Patent Publication Number: US-11046279-B2

Title: Adaptive backup structure for airbag support

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a division of and claims the benefits of and priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/703,422, filed on Sep. 13, 2017, of the same title, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety, for all that it teaches and for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure is generally directed to vehicle systems, and more particularly to vehicle airbag systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The inclusion of airbags in passenger vehicles has largely become standard, in many cases due to government safety regulations. Airbags have proven effective at protecting vehicle occupants from more serious injury when the occupied vehicle is involved in a crash. This is due in large part to the ability of airbags to deploy quickly, thus enabling protection of occupants even during crashes that occur at high speeds. When deployed, airbags help to prevent vehicle occupants from excessive movement within the vehicle passenger compartment and associated injuries. 
     Practical considerations dictate that airbag modules be mounted in close proximity to vehicle occupants, so that the airbag can quickly deploy into a space between the vehicle occupant and the vehicle structure when necessary. Front passenger airbags, for example, are commonly mounted within the instrument panel/cross car beam assembly within the passenger compartment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a passenger compartment of a vehicle such as the vehicle shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3A  shows a plan view of a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first configuration; 
         FIG. 3B  shows the passenger compartment of  FIG. 3A  in a second configuration; 
         FIG. 4A  shows a plan view of a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first configuration; 
         FIG. 4B  shows the passenger compartment of  FIG. 4A  in a second configuration; 
         FIG. 5A  shows a plan view of a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first configuration; 
         FIG. 5B  shows the passenger compartment of  FIG. 5A  in a second configuration; 
         FIG. 6A  shows a plan view of a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first configuration; and 
         FIG. 6B  shows the passenger compartment of  FIG. 6A  in a second configuration. 
         FIG. 7A  shows an airbag cushion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7B  shows an airbag cushion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7C  shows an airbag cushion according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8A  shows a passenger compartment of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first configuration; and 
         FIG. 8B  shows the passenger compartment of  FIG. 8A  in a second configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in connection with a vehicle, and more particularly with respect to an automobile. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the present disclosure encompasses the use of the aspects described herein in vehicles other than automobiles. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a vehicle  100  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The vehicle  100  comprises a vehicle front  110 , vehicle aft  120 , vehicle roof  130 , at least one vehicle side  160 , a vehicle undercarriage  140 , and a vehicle interior  150 . The vehicle  100  may include a frame  104 , one or more body panels  108  mounted or affixed thereto, and a windshield  118 . The vehicle  100  may include one or more interior components (e.g., components inside an interior space  150 , or user space, of a vehicle  100 , etc.), exterior components (e.g., components outside of the interior space  150 , or user space, of a vehicle  100 , etc.), drive systems, controls systems, structural components, etc. 
     Coordinate system  102  is provided for added clarity in referencing relative locations in the vehicle  100 . In this detailed description, an object is forward of another object or component if the object is located in the −X direction relative to the other object or component. Conversely, an object is rearward of another object or component if the object is located in the +X direction relative to the other object or component. 
     The vehicle  100  may be, by way of example only, an electric vehicle or a gas-powered vehicle. Where the vehicle  100  is an electric vehicle, the vehicle  100  may comprise one or more electric motors powered by electricity from an on-board battery pack. The electric motors may, for example, be mounted near or adjacent an axis or axle of each wheel  112  of the vehicle, and the battery pack may be mounted on the vehicle undercarriage  140 . In such embodiments, the front compartment of the vehicle, referring to the space located under the vehicle hood  116 , may be a storage or trunk space. Where the vehicle  100  is a gas-powered vehicle, the vehicle  100  may comprise a gas-powered engine and associated components in the front compartment (under the vehicle hood  116 ), which engine may be configured to drive either or both of the front wheels  112  and the rear wheels  112 . In some embodiments where the vehicle  100  is gas-powered, the gas-powered engine and associated components may be located in a rear compartment of the vehicle  100 , leaving the front compartment available for storage or trunk space or for other uses. In some embodiments, the vehicle  100  may be, in addition to a battery-powered electric vehicle and a gas-powered vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a diesel-powered vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. 
