Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

T K Holdings, Inc.

Andrew Solomon

Ryan A Miller

Eric M Heitkamp

Jaime Fermin Perez

Jason T Hardesty

Michael D Guerrero

Vivek Maripudi

An airbag includes an outer shell defining an interior of the airbag, and a divider positioned in the interior so as to divide the interior into a first chamber and a second chamber. A valve mechanism is operatively coupled to the divider. The valve mechanism includes an opening enabling fluid communication between the first and second chambers, and a flap positioned in the second chamber overlying the opening. The flap is structured to deflect in a direction away from the opening responsive to a pressure differential urging a flow of gas from the first chamber through the opening into the second chamber. The flap is also structured to block the opening responsive to a reverse pressure differential urging a flow of gas from the second chamber through the opening into the first chamber. The flap includes at least one attachment edge along which the flap is attached to the divider and at least one non-attachment edge along which the flap is not attached to the divider. The valve is structured such that at least a predetermined minimum distance between the at least one non-attachment edge and an edge of the opening is maintained during application of the reverse pressure differential to the flap.

Dual chambered passenger airbag

An airbag can include a first portion disposed closest to the passenger seat upon deployment, and configured to be rolled to form a cylindrical configuration having an axis that is perpendicular to a vehicle's longitudinal axis. The first portion can include a serpentine section disposed closest the vehicle's longitudinal axis and configured to be folded in a serpentine manner along the cylindrical configuration's axis. The first portion can include a rolled section that is spaced further from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle than the serpentine section. The airbag can include a second portion disposed closer to the instrument panel than the first portion and including a tether that is rigidly connected to the vehicle. The second portion can be disposed further from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle than the serpentine section, but at approximately the same distance from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as the rolled section.

Methods and apparatus for restraining vehicular passengers

Growing community of inventors

Plain City, OH, United States of America

Andrew Solomon