Abstract:
A side airbag assembly for protecting an occupant of a vehicle seat. The assembly includes an inflatable cushion, wherein the cushion is stored in a compact arrangement. An inflator is provided for supplying inflation gas for the cushion. The inflator and cushion are secured in position by a mounting bracket connected to a frame of the vehicle seat. A cover for covering a back surface of the vehicle seat is included and the cover includes a rear facing surface and a first side facing surface. The cover is connected to the mounting bracket.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/019,733, filed Jul. 1, 2014. The foregoing provisional application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present application relates generally to the field of airbag modules. More specifically, the present application relates to an apparatus for mounting a side impact airbag (SAB) module to a seat frame. 
     Typically, side airbag (SAB) modules are mounted to a seat frame by bolting the module to the seat frame within a deployment chute or intensifier panel, which is attached to a seat cover seam and acts to direct the inflated airbag cushion through a seam of the seat cover upon deployment. Inserting a side airbag module into the pre-fabricated chute or pocket and then bolting to a seat frame is a tedious and difficult process. Not to mention the seat cover must then be pulled over the front and back of the seat foam. Moreover, the chute or pocket adds complexity to the seat cover sewing and must be done separately. Furthermore, deploying the SAB cushion through a seam in the seat cover limits the freedom of the OEM and/or the seat manufacturer to style the seat cover and foam cushion face. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein is a side airbag assembly for protecting an occupant of a vehicle seat. The assembly includes a side airbag module including an inflatable cushion and an inflator for providing inflation gas for inflating the cushion. A mounting bracket is connected to the airbag module and to the vehicle seat. A back panel overlies a back surface of the vehicle seat and the airbag module. The back panel includes a rear facing surface and a side facing surface. The mounting bracket is connected to the back panel. The mounting bracket may be integrally formed with the cover such as over molding of a steel bracket to a plastic back panel. The back panel may include a second side facing surface that faces in an opposite direction to the side facing surface. The mounting bracket is connected to the back panel and preferably to the side facing surface. The cover is configured so that when the inflatable cushion inflates the first side facing surface flexes outwardly and could function as a deployment chute. 
     In another disclosed embodiment, the assembly includes an inflatable cushion stored in a compact arrangement. An inflator is provided for supplying inflation gas for the cushion. The inflator and cushion are secured in position by a mounting bracket connected to a frame of the vehicle seat. A back panel for covering a back surface of the vehicle seat is included and the back panel includes a rear facing surface and a first side facing surface. The cover is connected to the mounting bracket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle interior. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic exploded perspective view of a vehicle seat, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of a back cover and SAB module for the vehicle seat of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-section view of the back cover and SAB module of  FIG. 3 , taken along line  4 - 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic rear view of the vehicle seat of  FIG. 1  showing the back cover and SAB module removed. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic rear view of the vehicle seat of  FIG. 1  showing the back cover and SAB module coupled to the seat back frame. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle seat of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle seat of  FIG. 1  with the SAB module deployed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts a vehicle interior  10  including a vehicle seat  12  configured to receive one or more occupants  14 . One or more seats  12  may be provided in a row and may be separated by a structure, such as a center console  16 . The center console  16  may in some embodiments include storage compartments, trim components, a gear shift, etc. The vehicle seat  12  includes a generally horizontal lower portion or seat bottom  20  that is coupled to the vehicle and an upper portion or seat back  22  that extends upward from the rear end of the seat bottom  20 . The seat bottom  20  may be coupled to the vehicle with a mounting system that allows the vehicle seat  12  to be moved relative to the vehicle (e.g., fore/aft, lateral, up/down, etc.). The seat back  22  may be connected to the seat bottom  20  through a recliner mechanism that allows the seat back  22  to tilt or pivot relative to the seat bottom  20 . Each of the seat bottom  20  and the seat back  22  include a supporting frame  24 . A cushion such as a foam pad may be coupled to the frame  24  and a trim cover may surround the cushion. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-8 , the seat  12  may be configured to include an airbag device, such as a SAB module  30 . The SAB module  30  may be mounted to the seat back panel  44 , under a seatback panel  40  that overlies the back of the seat back  22  (see  FIGS. 2-4 ). The SAB module  30  includes an inflatable airbag cushion  32  (see  FIG. 8 ) and a gas generator or inflator configured to generate a gas to inflate the airbag cushion. In a side impact, the airbag cushion  32  inflates and is extended forward of the seatback  22  of seat  12  to be positioned along the side of the of the occupant  14  of the vehicle seat  12  to limit the lateral (e.g., cross-car) movement of the occupant. The occupant load on the airbag cushion  32  is absorbed by the inflated cushion which is sandwiched between the oncoming door trim and the occupant body parts. The airbag deployment loads are transferred through the mounting device to the seat frame  24 . 