     Although shown in the form of a car, it should be appreciated that the vehicle  100  described herein may include any conveyance or model of a conveyance, where the conveyance was designed for the purpose of moving one or more tangible objects, such as people, animals, cargo, and the like. The term “vehicle” does not require that a conveyance moves or is capable of movement. Typical vehicles may include but are in no way limited to cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, automobiles, trains, railed conveyances, boats, ships, marine conveyances, submarine conveyances, airplanes, space craft, flying machines, human-powered conveyances, and the like. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a vehicle passenger cabin  200  of a vehicle  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a passenger seat  204 , and a dashboard or instrument panel or dash panel (all of which terms may be used interchangeably herein)  208  situated forward of the passenger seat  204 . A display  212  may be secured to the dashboard  208 , which display may be configured for optimal viewing by an occupant of the passenger seat  204  (as shown in  FIG. 2A ). For example, the display  212  may be positioned flush with or parallel to the dashboard  208 , with the display surface pointed directly toward the passenger seat  204 . In some embodiments, the display  212  may be angled toward the driver seat  220  as shown in  FIG. 2B , whether for optimal viewing by an occupant of the driver seat  220  or for shared viewing by occupants of the driver seat  220  and the passenger seat  204 . Also in some embodiments, the display  212  may be angled away from the driver seat  220  (e.g., to avoid distracting a driver), and/or angled upward or downward to provide a better viewing angle for a passenger in the passenger seat  204 . 
     The display  212  may be or comprise an LED screen, an OLED screen, an AMOLED screen, a Super AMOLED screen, a TFT screen, an IPS screen, a TFT-LCD screen, or any other known variety of screen. The display  212  may be or comprise a touchscreen, and may be used to present virtual buttons or other controls for operation of one or more aspects of the vehicle  100  or a system or component thereof. 
     The use of driver airbag systems and passenger airbag systems to deploy airbags into the space surrounding an occupant of the driver seat  220  and an occupant of the passenger seat  204 , respectively, is known in the art. In typical vehicles, a passenger airbag system is positioned in or near the dashboard  208  immediately in front of the passenger seat  204 . In a vehicle  100  having a passenger compartment  200  in which a display  212  is positioned on the dashboard  208  in front of the passenger seat  204 , however, the display  212  prevents the placement of a passenger airbag system in or near the dashboard  208  and configured to deploy an airbag cushion through the dashboard  208  immediately in front of the passenger seat  204 . According to embodiments of the present disclosure, therefore, one or more passenger airbag systems may be positioned to deploy an airbag cushion, for example, through the dashboard at one or more of a position  216   a  above the display  212 , a position  216   b  to the side of the display  212 , and a position  216   c  underneath the display  212 . A passenger airbag system may additionally or alternatively be positioned to deploy an airbag cushion, for example, through the center console at a position  216   d , or from the roof or headliner of the vehicle  100  at a position  216   e.    
     An airbag system according to embodiments of the present disclosure—whether used for driver or for passenger protection or otherwise—may comprise, for example, a folded or otherwise stored airbag cushion, an inflator for inflating the airbag cushion, a crash detection system for detecting collisions and triggering the inflator, and a diagnostic monitoring unit for periodically determining whether the airbag system remains operational. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a plan view of a passenger compartment  200  such as may be included in a vehicle  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The passenger compartment  200  comprises a passenger seat  204  and a driver seat  220 . As in  FIG. 2 , a dashboard  208  is positioned forward of the seats  204  and  220  within the passenger compartment  200 , and a display screen  212  is positioned on the dashboard in front of the passenger seat  204 . The display screen  212  may be in a first position facing an occupant of the passenger seat  204 , as shown in  FIG. 3A , or the display  212  may be in a second position angled toward the driver seat  220 , as shown in  FIG. 3B . In some embodiments, the display  212  is readily moveable between the first position and the second position. Also in some embodiments, the display  212  may be adjustable to the first position, the second position, and one or more positions in between the first position and the second position. A proximate side of the display  212  (which proximate side is nearer the driver seat  220 ) may be mounted to the dashboard  208  with a hinge or other mechanism that provides a pivot point about which the display  212  can be rotated from the first position to the second position and vice versa, while a distal side of the display  212  (which distal side is farther from the driver seat  220  than the proximate side) may be supported by an arm, track, or mount  308 . 
