Source: https://insight.rpxcorp.com/pat/US20070210565A1
Timestamp: 2020-01-27 21:22:06
Document Index: 594333374

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 67', 'art 66', 'art 67', 'art 66', 'art 67', 'art 66', 'art 67', 'art 66']

Patent US 20070210565A1
a first airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing thru the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with the head and torso of an adult occupant sitting in the passenger compartment; and
a second airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with an occupant seated in the passenger compartment, the second airbag cushion having an upper portion for contacting the torso of the occupant and a lower portion after deployment that at least partially fills a space between the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities and the lower portion of the instrument panel.
A passenger airbag system is designed for an automotive vehicle with a passenger compartment, a windshield and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield. The instrument panel has a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower surface generally directed toward the legs of an occupant and a mid-portion with a surface that extends between the top and lower portions. The system includes a first airbag and a second airbag both disposed in the instrument panel. Each airbag has a cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with an occupant seated in the passenger compartment. The second airbag has a lower portion when deployed that fills a space between the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities and the lower portion of the instrument panel and thus acts as a knee airbag.
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8. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second airbag cushion further comprises a membrane separating the upper portion from the lower portion.
9. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first airbag cushion when deployed has a lower surface and the second airbag cushion when deployed has an upper surface, the lower surface of the first airbag cushion and the upper surface of the second airbag cushion being generally adjacent to one another when deployed and defining a line of interface, the line of interface being in the range of plus 30 degrees to minus 30 degrees with respect to horizontal.
10. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the line of interface is in the range of plus 20 degrees to minus 20 degrees with respect to horizontal.
11. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the line of interface is in the range of plus 10 degrees to minus 10 degrees with respect to horizontal.
12. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume substantially larger than a volume of the upper portion of the second airbag.
13. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume at least 25 percent greater than the volume of the upper portion of the second airbag after deployment.
14. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume at least 50 percent greater than the volume of the upper portion of the second airbag after deployment.
15. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume between 60 and 120 liters.
16. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the upper portion of the second airbag after deployment has a volume between 30 and 70 liters and the lower portion of the second airbag after deployment has a volume between 10 and 30 liters.
17. A passenger airbag system for an automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield, and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield, the instrument panel having a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower portion with a surface that is generally directed toward the legs of an occupant in the passenger compartment and a mid portion with a surface that extends between the top portion and the lower portion, the passenger airbag system comprising:
a second airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel, the second airbag being deployable along a predetermined path for direct contact with the adult occupant seated in the passenger compartment; and
the second airbag further having an upper part that is located above the occupant'"'"'s upper legs and below the lower surface of the first airbag, and an lower part that is located between the occupant'"'"'s knees or lower legs and the lower portion of the instrument panel.
18. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume substantially larger than a volume of the upper part of the second airbag.
19. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume at least 25 percent greater than the volume of the upper part of the second airbag after deployment.
20. A passenger airbag system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the first airbag after deployment has a volume at least 50 percent greater than the volume of the upper part of the second airbag after deployment.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a passenger airbag system for an automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment, a windshield, and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and windshield. The instrument panel has a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower portion with a surface that is generally directed toward the legs of an occupant in the passenger compartment and a mid portion with a surface that extends between the top portion and the lower portion. The passenger airbag system includes a first airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing thru the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with the head and torso of an adult occupant sitting in the passenger compartment. The system also includes a second airbag having a housing disposed in the instrument panel and an airbag cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with an occupant seated in the passenger compartment. The second airbag cushion has an upper portion for contacting the torso of the occupant and a lower portion after deployment that at least partially fills a space between the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities and the lower portion of the instrument panel. Further embodiments and alternatives are discussed herein below.
FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention before the airbag cushion is deployed. The passenger airbag system 14 includes a gas generating inflator 12, an airbag cushion 11, and a housing 13 that contains the inflator 12 and the airbag cushion 11. In the present invention, the housing 13 extends from a top portion 16 of the instrument panel 15 to a mid or front portion 17 of the instrument panel as a single unit. The airbag cushion 11 is covered by an instrument panel skin 18. The length of the housing 13 of the present invention measured in the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal direction is substantially larger than the conventional airbag housing. It is large enough to cover a substantial amount of both the top and the mid portions of the instrument panel. The length should be larger than the conventional airbag housings. The length can be at least twice as large as that of conventional airbag housings in order to cover the location of a conventional top-mounted airbag and the location of a conventional mid-mounded airbag. For example, in some embodiments, the length L is at least 6 inches, while in further embodiments the length is at least 10 inches. It should be noted that the length L is measured generally in the longitudinal direction along the surface 18 of the instrument panel and therefore may be along the curved or an angled surface. The maximum length L is limited by functional considerations and by the size and shape of the instrument panel. A practical upper limit is 30 inches. One preferred length is in the range of 12-20 inches.
As used herein and shown in FIG. 13, the top of the instrument panel may mean the portion of the instrument panel with a surface that is generally more horizontal than vertical and generally faces the windshield. Alternatively, the top portion may be the portion of the instrument panel that is adjacent the windshield, even if the surface is not more horizontal than vertical. The instrument panel 83 may also be said to have a lower portion 87 which has a surface that is generally directly downwardly and toward the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities. The instrument panel 83 further has a mid portion 88 which, for definitional purposes, is the portion that extends between the top portion 86 and the lower portion 87. The mid portion may also be defined as the portion of the instrument panel adjacent to and/or extending away from the top portion. This mid portion includes the portion that is more vertical than horizontal and directed toward the occupants as well as the portion that is traditionally referred to as a ¾ (three quarter) portion or area. The ¾ (three quarter) portion or area has a surface which may be more vertical than horizontal, may be more horizontal than vertical, or in between. The surface angle depends on the design and style of the instrument panel being used. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the airbag housing 13 has a pair of opposed edges 20 and 22 that are spaced apart by the length L. In this embodiment, the inflator 12 is positioned approximately midway between the opposed ends 20 and 22 in a recessed area 19. The recessed area 19 has a pair of opposed edges 21a and 21b, as best shown in FIG. 4. The airbag cushion 11 has a pair of edges 27 and 28 that join the airbag housing 13. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, these edges are interconnected with the housing adjacent the edges 21a and 21b of the recessed area 19. These edges 27 and 28 define an opening through which gas flows from the inflator 12 into the cushion 11. These edges 27 and 28 are positioned substantially inboard from the edges 20 and 22 of the airbag housing 13. A preferred inflation pattern for the airbag cushion 11 is shown in the dashed lines in FIG. 3. As shown, as the cushion initially inflates, it unfolds and expands radially from the airbag housing 13, as shown by the innermost dashed line. As the cushion 11 continues to inflate, as shown by the second dashed line and the solid line, the portion of the airbag laying in the airbag housing adjacent the edges 20 and 22 of the housing 13, moves generally radially away from the airbag housing until it takes the shape shown in the solid line of FIG. 3.
Preferably, the two airbag cushions 54 and 55 have separate inflators, though a single inflator may be used to provide gas to both airbag cushions through some type of channel or opening. The top-mounted housing 61 may use a driver airbag inflator 52a with a proper adjustment of mechanical properties such as pressure and fill-time and the mid-mounted housing 62 may use a side curtain airbag inflator 53a with a proper adjustment. As shown in FIG. 7, the two airbag cushions 54 and 55 may come close to or contact each other at the end of the deployment stage generally along a line indicated at F. This line of contact F is preferably generally horizontal, though may be angled with respect to horizontal by up to plus or minus 30 degrees. It is more preferred that the line be angled by between plus and minus 20 degrees and more preferred that it be angled plus or minus 10 degrees. It is also preferred that the line of contact F be at an angle less than the windshield angle such that it is not parallel to the windshield. In some versions, it may be an angle no greater than the windshield angle minus 5 degrees. For example, if a vehicle had a windshield with a 32 degree angle, it is preferred that the line of contract be angled no more than 27 degrees towards the windshield, though it could be angled downwardly away from the windshield within the limits stated above. For definitional purposes, the upper airbag cushion 54 may be said to have a lower surface 56, while the lower airbag cushion 55 may be said to have an upper surface 57. These surfaces may be generally adjacent and/or parallel to one another, and each may be generally adjacent and/or parallel to the line F. Preferably, both surfaces are generally horizontal, but may be angled in the range or plus or minus 30 degrees, more preferably plus or minus 20 degrees or most preferably plus or minus 10 degrees. The horizontal is generally considered to be the optimal angle as it best suits both for protecting in-position occupants and for reducing the risk of injuries caused by airbag inflation to the out-of-position occupant and the infant sitting in a rear facing child seat. Further aspects of this version of the present invention will be clear to those of skill in the art based on review of Applicants'"'"' U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,201, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. Any of the teachings of Applicants'"'"' Patent may be combined with the teachings of the present disclosure.
The low-mounted airbag housing 62 is mounted on the instrument panel below the level of the adult occupant'"'"'s knees, preferably in the glove box area as a single unit or in a space below the glove box. For definitional purposes, the low-mounted airbag may be said to be disposed in a lower portion of the instrument panel below the mid-portion. The lower portion has a surface that is generally directed toward the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities such as knees, lower legs, and feet. A side curtain airbag inflator 72 may be used with a proper adjustment if it has an enough capacity to fill the volume of the low-mounted airbag cushion. The cushion 59 first deploys into the space between the occupant'"'"'s lower legs 63 and the lower portion of the instrument panel 77, and forms a cushion volume 67. The cushion 59 further travels and gets positioned into the open space created by four boundaries, namely the lower torso 75, the lower cushion surface of the top-mounted airbag 60, the mid or front portion of the instrument panel 78, and the upper legs 76, and forms a cushion volume 66 with an upper surface 80.
The lower part 67 of the cushion 59 serves to protect the occupant'"'"'s knees 64, lower legs 63, and upper legs (femurs) 76. The upper part 66 serves to protect the occupant'"'"'s lower torso 75 and supports the top-mounted airbag cushion 58 from falling and/or skewing during the deployment and cushioning. The airbag cushion 59 can be made of two chambers, as an alternative, in which the air flow is restricted by a membrane 79 through which the generated gas flows from the lower part 67 to upper part 66. This two chamber construction can help increase the pressure built up in the lower part 67 during the cushioning and help absorb more energy.
The top-mounted airbag preferably serves as a main airbag. It protects the occupant'"'"'s head and upper torso which are the major human body parts whose injuries can lead to fatality. The occupant'"'"'s lower extremities body such as the lower torso and legs are protected by knee bolster as well as the lower-mounted airbag. The knee bolster is an energy absorbing structure that is installed in the lower portion of the instrument panel and contacts primarily with the knees during a frontal crash event. The volume of the top-mounted airbag can range from 60 to 120 liters. The volume of the upper part 66 of the low-mounted airbag that is sitting above the occupant'"'"'s upper legs can range from 30 to 70 liters. The volume of the lower part 67 of the low-mounted airbag that protects the knees and lower legs can range from 10 to 30 liters. It is preferred that the top-mounted airbag is larger than the upper part 66 of the low-mounted airbag. In some embodiments it can be at least 25% larger, or in other embodiments it can be at least 50% larger.
The instrument panel 83 may be said to have a top portion 86 with a surface that is more horizontal than vertical and generally directed toward the windshield. Alternatively, the top portion may be the portion of the instrument panel that is adjacent the windshield, even if the surface is not more horizontal than vertical. The instrument panel 83 may also be said to have a lower portion 87 which has a surface that is generally directly downwardly and toward the occupant'"'"'s lower extremities. The instrument panel 83 further has a mid portion 88 which, for definitional purposes, is the portion that extends between the top portion 86 and the lower portion 87. The mid portion may also be defined as the portion of the instrument panel adjacent to and/or extending away from the top portion. This mid portion includes the portion that is more vertical than horizontal and directed toward the occupants as well as the portion that is traditionally referred to as a ¾ (three quarter) portion or area. The airbag housing 85 is ¾ (three quarter) mounted, which is considered to be mid mounted for purposes of this invention. The ¾ (three quarter) portion or area has a surface which may be more vertical than horizontal, may be more horizontal than vertical, or in between. The surface angle depends on the design and style of the instrument panel being used. The ¾ (three quarter) location may be preferred when there are other parts such as a glove box, a tie-bar, and/or an air duct that can interfere with the more vertical section of the mid portion of the instrument panel 83.
