Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/233—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/23138—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration specially adapted for side protection
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/2334—Expansion control features
  • B60R21/2346—Soft diffusers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R2021/003—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks characterised by occupant or pedestian
  • B60R2021/0039—Body parts of the occupant or pedestrian affected by the accident
  • B60R2021/0044—Chest
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/233—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other
  • B60R2021/23316—Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/233—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other
  • B60R2021/23324—Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/20—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
  • B60R21/217—Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
  • B60R21/2171—Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters

Definitions

• the present invention relates to automobile airbag systems and apparatuses. More specifically, the present invention relates to airbags having independently inflatable overlapping cushions.
• Safety belts are designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle during events such as automobile collisions.
• the occupants are generally protected from impact with objects located inside the vehicle such as the windshield, the instrument panel, a door, the side windows, or the steering wheel by the action of the safety belt.
• objects located inside the vehicle such as the windshield, the instrument panel, a door, the side windows, or the steering wheel.
• the safety belt In more severe collisions, however, even belted occupants may experience an impact with the car's interior.
• Airbag systems were developed to supplement conventional safety belts by deploying into the space between an occupant and an interior object or surface in the vehicle during a collision event.
• the airbag acts to decelerate the occupant, thus reducing the chances of injury to the occupant caused by contact with the vehicle's interior.
• Airbag cushions are typically made of a thin, durable fabric that is folded to fit into a compartment of a steering wheel, dashboard, interior compartment, roof, roof rail, seat, or other space in a vehicle.
• the airbag inflator is designed to produce a gas to rapidly inflate the cushion when needed.
• the sensors detect sudden decelerations of the vehicle that are characteristic of an impact. The readings taken by the sensors are processed in the electronic control unit using an algorithm to determine whether a collision has occurred.
• the control unit Upon detection of an impact of sufficient severity, the control unit sends an electrical signal to the inflator.
• the inflator uses one of many technologies, including pyrotechnic compounds and pressurized gas, to produce a volume of inflation gas.
• the inflation gas is channeled into the airbag, rapidly inflating it. Inflation of the airbag causes it to deploy, placing it in position to receive the impact of a vehicle occupant. After contact of the occupant with the airbag and the corresponding deceleration of the occupant, the airbag deflates, freeing the occupant to exit the vehicle.
• Airbag apparatuses have been primarily designed for deployment in front of an occupant between the upper torso and head of an occupant and the windshield or instrument panel.
• alternative types of airbags such as knee bolsters and overhead airbags operate to protect various parts of the body from collision.
• Side impact airbags such as inflatable curtains and seat mounted airbags also have been developed in response to the need for protection from impacts in a lateral direction, or against the side of the vehicle.
• a seat mounted airbag may inflate beside an occupant in a vehicle seat to protect the pelvis and thorax of the occupant against lateral impact.
• the weight of the occupant may generally tend to slide with the pelvis; hence, it may be beneficial for the pelvic portion of the seat mounted airbag to inflate stiffly to provide comparatively
• thorax is more sensitive and generally carries less mass, and thus should preferably be more softly cushioned during impact to avoid potential injury to an occupant's ribs.
• dual chambered side impact airbags have been developed to provide a pressure differential between the pelvic and thorax portions of a side airbag. These airbags have two separate chambers, one on top of the other. The top chamber is used for providing impact protection for the thorax of an occupant in a seat and the bottom chamber is used to provide impact protection for an occupant's pelvis.
• an inflator is placed in a housing that has multiple orifices for channeling inflation gases into both chambers.
• the pelvic chamber is inflated to a higher pressure than that of the thorax chamber.
• thorax/pelvic airbags must be deployed rapidly in order to be effective.
• the side airbag When a vehicle or some other object impacts the side of another vehicle, the side airbag must deploy in a matter of milliseconds.
• the airbag industry has experienced difficulty in deploying the lower pelvic portion of the side airbag in its intended position in a sufficient time period. This is because intrusion into the vehicle compartment generally occurs at or near the pelvic region due to the location of the colliding vehicle's bumper. If the pelvic portion of the side airbag is not positioned before significant intrusion occurs, the deploying side airbag may rebound off the armrest on the vehicle door, or otherwise be prevented from deploying in its proper position, possibly compromising the physical safety of the occupant.