     In some embodiments, a distal side of the display  212  (which distal side is farther from the driver seat  220  than the proximal side) may be mounted to the dashboard  208  with a hinge or other mechanism that provides a pivot point about which the display  212  can be rotated from a first position facing an occupant of the passenger seat  204 , and an angled position. In still other embodiments, the display  212  may additionally or alternatively be rotatably mounted (using a hinge, pivot, or other mechanism) to the dashboard  208  so as to be angled upward and/or downward from a first position flush with the dashboard  208 . Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand, based on the present disclosure, how to adapt the principles of the present disclosure to a display  212  that can be adjusted in ways other than between a first position facing the passenger seat  204  and a second position angled toward the driver seat  220 . More specifically, the same concepts disclosed herein for use with a display  212  that is adjustable between the first position and the second position apply to displays  212  that are adjustable between or among the first position and other positions. 
     Also identified in  FIGS. 3A-3B  are a number of positions  304  from which an airbag cushion of a passenger airbag system may deploy according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such positions include a position  304   a  on the dashboard  208  above and behind the display  212 , a position  304   b  on the dashboard  208  to the side of the display  212 , a position  304   c  on a door or sidewall of the vehicle  100 , a position  304   d  in a center portion of the dashboard  208 , and a position  304   e  on a center console of the dashboard  208 . 
     In order for an airbag in a vehicle  100  to be effective upon deployment, the airbag cushion must deploy into the space between an occupant of the vehicle  100  and a backup or support surface, so that forces exerted on the airbag cushion by an occupant during the collision are opposed by forces exerted on the airbag cushion by the backup or support surface. Airbags are therefore typically designed, for example, to fill the space between an occupant of a vehicle  100  on the one hand and the dashboard  208  and/or front windshield of the vehicle  100 . However, standard passenger airbags make no allowances for a large display screen  212  positioned on the dashboard  208  in front of the passenger seat  204 , which in a vehicle  100  according to embodiments of the present disclosure may serve as a backup or support surface for a passenger airbag. Standard passenger airbags further make no allowances for a reconfigurable backup or support surface, such that the use of a standard airbag in connection with a moveable display screen  212  could compromise the effectiveness of the airbag and thus passenger safety. 
     Still further, an angled display  212  positioned immediately in front of an occupant of the passenger seat  204  could also compromise airbag effectiveness. First, the angled display  212  protrudes into the space between the dashboard  208  and the passenger seat  204 , which space passenger airbags are designed to fill. Second, the angling of the display  212  may cause an uneven force distribution across the display by an airbag cushion during a collision, with the greatest forces being exerted on the side or edge of the display  212  that protrudes away from the dashboard  208 . This uneven force distribution, matched by opposing forces from the edge of the display  212 , could cause an airbag cushion to tear or otherwise lose energy-absorbing integrity so as to allow an occupant impact strike-through to a stiff underlying surface. Third, the force of an airbag cushion pressing unevenly against an angled display  212  could cause the display  212  to break, leaving sharp surfaces facing the airbag and/or the occupant of the passenger seat  204 , which sharp surfaces could both tear the airbag (or otherwise cause the airbag to lose energy-absorbing integrity) and injure the occupant. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, these problems may be addressed by configuring the display  212  and the mount or arm  308  (or other support structure for the display  212 ) to enable the display  212  to move from an angled second position into the first position (flush/parallel with the dashboard  208 , and/or facing directly toward the passenger seat  204 ) in the event of a collision or other accident. Additionally, one or more passenger airbag systems may be designed to deploy an airbag cushion in such a way that the cushion pushes the angled display  212  into the first position as the airbag cushion deploys. 
