Abstract:
A seating system for an automotive vehicle includes a side airbag mounted to an outboard portion of a seatback, with the side airbag having an occupant reaction surface which is combined with deployable upper and lower reaction members attached to the airbag to define an augmented occupant reaction surface available upon inflation of the airbag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a vehicular seating system in which a side airbag serves not only as a direct occupant reaction device, but also as a positioning device for additional occupant reaction surface members in which, when combined with the airbag provide increased occupant reaction capability.  
         [0003]     2. Disclosure Information  
         [0004]     Deployable side airbags typically have a central portion attached to the airbag module, which is itself mounted to a seatback of the vehicle, and upper and lower portions. With a conventional side airbag, the ability to react to the occupant is limited because the airbag may tend move out of position during an occupant reaction event. U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,464 discloses a door mounted airbag module with a tether covering the upper and lower portions of the airbag. When engaged by the occupant, the tether pulls the airbag toward the vehicle&#39;s occupant. Unfortunately, the system of the &#39;464 patent is not suitable for use with an airbag system packaged within the seatback of a vehicle. This means that the system of the &#39;464 patent does not track the position of the occupant seat, which tends to limit the efficiency of the airbag system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     A seating system for an automotive vehicle includes a seat cushion attached to a frame mounted upon a vehicle floorpan, a seatback mounted to the seat cushion frame, and an airbag-based occupant reaction surface including a side airbag mounted to an outboard portion of the seatback, with the side airbag having an occupant reaction surface with a vertical midpoint, an uppermost portion, and a lowermost portion. An upper reaction member includes a fabric panel having a first linear edge attached to an upper portion of the seatback and a second linear edge attached to the reaction surface of the airbag at a location which is mediate the vertical midpoint and the uppermost portion of the airbag. A lower reaction member includes a generally planar fabric panel having a first linear edge attached to a lower portion of a seatback and a second linear edge attached to the reaction surface of the airbag at a location which is mediate the vertical midpoint of the occupant reaction surface and the lowermost portion of the airbag.  
         [0006]     Each of the upper and lower reaction members includes a separate fabric panel attached to both the seatback and to the airbag&#39;s cover. A seatback according to the present invention may include either a modular headrest, or an integral headrest, with the upper reaction member extending to an upper portion of the integral headrest. The airbag is preferably mounted within a module fixed to an outboard side of the seatback and may be inflated by either a pyrotechnic or other type of inflation device upon detection of a side impact event. The module within which the airbag is mounted preferably includes upper and lower walls, with the upper wall having an aperture permitting passage of the upper reaction member and with the lower wall having an aperture permitting passage of the lower reaction member. The upper and lower reaction members are oriented such that their first linear edges are generally vertically oriented, whereas the second linear edges are generally horizontally oriented. The horizontal edges of the upper and lower reaction members are generally located proximate the upper and lower walls of the airbag module.  
         [0007]     In essence, the airbag functions as an inflatable positioning unit having a stowed position within a seatback and a deployed position extending generally forward. Similarly, the upper and lower reaction members have stowed positions within the seatback and deployed positions extending from the seatback and generally forward along horizontal second binding edges with the central reaction surface of the airbag. Taken together, the central reaction surface of the airbag and the upper and lower reaction members define an occupant reaction surface which is substantially planar. When the occupant reaction system is in its deployed position, the upper and lower reaction members are subjected to tensioning force when the airbag is in its deployed position.  
         [0008]     The present vehicle seating system offers the advantage of increasing the size of the side airbag&#39;s occupant reaction surface without increasing the package size of the airbag mounting module.  
         [0009]     The present vehicle seating system offers the additional advantage of automatically tracking the fore-and-aft location of the seat, which permits more precise positioning of the present composite occupant reaction surface.  
         [0010]     Other advantages, as well as objects and features of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a frontal elevation of a vehicle seating system according to the present invention showing the airbag based occupant reaction system in its deployed position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the system shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but shows a seatback having an integrated headrest incorporated therein. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , seating system  10  has seat cushion  12  attached to a frame  16 , which is mounted upon floorpan  14  of the vehicle. Seatback  18  is mounted to seat cushion frame  16  and has its own frame  20 . Headrest  22  is mounted on top of seatback  18 . Side airbag  26  is secured within an outboard portion of seatback  18 . Side airbag  26  has an occupant reaction surface,  32 , with a vertical midpoint, M. Side airbag  26  also has an uppermost portion  34 , and a lowermost portion,  36 .  
         [0015]     Airbag  26 , which is shown in a deployed position in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is part of a composite reaction surface including upper reaction member  38 , which includes a fabric panel having the first linear edge  42  which is generally vertically oriented, and a second linear edge,  44 , which is oriented generally horizontally. Upper reaction member  38  is attached to reaction surface  32  of airbag  26 , along second linear edge  44 , at a location which is mediate vertical midpoint M, and uppermost portion  34  of occupant reaction surface  32 . Upper reaction member  38  may be attached by stitching, bonding, mechanical fastening, weaving, or by a combination of these or other methods and techniques. Similarly, lower reaction member  50  includes a fabric panel having first linear edge  52  which is generally vertical and a second linear edge,  54 , which is generally horizontal, and which is joined, either by stitching, bonding, mechanical fastening, weaving, or by other means to reaction surface  32  of airbag  26  at a position which is generally mediate midpoint M and lowermost portion  36  of occupant reaction surface  32 . Upper reaction member  38  and lower reaction member  50  are preferably constructed of fabric material having performance characteristics similar to those of airbag fabric. In a preferred embodiment, upper reaction member  38  and lower reaction member  50  have generally planar configurations.  
         [0016]     Side airbag  26  is mounted within a module,  27 , which is itself mounted within seatback  18 . Module  27  has an upper aperture,  30 , formed in an upper wall, and a lower aperture,  31 , formed in a lower wall. Apertures  30  and  31  allow upper reaction member  38  and lower reaction member  50  to remain outside module  27  when airbag  26  is in its stowed position.  
         [0017]     When the present occupant reaction system is fully deployed as shown in  FIG. 2 , upper reaction member  38 , lower reaction member  50 , and central reaction surface  32  of airbag  26  combine to define a substantially planar occupant reaction surface which extends generally forward from seatback  18  in a direction generally parallel to both the outboard edge of seat cushion  12  and door  24 . Upper reaction member  38  and lower reaction member  50  are subjected to tensioning force when airbag  26  is in its deployed position as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and this assists in the definition or formation of the present occupant reaction surface including the upper and lower reaction members and occupant reaction surface  32  of airbag  26 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in which integral head rest  64  is applied to seatback  62 . In this case, upper reaction member  38  is attached to head rest  64 , thereby allowing upper reaction member  38  to extend to a greater vertical height than is possible with embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Similarly, lower reaction member  50  extends to and is mounted partially upon seat cushion  66 , which further serves to increase the size of the occupant reaction surface defined by upper reaction member  38 , lower reaction member  50 , and airbag occupant reaction surface  32 .  
         [0019]     Although the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications, alterations, and adaptations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.