• the apparatus of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available airbag systems.
• the present invention provides an airbag system having overlapping, independently inflatable cushions with different internal pressures.
• an airbag system with overlapping cushions is provided.
• the airbag system may be used in side-impact airbag applications.
• the present invention may alternatively be used in other systems such as frontal driver's side or passenger side airbag systems, inflatable curtain systems, knee airbag systems and overhead airbag systems.
• one embodiment of the present invention includes a first inflatable cushion that deploys adjacent a vehicle occupant in a lateral collision.
• the first inflatable cushion protects both the thorax and pelvic regions of the occupant's body in a lateral collision.
• the first inflatable cushion may protect the head and thorax regions in a lateral collision.
• the first inflatable cushion is inflated to a pressure that will prevent strikethrough of an occupant's thorax, but will not be inflated too firmly in order to prevent injury to an occupant's ribs.
• a second inflatable cushion is located adjacent the first inflatable cushion on an outboard side of the . first inflatable cushion.
• the second inflatable cushion inflates independently of the first inflatable cushion and at a higher pressure than the first.
• the second inflatable cushion provides impact protection for the pelvis of a vehicular occupant.
• the higher pressure of the second inflatable cushion prevents strikethrough of the occupant's pelvis. Without the higher pressure level, strikethrough would occur if only the first inflatable cushion were used at its uniformly lower pressure level since an occupant has a higher concentration of mass in the pelvic region than the thorax region.
• a single inflator for providing inflation gas may be used to inflate both cushions.
• multiple inflators may be used.
• the inflator may include a housing with mounting studs and a gas guide.
• the gas guide has two orifices for directing inflation gas into both chambers simultaneously. The relative sizes of the orifices work to regulate pressures in the two cushions.
• the inflator may be inserted into the airbag through a throat.
• the throat has mounting stud holes shaped to receive corresponding mounting studs from the inflator housing.
• the gas guide is positioned such that one orifice is in fluid communication with the first inflatable cushion while the other orifice is in fluid communication with the second inflatable cushion.
• a seal which may comprise a seam or other similar structure may serve to separate the two cushions so that they inflate independent of each other, i.e., the two cushions are not in fluid communication with each other.
• the present invention solves the problem of timing by positioning the airbag apparatus in its intended location upon deployment before intrusion into the passenger compartment blocks or otherwise interferes with the deployment of the airbag.
• the time required to have the pelvic portion of a side airbag fully and properly deployed may be less than seven milliseconds because in lateral collisions, intrusion into the vehicle compartment usually first occurs at or near the pelvic region due to contact with the colliding vehicle's bumper. If the pelvic portion of the airbag does not deploy rapidly enough it may rebound off of the armrest or other structure and not deploy properly.
• a deflection hood may be used in the first inflatable cushion.
• the deflection hood is a piece of fabric or webbing that surrounds the inflator and forms a hood.
• the deflection hood is often called a looped diffuser because it forms a loose loop around the inflator body and directs the inflation gas upon activation of the inflator.
• the hood is sewn closed at its top end and is open at its bottom end to direct inflation gas downward toward the pelvic region of the first inflatable cushion.
• the pelvic region of the first inflatable cushion inflates, it simultaneously positions the inflating second cushion into its designated position, since the two cushions share a fabric panel between each other. Consequently, the second inflatable cushion is rapidly positioned in its intended deployment location to provide adequate impact protection for an occupant's pelvis through the use of the deflection hood in the first inflatable cushion.
• the inflation gas is initially shunted into the pelvic portion of the first inflatable cushion, it diffuses into the thorax portion, thus inflating the entire first cushion. Additionally, a hole may be placed in the upper portion of the deflection hood to ensure that the thorax portion of the first inflatable cushion fully deploys in a timely manner.