     For example, and with reference now to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , in some embodiments the passenger airbag system may be configured to deploy an airbag cushion  400  through the dashboard at a position  404 , which corresponds to the position  304   d  of  FIGS. 3A-3B . Upon crash detection, the airbag cushion  400  deploys first toward the rear of the vehicle  100 , and then across the vehicle  100  from the middle of the passenger compartment  200  toward a sidewall of the passenger compartment  200  near the passenger seat  204 , so as to fill the space between the display  212  and the passenger seat  204 . As the airbag cushion  400  deploys across the vehicle  100 , it impacts the display  212  and pushes the display  212  from the second position to the first position, thus beneficially placing the display  212  in a preferred position to act as a backup or support surface for the airbag cushion  400 . 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the arm, track, or mount  408  that supports the display  212  in the angled second position comprises a pyro latch  412 . The pyro latch  412  may be a pyrotechnic, electrical solenoid, or other device for the remote activation of a display position release mechanism. Upon detection of a crash (whether by a crash detection system or sensor included with the pyro latch  412  or with the arm  408 , or by a crash detection system included as part of the airbag system or another system of the vehicle  100 ), the pyro latch  412  triggers, thus breaking the arm  408  or otherwise releasing the display  212  from the arm  408 , and allowing the display  212  to rotate back towards the dashboard  208 . With the display  212  free to rotate back into the first position, the deployment of the airbag cushion  400  from the middle of the passenger compartment  200  toward the passenger side of the passenger compartment  200  (as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) provides the necessary force to push the display  212  from the second position into the first position. By allowing the display  212  to be pushed into the first position from the second position (or from another angled position) in the event of a crash, the airbag cushion  400  can be designed to utilize the display  212  in the first position (as well as parts of the dashboard  208  and/or the front windscreen of the vehicle  100 , where necessary), as a support or backup surface, and the problems associated with using an angled display  212  as a support or backup surface can be avoided. 
     Various methods and/or mechanisms for ensuring proper deployment of the airbag cushion  400  may be utilized. In some embodiments, for example, the airbag cushion  400  may be folded in such a way that inflation thereof causes the airbag cushion  400  to unfold and inflate first in the rearward direction, and then towards the passenger side of the passenger compartment  200 . In other embodiments, the airbag cushion  400  may be divided into internal compartments, with vents between compartments arranged so that air or other gas being used to inflate the airbag  400  can only inflate one compartment (e.g., a compartment that, when inflated, extends across the space between the dashboard  208  and the passenger seat  204 ) after another compartment (e.g., a compartment that extends rearwardly from the position  404  toward the passenger seat  204 ) is fully inflated, or nearly so. 
     In still other embodiments, the airbag cushion  400  may comprise a first portion and a second portion, the latter of which may be held in a closed position or configuration by a breakaway band. Once the first portion of the airbag cushion  400  is inflated, the inflating cushion  400  may exert sufficient pressure on the breakaway band to burst the breakaway band and allow the second portion of the airbag cushion  400  to inflate. According to yet another embodiment, a tethered strap may be used to hold a second portion of the airbag cushion  400  in a closed position or configuration, and a timer, sensor, or other device may be used to fire a squib that breaks the tether and releases the strap. In such embodiments, the timer, sensor, or other device may be configured to fire the squib only after the first portion of the airbag cushion  400  has inflated. 
     As another example of how controlled deployment of an airbag cushion  400  could be effected, a vent between two compartments of the airbag cushion  400  may be closed by a flap, which in turn is connected to a tether that passes through the interior of the airbag cushion  400  and is secured either to a sidewall of the airbag cushion  400  or to another element of the airbag system at a connection point. As the airbag cushion  400  inflates and the distance between the flap and the connection point increases until it is greater than the length of the tether, the tether may pull the flap away from the vent, thus allowing the second compartment of the airbag to inflate. 
     Still another example of how to achieve controlled deployment of an airbag cushion  400  involves the use of a check valve between two compartments of the airbag cushion  400 . The check valve may be designed with a cracking pressure (e.g., a minimum pressure at which the check valve allows flow from the first compartment to the second compartment) equal to a pressure in the first compartment that can be achieved only when the first compartment is fully inflated. 