FIG. 11 shows a further alternative embodiment of an airbag system 110 according to the present invention. This embodiment has basically the same features and benefits as the one shown in FIG. 8. The difference is that the second airbag shown in FIG. 8 is now mounted at or near the mid portion of the instrument panel. The mid mounted airbag 111 has a housing 112 mounted in the mid portion of the instrument panel and deploys an airbag cushion 113 for direct contact with the torso of the occupant. However, the airbag cushion 113 has an additional lower portion 114 which deploys into the empty space between the front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs 115 and the lower portion 116 of the instrument panel 117. As such, the airbag cushion 113 deploys into two empty spaces, one located in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower torso 118 and the other in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs 115. The airbag cushion 113 preferrably includes a tether or membrane 120 that partially restricts gas flow from the lower portion 114 of the cushion 113 into the upper portion of the cushion 121. As shown, it is preferred that the inflator 122 be in fluid communication with portion of the airbag cushion 113 on the side of the membrane 120 closest to the lower portion 114. This can help the lower portion 114 of the cushion 113 deploy faster than the upper portion 121 of the cushion so that the lower portion can quickly deploy into the area in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs before the gap between the lower legs and the lower part of the instrument panel surface closes during a collision. The relative sizes and absolute sizes of the top and mid mounted airbag cushions are preferably in accordance with the values provided for the designs of FIGS. 7 and 8. The functional relationship between the top and mid mounted airbag cushions in FIG. 11 are also preferably in accordance with the relationships described for the airbags of FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, the upper airbag cushion 124 has a lower surface that comes close to or contacts an upper surface of the lower airbag cushion 113 along a line of contact J. The angular limitations described for the line of contact and the upper and lower surfaces of the airbag cushions in FIGS. 7 and 8 preferably also apply to the airbags of FIG. 11.
FIG. 12 shows another alternative embodiment of an airbag system 130 according to the present invention. This embodiment has basically the same features and benefits as the ones shown in FIGS. 8 and 11. The difference is that the second airbag is mounted between the positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 11. The second airbag 131 has a housing 132 mounted in the mid a portion of the instrument panel having similar height of the occupant'"'"'s knees and deploys an airbag cushion 133 for direct contact with the torso, knees, and legs of the occupant. The airbag cushion 133 has a lower portion 134 which deploys into the empty space between the front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs 135 and the lower portion 136 of the instrument panel 137. As such, the airbag cushion 133 deploys into two empty spaces, one located in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower torso 138 and the other in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs 135. The airbag cushion 133 preferably includes a tether or membrane 140 that partially restricts gas flow from the lower portion 134 of the cushion 133 into the upper portion of the cushion 141. As shown, it is preferred that the inflator 142 be in fluid communication with portion of the airbag cushion 133 on the side of the membrane 140 closest to the lower portion 134. This can help the lower portion 134 of the cushion 133 deploy faster than the upper portion 141 of the cushion so that the lower portion can quickly deploy into the area in front of the occupant'"'"'s lower legs before the gap between the lower legs and the lower part of the instrument panel surface closes during a collision. The relative sizes and absolute sizes of the top and mid mounted airbag cushions are preferably in accordance with the values provided for the designs of FIGS. 7, 8 and 11. The functional relationship between the top and mid mounted airbag cushions in FIG. 12 are also preferably in accordance with the relationships described for the airbags of FIGS. 7, 8 and 11. For example, the upper airbag cushion 144 has a lower surface that comes close to or contacts an upper surface of the lower airbag cushion 133 along a line of contact K. The angular limitations described for the line of contact and the upper and lower surfaces of the airbag cushions in FIGS. 7 and 8 preferably also apply to the airbags of FIG. 12. Further embodiments of the present invention may have the upper and/or lower airbag mounted in positions other than shown, such as having the upper airbag top mounted, mid-mounted or three quarter mounted and the lower airbag mounted anywhere below the upper airbag.
Song, Seung-Jae, Nam, Jong
B60R 2021/23382 : Internal tether means
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Current Assignee: CIS TECH, LLC
Sponsoring Entity: CIS TECH, LLC