Zf Passive Safety Systems US Inc.

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Alexandra E Schroeder

Kurt F Fischer

Angelo J Adler

Douglas M Gould

Dylan Moran

Daniele Aranzulla

Hylus Ranjit Raj Jayakar

Martin Burkhardtsmaier

An apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant () of a front driver seat () of a vehicle () includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device in the form of an airbag () that is inflatable from an instrument panel () of the vehicle to a position between the instrument panel and the occupant. The airbag () has a curved configuration in profile such that the airbag can deploy from a mounting location in the instrument panel () toward the vehicle occupant (), creating a space () between the airbag and the instrument panel for receiving a vehicle steering wheel (), if present.

Driver airbag

A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag mounted to the vehicle roof. The airbag has a stored condition and is inflatable to a deployed condition having a front-facing occupant receiving portion and an opposite rear-facing portion facing away from the occupant. The airbag has one or more connections with the vehicle roof, with the airbag and the connections being configured such that the roof serves as a reaction surface for supporting the airbag against movement in response to a forward moving occupant impacting the occupant receiving portion. The system is non-reliant on the rear-facing portion of the airbag engaging and using vehicle structure as a reaction surface for supporting the airbag against movement in response to the impacting occupant.

Roof-mounted occupant restraint system

A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a floor and a cabin with a floor for the occupant includes an airbag. The airbag has a stored condition on the vehicle floor and is inflatable to a deployed condition aligned with the occupant in a forward-rearward direction of the vehicle. The airbag is configured to utilize the vehicle floor as a reaction surface for restraining the movement of the airbag in response to occupant penetration into the airbag.

Floor-mounted occupant restraint system

A front head/torso airbag () of a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a cover surface () and a baffle surface () forming a contact face for the vehicle occupant () which merges Into the cover surface (). In the inflated state of the airbag () being in the mounted position, the baffle surface () includes a central surface portion and laterally adjacent thereto at feast one bulge () projecting from the central surface portion for laterally protecting the head ().

Front-head/chest airbag

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a tubular inflatable seat belt configured to be moved between an inflated condition and a deflated condition. The inflatable seat belt, when in the inflated condition, is configured to permit the occupant to enter and exit a vehicle seat. The inflatable seat belt, when in the deflated condition, is configured to restrain a seated occupant. An airbag is attached to a lap belt portion of the inflatable seat belt. The airbag is inflatable from a stored condition on the inflatable seat belt to a deployed condition in which the airbag has a lower airbag portion extending from the lap belt portion along the seated occupant's legs and an upper airbag portion extending from the lap belt portion upward in front of the seated occupant's torso.

Vehicle safety systems including inflatable seatbelt restraint

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag configured to be mounted to a support structure of the vehicle. The airbag is inflatable to deploy from a stored condition away from the support structure toward a vehicle seat in which the occupant is seated to one of a first deployed condition in which the airbag is configured for a non-reclined condition of the vehicle seat, and a second deployed condition in which the airbag is configured for a reclined condition of the vehicle seat. The airbag is configured to deploy to the first deployed condition in response to determining a non-reclined condition of the vehicle seat and to the second deployed condition in response to determining a reclined condition of the vehicle seat.

Adaptive airbag for protecting occupants in a vehicle

A method for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a side structure and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes providing an airbag in a stored condition offset from a centerline of the seat. The airbag has a first portion and a second portion fluidly connected with one another. The first portion is inflated and deployed to a position lateral of the occupant. The second portion is inflated and deployed from the first portion to a position in front of the occupant.

Occupant restraint system

A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant () of a vehicle () includes a first inflator () for providing inflation fluid at a first fluid pressure and a second inflator () for providing inflation fluid at a second fluid pressure greater than the first fluid pressure. An airbag () includes a stored condition within a roof () and is inflatable to a deployed condition extending into a cabin () and aligned with a seat () for the occupant (). The airbag () includes a first portion () defining a first chamber () fluidly connected to the first inflator () and a second portion () defining a second chamber () fluidly connected to the second inflator () and fluidly isolated from the first chamber (). The first portion () moves relative to the second portion () in response to occupant () penetration into the airbag ().

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle comprises an airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the airbag is positioned between a reaction surface of the vehicle and the occupant. The airbag comprises an upper portion and a lower portion. Each of the upper and lower portions is at least one of rolled and folded. The upper and lower portions are positioned overlying each other when in the stored condition. A deployment flap comprises a sheet of material having a first end portion and an oppositely disposed second end portion. The first end portion is secured to the vehicle. A portion of the deployment flap is positioned between the upper and lower portions. The deployment flap has a notch with opposite side edges converging in a direction toward the first end portion of the deployment flap and terminating at a vertex.

Airbag with notched deployment controlling flap

A vehicle occupant safety system helps protect front seat occupants of a vehicle in the event of a collision that results in oblique forward occupant movement. The safety system includes a frontal air bag inflatable between on instrument panel end the front seat vehicle occupant, and a central air bag inflatable adjacent and inboard of the frontal air bag. The frontal air bag can be configured and positioned to receive and cushion the vehicle occupant moving in an oblique direction in the vehicle as the result of a vehicle collision. The central air bag can be configured and positioned to support an inboard portion of the frontal airbag against flattening out in response to receiving the obliquely moving occupant, and to engage the obliquely moving occupant's head and resist rotation of the vehicle occupant's head resulting from moving obliquely into engagement with the frontal air bag.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Alexandra E Schroeder