     The foregoing description of means for controlling the deployment of an airbag cushion  400  are provided by way of example only. Other methods, mechanisms, or means of controlled airbag deployment, or any combination thereof, may also be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  depict a passenger compartment  200  similar to that of  FIGS. 4A and 4B . In  FIGS. 5A and 5B , however, an airbag cushion  500  deploys from the position  504  in a center console of the passenger compartment  200 . The airbag cushion  500  may be configured to deploy first towards the dashboard  208 , and then across the front of the passenger seat  204  into the space between the passenger seat  204  and the dashboard  208 . As the airbag cushion  500  deploys in this direction, the airbag cushion  500  pushes the display  212  from an angled position (shown in  FIG. 5A ) to a non-angled position (shown in  FIG. 5B ). 
     Rather than comprise a pyro latch  412  like the arm  408 , an arm or mount  508  used to support the display  212  in the second or angled position may comprise a point or line of weakness that is designed to fail when the airbag cushion  500  inflates and pushes on the display  212 . Alternatively, the arm  508  may be directly or indirectly connected to the airbag cushion  500  or another component of the airbag system that includes the airbag cushion  500 , in such a way that inflation of the airbag cushion  500  (or another mechanism triggered by the detection of a crash by the airbag system that comprises the airbag cushion  500 ) pulls, pushes, or otherwise displaces, or breaks, the arm  508 , thus allowing the display  212  to be pushed back into the first position by the inflating airbag cushion  500 . For example, a Bowden cable may be connected between a portion of the inflating airbag cushion  500  and the arm  508 , and used to transmit a force from the inflating airbag cushion  500  to the arm  508  that displaces or breaks the arm  508  and allows the display  212  to be pushed into the first position by the airbag cushion  500 . In other embodiments, a cable, tether, or strap other than a Bowden cable may be connected between a portion of the inflating airbag cushion  500  (or another component of an airbag system) and the arm  508 , and used to transmit a force to the arm  508  that displaces or breaks the arm  508  and allows the display  212  to be pushed into the first position by the airbag cushion  500 . 
     In some embodiments, the display  212  may not be moveable between a first and second position during normal usage, but may instead be fixed (during normal usage) in an angled position corresponding to the second position described above. However, upon detection of a crash by a crash detection system or sensor in the vehicle  100 , an arm or mount such as the arm  508  or another support for the display  212  may comprise an active or passive mechanism that disables or displaces the arm or mount, thus allowing the display  212  to be pushed into a position corresponding to the first position described above (e.g., by an inflating airbag cushion). In other words, the display  212  may be designed to remain in an angled position unless and until the vehicle  100  in which the display  212  is installed is in an accident. If and when that happens, an active or passive mechanism may be used to break, remove, weaken, displace, or otherwise compromise one or more portions of the structure that holds the display  212  in the angled position, so that the display  212  can be pushed into the first position by deployment of an airbag cushion. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 6A-6B , an airbag cushion  600  may be deployed from a position  604  that corresponds to the position  304   c  on a door or sidewall of a vehicle  100 . In such embodiments, the airbag cushion may be designed to deploy first across the passenger compartment  200 , in front of the passenger seat  204  and towards the midline of the passenger compartment  200 . A portion of the airbag cushion  600  may then inflate parallel to the midline of the passenger compartment  200  and toward the dashboard  208 , so that the airbag cushion  600  forms a reverse “L” shape (as shown in  FIG. 6A ). The airbag cushion  600  may then inflate both toward the dashboard  208  and back across the passenger compartment  200  from near the midline of the passenger compartment  200  to near the door or sidewall of the passenger compartment  200  at which the position  604  is located, pushing the display  212  back into the first position as the airbag cushion  600  inflates (as shown in  FIG. 6B ). As in the embodiments of  FIGS. 4A-4B and 5A-5B , an arm or mount  608  that secures the display  212  in an angled position comprises a mechanism that disables the arm or mount  608  when a crash is detected by a crash detection system of the vehicle  100 , so that the display  212  can be pushed back into a position flush with the dashboard  208  by the airbag cushion  600 . 
