Abstract:
Gas guides or airbag assemblies including gas guides are disclosed. The gas guides can direct inflation gas within an inflatable cushion. The gas guides can include a forward opening that delivers inflation gas to a forward portion of an inflatable cushion and a rearward opening that delivers inflation gas to a rearward portion of an inflatable cushion. The gas guides can further include a downward opening that delivers inflation gas downward to a lower portion of an inflatable cushion. The area of the downward opening can be greater than the areas of the forward opening or the rearward opening such that a greater portion of the inflation gas is directed downward into the inflatable cushion.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may be separated from the first chamber by a non-inflating region. The non-inflating region may have a width selected such that in-plane bending of the inflatable curtain occurs during deployment. The in-plane bending may position the second chamber lower than the first chamber such that the second chamber overlaps a significant portion of a door adjacent to the inflatable curtain. Forward and rearward portions of the non-inflating region may be attached together to form a fold that decreases the width of the non-inflating region, thereby enhancing the in-plane bending. The second chamber may also bend out-of-plane relative to the first chamber to help provide protection in small overlap collision situations.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. The airbag assembly may have a restraint member in the form of a forward tether or a first tether secured to the forward tether such that the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone during deployment to help control deployment of the second protection zone. Portions of the first and second protection zones may be fold-over sewn together to control the angle at which the second protection zone unfolds relative to the first protection zone.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. The airbag assembly may have a restraint member in the form of a forward tether or a first tether secured to the forward tether such that the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone during deployment to help control deployment of the second protection zone. Portions of the first and second protection zones may be fold-over sewn together to control the angle at which the second protection zone unfolds relative to the first protection zone.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
Abstract:
An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. The airbag assembly may have a restraint member that limits the ability of the second protection zone to unfold to a configuration parallel to the first protection zone, thereby keeping the second protection zone at an optimal location to protect the vehicle occupant from rollover and/or small overlap or oblique collisions. The restraint member may be a tether with ends secured proximate the top of the second protection zone and the top of the first protection zone.