     The seat back cover  40  includes a back panel  42  and a pair of side panels  44 . The side panels  44  include outwardly facing surfaces that face toward opposite sides of the vehicle seat. The back panel  42  includes a surface facing rearward away from the occupant of the seat. The seat back cover  40  is formed to wrap around the seat back  22 . The seat back cover  40  is configured to be received in a cavity or socket  46  in the seat back  22  formed by the cushion  25  such that, when the seat back cover  40  is coupled to the seat frame  24 , the back cover  40  forms a relatively smooth, continuous contour with the seat foam  25 . An optional cavity or socket  46  is shown in the right side of the seat in  FIG. 2 , but the cavity  46  for the SAB module is located on the outboard or left side of the vehicle seat. The seat back cover  40  is formed of a material which is relatively rugged, such that the back cover  40  is able to withstand daily impact and wear (e.g., from a passenger or object located behind the vehicle seat  12 ), but is flexible enough to allow the side panel  44  to flex outward when the SAB module  30  is deployed. According to an exemplary embodiment, the seat back cover  40  is molded from a polymer material with suitable physical properties. The back cover  40  may be molded in a color to match or compliment the color of the vehicle seat cover (e.g., a leather or fabric cover). The back cover  40  may be molded to have a variety of surface finishes or patterns. 
     The SAB module  30  is positioned along an inner surface of the seat back cover  44  of the seat back cover  40 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the SAB module  30  is coupled to the back cover  40  with a bracket  50 . The SAB module  30 , including the inflator  31  and airbag  30 , is connected to the bracket  50  which may be coupled to the side panel  44  of the seat back cover  40 . In one embodiment, the bracket  50  is integrally formed with the back cover  40  (e.g., insert molded). In other embodiments, the bracket  50  may be a separate body that is otherwise coupled to the seat back cover  40  (e.g., welded, fastened with a bolted connection, riveted, etc.). The SAB module  30  is coupled to the bracket  50 , such as with fasteners  52 . The bracket  50  may include openings  51  for receiving the fasteners  38  which attach the SAB module  30  to the seat frame  24 . The openings  51  may be positioned on tabs or flanges extending from the portion of the bracket  50  securing the inflator  31  and the folded airbag  32 . 
     The SAB module  30  is coupled to the seat frame  24  with a mounting device (e.g., fasteners, bracket, etc.). According to one exemplary embodiment, the SAB module  30  is coupled to the back side of the seat back frame  24  with a pair of threaded fasteners  38 . The fasteners  38  pass through openings  51  in the mounting bracket  50  and the seat back cover  40  and engage the seat back frame  24  such that the SAB module  30  and the seat back cover  40  are coupled to the frame  24  with the SAB module  30  concealed under the back cover  40 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the fasteners  38  may not directly engage the seat back cover  40 . Instead, the fasteners  38  pass through access openings  41  in the back cover  40  to engage the bracket  50 , which is separately coupled to the seat back cover  40 , as described above. As shown in  FIG. 6 , trim pieces, such as caps  39 , may be coupled to the access openings  41  in the seat back cover  40  to cover the fasteners  38 . In other embodiments, the fasteners  38  may directly engage the back cover  40 . 
     In a side impact, the inflator inflates the airbag cushion  32 . As the airbag cushion  32  inflates, it is driven away from the vehicle seat  12 , pushing the side panel  44  of the back cover  40  outward. The outward movement of the side panel  44  allows the airbag cushion  32  to emerge from between the side panel  44  of the back cover  40  and a side surface  54  of the seat cushion  25  to be positioned along the side of the occupant  14  of the vehicle seat  12 . The side panel  44  flexes outwardly due to the force of the expanding airbag cushion  32 . The side panel  44  may function to guide the deploying airbag into a proper position outboard the vehicle occupant. Thus, the side panel  44  may function as a deployment chute along side of which the airbag deploys into proper position. 
     Because the airbag cushion  32  emerges from the side of the seat  12 , between the back cover  40  and the cushion  25  instead of through a seam in the cover, the front facing surface of the cushion  25  and the side and rear facing surfaces of the cover  40  do not need to be styled and/or contoured to accommodate the SAB  30 , but may instead be styled generally independent of the SAB module  30  as long as there a cavity for mounting the SAB. The seat back cover  40  may attach to the other portions of the vehicle seat in a conventional manner for vehicle trim such as, for example, snap fit or eye and hook configuration. 
     Additionally, the SAB module  30  and seat back cover  40  can be adapted to be installed on various vehicle seat designs with various frames and with minimal impact on the design of the seat cushion  25 . The SAB module  30  and the seat back cover  40  can be easily installed using only a few fasteners. The SAB module  30  can be mounted at an angle relative to the seat frame  24 , improving packaging and allowing for the overall seat width of the seat  12  to be reduced. 
     The SAB module  30  and seat back cover  40  may provide a reduction in parts and assembly complexity compared to traditional SAB systems including deployment chutes or other mechanisms to facilitate the deployment of the cushion though a seam in the seat cover. The deployment of the SAB cushion  32  through the boundary between the back cover  40  and the cushion  25  may allow for an improved deployment consistency over systems in which the SAB cushion deploys through a seam in the cover. 
     For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components or the two components and any additional member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature. 
     It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the airbag module as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosure herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments.