airbag cushion is configured to receive inflation gas from the inflator to transition from a compact un-deployed state to an expanded deployed state in which the airbag cushion adopts a curved or bent shape such that a cross-section of the airbag cushion includes a substantially U-shape, the cross-section to be parallel to the sagittal plane of the back-seat occupant when the back-seat occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position in the back seat of the vehicle;
- and
- a knee restraint that is configured to deploy to cushion one or more knees of the back-seat occupant when the back-seat occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position in the back seat of the vehicle as a result of deployment of the airbag cushion during the collision event.
An airbag assembly comprising:
- an airbag housing that is configured to be mounted within a seat back of a seat of a vehicle;
- an inflator;
- an airbag cushion that is configured to receive inflation gas from the inflator to deploy from the airbag housing at a position that is level with or lower than the position of a knee of a back-seat occupant when the back-seat occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position, wherein the airbag cushion comprises:
- a first surface that is configured to receive one or more of a head and a torso of the back-seat occupant during a collision event, the first surface extending from adjacent the airbag housing to curve back on itself to a distal end of the airbag cushion when the airbag cushion is fully inflated;
- and
- a second surface that is disposed opposite of the first surface, the second surface forming an empty space between a proximal portion of the airbag cushion and a distal portion of the airbag cushion.
An airbag that is configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand from a compact state to deploy from an airbag housing to an expanded deployed state, wherein the airbag comprises:
- a proximal portion that, in the deployed state, extends in an upward direction from the housing to extend along a reaction surface in a vehicle;
- a distal portion that, in the deployed state, extends downward and away from a distal end of the proximal portion and toward a lap of an occupant when the occupant is seated in a vehicle occupant position in a seat of a vehicle, wherein the distal portion is configured to receive and cushion one or more of a head and a torso of the occupant during a collision event;
- and
- a lap portion that, in the deployed state, extends over a lap of the occupant and between the proximal portion and the distal portion of the airbag cushion when the occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position;
- and
- a knee restraint portion to cushion one or more knees of the occupant during a collision event, wherein the knee restraint portion, in the deployed state, is disposed below the lap portion and the proximal portion to be positioned in front of one or more knees of the occupant;
- wherein the proximal portion, the distal portion, and the lap portion of the airbag cushion are in fluid communication to form a single inflatable chamber that, in the deployed state, forms a loop that defines an empty space between the proximal portion, the distal portion and the lap portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.