• Figure 1A is a side plan view of an inboard surface of a side impact airbag of the present invention before insertion of an inflator;
• Figure IB is a side plan view of the outboard surface of the side impact airbag depicted in Figure 1 A before insertion of the inflator;
• Figure 1C is an exploded, perspective view of fabric panels that comprise the side impact airbag depicted in Figure 1 A;
• Figure 2 is cross-sectional view of an inflated side impact airbag of the present invention adjacent a vehicle passenger, as viewed from the front of the partially cut-away vehicle, looking rearward;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of an inflator assembly used to inflate the airbag cushion of the present invention.
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inflator assembly of Figure 3, shown positioned in the partially cut-away airbag cushion of the present invention
• Figure 5 is a side plan view of the inboard surface of a side impact airbag of the present invention having a diffuser hood located within the airbag chamber;
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of the diffuser hood of Figure 5, absent the side impact airbag.
• FIG. 1 A through 6 is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention.
• phrases “connected to,” “coupled to,” and “in communication with” refer to any form of interaction between two or more entities, including mechanical, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, and thermal interaction.
• attachment to refers to a form of mechanical coupling that restricts relative translation or rotation between the attached objects.
• attachment directly to refers to a form of attachment by which the attached items are either in direct contact, or are only separated by a single fastener, adhesive, or other attachment mechanism.
• a side impact airbag 10 of the present invention is depicted from a side plan view of an inboard side 12 of the airbag 10.
• the inboard side 12 is the side of the airbag 10 that is facing toward the inside of a vehicle.
• Side impact airbags 10 typically deploy from a position in a vehicle seat (not shown) adjacent the seat's occupant, such that
• the airbag 10 is positioned between the occupant and a side structure of the vehicle.
• the side impact airbag 10 is constructed of several fabric panels, sewn together by
• the panels may also be sewn
• peripheral stitching 14 create zero-length tethers 18 in the airbag 10.
• Zero-length tethers 18 are used to control the width
• the airbag 10 when it is inflated. Without internal tethers 18 the airbag 10 would have a
• a portion of the peripheral edge 16 of the side airbag 10 does not have stitching 14
• This portion of the airbag 10 forms a throat 20 which
• the throat 14 serves to receive an inf ⁇ ator (not shown).
• the throat 14 has a plurality of mounting stud holes
• the throat 20 is
• the throat 20 is folded over the inflator in order to seal the throat 20.
• the inflator/airbag assembly is then mounted in its designated mounting location (not shown) within the vehicle.
• the inboard side 12 of the airbag 10 has an inflatable chamber that covers both a thorax region 26 and a pelvic region 28.
• the thorax region 26 is the upper, wider portion of the airbag 10 that is designed to be adjacent the occupant's thorax, i.e., the area between the neck and diaphragm, namely the portion of the occupant's body that includes the occupant's ribs.
• the pelvic region 28 is the lower, narrower portion that is designed to be adjacent the occupant's pelvis.
• the side airbag 10 depicted in Figure 1A is constructed to deploy adjacent to a projected position of the occupant.
• the projected position of the occupant is the area within the vehicle where airbag manufacturers and engineers predict would be the likely and anticipated position of an occupant while seated in his seat.
• the present invention is not limited to side airbag applications. It may also be used, among other things, in the context of head/thorax airbags, inflatable curtain airbags, driver's side and passenger side frontal-impact airbags, knee airbags, or overhead airbag applications.
• the side impact airbag 10 of Figure 1A is depicted from a side plan view, illustrating the outboard side 30 of the airbag 10.
• the outboard side 30 is the side of the airbag 10 that is designed to be facing toward the outside of the vehicle upon deployment. When the side airbag 10 is fully inflated and deployed, the side that would contact the side-structure of the vehicle in a lateral collision is the outboard side 30.
• the two cushions 32, 34 are independent of each other in that they are inflatable independent of each other. There is no significant means of fluid communication between the two cushions 32, 34 once the inflator (not shown) is
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 extends the entire profile of the side airbag 10.
• thorax/pelvic cushion 32 can be viewed in its entirety from the perspective shown in Figure
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 provides impact protection for an occupant's pelvis and
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 is constructed from
• the pelvic cushion 34 is limited to the area adjacent the pelvic cushion 34
• the pelvis cushion 34 provides impact
• the pelvic cushion 34 is
• the third panel 36 is smaller than the two panels used in
• the third panel 36 may be sewn either between
• Figure 1C depicts how the embodiment shown in Figure 1A and IB may be
• the airbag 10 is illustrated from an exploded perspective view with the third
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 in that it provides for a dual-depth airbag adjacent an occupant's
• the pelvic cushion 34 is intended to be inflated to a higher pressure than that of the
• Strikethrough occurs when the internal pressure of the bag is insufficient to prevent the
• the internal pressure of the pelvic cushion 34 may be
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 preferably has a lower pressure level compared to the
• the typical pressure level of the thorax/pelvic 32 cushion is
• the concentration of mass of an occupant's thorax is less than that of an occupant's pelvis, so
• the occupant's pelvis has greater impact protection through overlapping cushions 32, 34 providing dual depth impact protection.
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 will cushion the impinging occupant's pelvis.
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 is insufficient to prevent strikethrough of the occupant's pelvis during a lateral impact.
• the pelvic cushion 34 therefore, is provided with
• airbag 10 of the present invention provides for dual-depth impact protection adjacent an
• impact airbag 110 deploys between the occupant 140 and the side structure 144 of the vehicle.
• the airbag 110 is configured to provide impact protection for the thorax and pelvic regions of
• the side impact airbag 110 has two independently inflatable cushions: a
• thorax/pelvic cushion 132 and a pelvic cushion 134.
• the pelvic cushion 134 provides impact
• the pelvic cushion 134 is located on an
• the side impact airbag 110 is constructed of two fabric panels, one on the inboard
• the third panel 136 separates the thorax/pelvic cushion 132 from the pelvic cushion 134.
• the third panel 136 may be attached to the outboard side 130 panel adjacent the
• the pelvic cushion 134 overlaps the thorax/pelvic cushion 132, such that it is
• resulting airbag system 110 provides dual-depth impact protection for the occupant's 140
• the thorax/pelvic cushion 132 may have a depth 146 of about eight inches, while the
• pelvic cushion 134 has a depth 148 of about five centimeters. However, the depths 146, 148
• the two cushions 132, 134 may vary depending upon the configuration of the vehicle, such
• the distance between the seat 142 and the side structure 144 of the vehicle is typically, the distance between the seat 142 and the side structure 144 of the vehicle.
• thorax/pelvic cushion 132 has a greater depth than that of the pelvic cushion 134.
• the pelvic cushion 134 is inflated to a higher pressure than the thorax/pelvic
• thorax/pelvic cushion 132 provides for softer impact protection for the occupant's 140 thorax and pelvis. Conversely, the pelvic cushion 134 provides for more firm impact protection,
• an inflator assembly 60 used to inflate the airbag cushions of
• An inflator 62 is used to generate
• the inflator 62 is configured to rapidly inflate the airbag (not shown) of the present invention.
• the inflator 62 contains a stored quantity of pressurized inflation
• the inflator 62 has a squib 64 that is connected to an electronic control unit (not
• a signal from the electronic control unit causes the inflator 62 to activate,
• the exhaust gas is channeled into a gas guide 66 for delivering
• the gas guide 66 is a tapered, tubular-like member that is crimped onto the end of
• the gas guide 66 has a thorax chamber orifice 68 and a
• each orifice 68, 70 regulates the pressure of the corresponding cushion that is in fluid
• the gas guide 66 also acts as a diffuser. In side impact airbag applications, the
• inflator 62 is installed within or in close proximity to the textile airbag. Due to the fact that
• the airbag assembly must be installed into limited space, the airbag is often folded up against
• the inflator 62 Without a diffuser, the hot gas that exits the inflator 62 would impinge
• the gas guide 66 allows the inflation gas to cause the airbag to inflate improperly.
• the gas guide 66 allows the inflation gas to cause the airbag to inflate improperly.
• the gas guide 66 the gas is sufficiently cooled and/or not concentrated so as not to burn holes in the textile airbag.
• the inflator assembly 60 also includes an inflator housing 72 having a substantially
• the inflator housing 72 includes inwardly directed dimples 74 causing the housing 72 to tightly circumscribe the inflator 62 in order to maintain the inflator 62 within
• the housing 72 upon activation.
• the inflator 62 is press fitted within the housing
• the housing 72 also has pre-installed mounting studs 76 extending orthogonally
• the mounting studs 76 are used to mount the inflator assembly 60 in a designated
• the inflator In typical side impact airbag assemblies, the inflator
• FIG. 10 perspective view within the side impact airbag 10 of the present invention.
• the airbag 10 is
• the inflator assembly 60 is positioned within the airbag 10
• a seal comprising a seam 14 separates the two cushions 32, 34, leaving a small space
• the pelvic cushion 34 is sealed off from the thorax/pelvic cushion 32 so that inflation gases
• the seal may alternatively be any number of constriction or
• seal may be created from RF welding, bonding, and the like.
• the gas guide 66 is positioned in the airbag 10 so that the thorax chamber orifice
• the pelvic chamber orifice 70 is positioned to deliver inflation gas 80 into the pelvic cushion 34.
• inflation gas 80 is directed into both cushions 32, 34.
• Simultaneous inflation means that the two cushions 32, 34 begin to inflate at the same time.
• the pelvic cushion 34 inflates more rapidly than the thorax/pelvic
• a side impact airbag 210 is illustrated from a side plan view
• diffuser hood 290 from a perspective view removed from the side airbag and encasing an
• the diffuser hood 290 also called a looped diffuser, is a piece of fabric
• the apex 296 of the loop 294 extends into the thorax/pelvic cushion 232 of the side
• the upper edge 298 of the diffuser hood 290 follows the profile of the
• peripheral edge 216 of the side airbag 210 The upper edge 298 is sealed through stitching
• edge 298 may be sealed through alternative methods such as adhesive bonding, chemical
• the diffuser hood 290 has a first discharge opening 300 defined by the bottom
• Inflation gas represented by arrows 280, may flow
• inflation gas 280 is not sealed like the upper edge 298.
• inflation gas is directed downward through the first discharge opening 300 into the pelvic
• the diffuser hood 290 need not be of the looped
• the diffuser hood 290 may also have a second discharge opening 304 adjacent its
• the second discharge opening 304 may be an opening approximately 45
• discharge opening 304 ensures that the thorax region 226 inflates in a timely manner.
• the size of the second discharge opening 304 is proportional to the desired rate of inflation of the thorax region 226 of the thorax/pelvic cushion 232.
• the second discharge opening 304 is proportional to the desired rate of inflation of the thorax region 226 of the thorax/pelvic cushion 232.
• discharge opening 304 maybe omitted entirely.
• inflation gas 280 enters the thorax/pelvic cushion 232, it is directed toward
• the inflating pelvic cushion (not shown) into its designated position because the two cushions share a fabric panel between each other.
• the designated position of the pelvic cushion is illustrated in Figure 2 as being between an occupant's 140 pelvis and the side structure of a vehicle 144.
• the inflation of the pelvic region 228 of the thorax/pelvic cushion 232 rapidly positions the pelvic cushion into place to provide adequate side impact protection before intrusion into the vehicle compartment interferes with airbag deployment.
• the diffuser hood 290 is a structure for timely positioning the pelvic cushion in order to provide adequate impact protection for an occupant's pelvis.
• the inflation gas 280 is initially directed into the pelvic region 228 of the thorax/pelvic cushion 232, it diffuses into the thorax region 226, inflating the entire thorax/pelvic cushion 232 in order to provide sufficient impact protection for the occupant's thorax.
• initially shunting all the inflation gas 280 into the pelvic region 228 may prevent timely inflation and deployment of the thorax region 226 of the thorax/pelvic cushion 232.
• the second discharge opening 304 is created in the diffuser hood 290.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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Publications (1)

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Cited By (5)

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Citations (6)

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• 2004
  • 2004-05-06 US US10/841,342 patent/US7347444B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2005
  • 2005-04-25 WO PCT/US2005/014271 patent/WO2005113300A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-04-25 JP JP2007511413A patent/JP4805914B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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