Patent ID: 11938885
Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle seat of a vehicle in the event of a far-side collision in which the vehicle is impacted on a side opposite the vehicle seat, comprising:
a curtain airbag configured to inflate and deploy from a roof of the vehicle and being configured to protect the occupant of the vehicle seat, the curtain airbag having an inflated and deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is configured to be positioned inboard of the vehicle seat;
wherein the curtain airbag comprises a torso receiving portion configured to receive a torso of the occupant when the occupant moves into engagement with the curtain airbag in response to the far-side collision, and a head receiving portion configured to receive a head of the occupant when the occupant moves into engagement with the curtain airbag in response to the far-side collision, wherein the head receiving portion comprises an opening configured to receive at least a portion of the occupant's head when the occupant moves into engagement with the curtain airbag, the opening being configured so that the occupant's head can move into the opening without displacing any adjacent inflatable portions of the airbag, and the torso receiving portion comprises a plurality of vertically extending parallel chambers,
wherein the opening is defined by a perimeter connection between overlying panels of the curtain airbag that extends the perimeter of the opening, wherein the vertically extending parallel chambers are defined by vertically extending connections of the overlying panels of the curtain airbag, and wherein at least one of the vertically extending connections intersects the connection that defines the opening so that the vertically extending chambers configured to receive the torso extend up to and terminate at the head receiving opening;
wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one tether connected to a lower end portion of the curtain airbag and to an outboard portion of a vehicle structure in an area where the vehicle roof intersects a side structure of the vehicle, the outboard portion of the vehicle structure being on the same side of the vehicle as the vehicle seat.