     Controlled inflation of the airbag in the manner described above may be achieved using any one or more of the methods and/or mechanisms described above, including through folding the airbag cushion  600  so that it necessarily inflates in the desired manner, providing ducts or passageways within the airbag cushion  600  that must be inflated in order for other ducts, passageways, or compartments to be inflated; including vents between compartments that are selectively opened or closed by flaps that control the order in which compartments of the airbag cushion  600  inflate, and including check valves between compartments of the airbag cushion  600  that, again, control the order in which the compartments of the airbag cushion  600  inflate. 
       FIGS. 7A-7C  depict several airbag cushions configured for controlled deployment. In  FIG. 7A , an airbag cushion  704  comprises a wall  708  that separates a duct  712  from a main compartment  716 . The airbag cushion  704  may be tightly folded for storage. Upon detection of a crash, an inflator emits gas into the duct  712 , which duct  712  must necessarily inflate, at least partially, before the gas can reach and inflate the main compartment  716 . As a result, the airbag cushion  704  will first inflate along the path of the duct  712 , before the main compartment  716  inflates. An airbag  704  may be used, for example, in an embodiment such as that depicted in  FIGS. 6A-6B , as well as in other embodiments. 
     In  FIG. 7B , an airbag cushion  720  comprises a wall  724  that divides a primary compartment  732  from a secondary compartment  736 . A check valve  728  allows gas to pass from the primary compartment  732  to the secondary compartment  736  once the pressure in the primary compartment  732  reaches a threshold level. Upon detection of a crash, gas is exhausted into the primary compartment  732 , which inflates first. Once the pressure in the primary compartment  732  reaches the threshold level, the check valve  728  opens and allows the secondary compartment  736  to inflate. The airbag cushion  720  may be used, for example, in an embodiment such as that depicted in  FIGS. 4A-4B , as well as in other embodiments. 
     In  FIG. 7C , an airbag cushion  740  comprises a primary compartment  756  and a secondary compartment  760  separated by a wall  744 . The wall  744  includes a vent  746  that, during storage and initial inflation of the primary compartment  756 , is closed by a flap  748 . The flap  748  may be secured in the closed position using, for example, Velcro or a relatively weak adhesive. The flap  748  may also be biased toward the closed position with a spring or other biasing means. A tether  752  having a length X runs between the flap  748  and the airbag cushion  740 . The tether is connected to a point on the airbag cushion  740  that is separated from the closed flap  748  by a distance less than X until the primary compartment  756  is nearly or completely inflated, when the distance between the closed flap  748  and the point of attachment of the tether  752  and the airbag cushion  740  increases to a distance greater than X. When this happens, the tether  752 , which is made of a material with little if any elasticity, pulls the flap  748  into the open position, thus allowing gas to flow from the primary compartment  756  into the secondary compartment  760 . The airbag cushion  740  may be used, for example, in an embodiment such as that depicted in  FIGS. 5A-5B , as well as in other embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, the flap  748  may not be hinged as shown in  FIG. 7C , but may instead be integral with the wall  744  and surrounded by a line of weakness, so that when the tether  752  exerts a force on the flap  744 , the flap  744  tears away from the wall  744 , leaving an open vent  746  through which gas can pass into and inflate the secondary compartment  760 . In other embodiments, an integral flap surrounded by a line of weakness may not require a tether, but may simply be designed to separate from the wall  744  once the pressure within the primary compartment  756  reaches a certain threshold level. 
     Although the foregoing description has focused largely on two-dimensional controlled deployment of an airbag cushion (e.g., where airbag cushion inflation occurs in two or more stages in a single plane), the same principles, methods, and mechanisms described above may also be used to control deployment of an airbag cushion in three dimensions. For example, an airbag cushion  800  deploying from a position  216   a  on a dashboard  208  located above and behind an angled display  212  may be configured to deploy upward (e.g., parallel to a front windshield) and toward a passenger seat  204  (thus passing over the top of the display  212 ) before expanding downward on a side proximate the driver seat  220  (as shown in  FIG. 8A ) and then across the passenger seat  204  and forward toward the display  212  into a fully expanded state, as shown in  FIG. 8B . This sequential expansion pushes the display  212  from the second position (as shown in  FIG. 8A ) into a first position flush with the dashboard  208  (which is the position of the display  212  in  FIG. 8B , although the display  212  is not visible due to the airbag cushion  800 ). In other words, the forward expansion could occur in stages, so that a portion of the airbag cushion nearest a driver seat  220  inflates first, followed by another portion adjacent the first portion but farther from the driver seat  220 , and so on until the entire airbag cushion has inflated. In this manner, the airbag cushion incrementally pushes the display  212  back into the first position. 
     A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosure without providing others. 
     The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the systems and methods disclosed herein after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments, configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease, and/or reducing cost of implementation. 
     The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Embodiments include a vehicle, comprising: a driver seat; a passenger seat; a display mounted on a dashboard positioned in front of the passenger seat, the display movable between a first position flush with the dashboard and a second position angled toward the driver seat; and an airbag system comprising an airbag cushion configured to deploy into a space between the passenger seat and the display, the airbag cushion further configured to inflate in a controlled manner that pushes the display from the second position to the first position. 
     Aspects of the above vehicle include: at least a portion of the airbag cushion is configured to inflate from a side proximate the driver seat to a side distal the driver seat; inflation of the portion of the airbag cushion gradually causes the display to move from the second position to the first position; the airbag cushion is configured to inflate in at least two stages; the airbag cushion comprises an interior duct; the airbag cushion comprises an interior check valve; the airbag cushion comprises an interior vent; the airbag cushion further comprises a flap having a first configuration that covers the interior vent and a second configuration that does not cover the interior vent; a side of the display proximate the driver seat is hingedly mounted to the dashboard, and a side of the display distal the driver seat is held in the second position by an arm; and the vehicle further comprises a pyro latch configured to disable the arm when a crash is detected. 
     Embodiments also include a vehicle, comprising: a display mounted on a dashboard forward of a passenger seat, the display angled toward a driver seat adjacent the passenger seat and having a first side proximate the driver seat and a second side distal the driver seat, the first side rotatably mounted to the dashboard and the second side held in position by a mount; a crash detection system; and a mechanism for breaking or displacing the mount upon detection of a crash by the crash detection system. 
     Aspects of the above vehicle further include: the mechanism for breaking or displacing the mount comprises a pyro latch; the mount comprises a line of weakness; the mechanism for breaking or displacing the mount comprises a Bowden cable; the mechanism for breaking or displacing the mount comprises a tether or strap; and the first side is mounted to the dashboard with a hinge. 
     Embodiments further include a vehicle airbag system, comprising: an inflator; a crash detection system that triggers the inflator upon detection of a vehicle crash; and an airbag cushion connected to the inflator, the airbag cushion configured to deploy into a space between a vehicle passenger seat and a display mounted on a vehicle dashboard when the crash detection system detects a vehicle crash, the airbag cushion further configured to exert, during inflation of the airbag cushion, a force on the display that causes the display to rotate from a second position to a first position, the second position angled relative to the dashboard and the first position parallel with the dashboard. 
     Aspects of the above vehicle airbag system include: the airbag cushion is configured to deploy from the vehicle dashboard; the airbag cushion is configured to deploy from a location between the vehicle passenger seat and a vehicle driver seat; and the airbag cushion is configured to deploy from a vehicle sidewall or a vehicle door. 
     Any one or more of the aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein optionally in combination with any one or more other aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein. 
     One or means adapted to perform any one or more of the above aspects/embodiments as substantially disclosed herein. 
     The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” “or,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “A, B, and/or C,” and “A, B, or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. 
     The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably. 
     Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Further, the present disclosure may use examples to illustrate one or more aspects thereof. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the use or listing of one or more examples (which may be denoted by “for example,” “by way of example,” “e.g.,” “such as,” or similar language) is not intended to and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.