Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Chin-Hsu Lin

Yi-pen Cheng

Mark O Neal

Dorel M Sala

Paul Edward Krajewski

Jenne-tai Wang

Ashish Nayak

Nilesh D Mankame

Gary Lee Jones

Louis D Thole

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Scott David Thomas

Jenne-Tai Wang

Alok Warey

Mitesh Lalwala

David Acosta

Wonhee Michael Kim

Bing Deng

Scott R Webb

Francis D Wood

Ching-Shan Cheng

Nick Colonna

Chang Kyu Son

Ruth M Gusko

Paul W Alexander

Daniel W Booth

Jan Henning Aase

Brennon L White

Alaa M Khamis

Martin A Hogan

Sean T Coughlin

Manuel Forero Rueda

Ke Dong

George Baker

Ali Rafiei

Susan H Owen

Yuxiu Zhang

Prashant Kohakade

Shani Jain

Jian Tu

A seat for a vehicle includes a frame defining opposing side members and an anti-submarining belt. The anti-submarining belt defines a first end portion, a second end portion, a stowed position, and a deployed position. The first end portion of the anti-submarining belt is fixedly attached to one of the opposing side members of the frame. The anti-submarining belt includes slack when in the stowed position and is pulled taut into the deployed position. The seat includes a seat cushion defining a compressed state and an uncompressed state. The seat cushion rests against anti-submarining belt and is in the uncompressed state when the anti-submarining belt is in the stowed position and is compressed into the compressed state by the anti-submarining belt as the anti-submarining belt is pulled taut into the deployed position. The seat includes a pretensioner connected to the second end portion of the anti-submarining belt.

Anti-submarining belt for a seat in a vehicle

An accident severity estimation system for estimating the severity of an accident for a vehicle includes one or more microphones that capture a plurality of audio-based inputs indicative of verbal and non-verbal sounds emitted by one or more occupants of the vehicle. The accident severity estimation system also includes a vision system that captures a plurality of vision-based inputs representing image data indicative of the occupants, a motion-based input system that collects a plurality of motion-based inputs indicative of the motion of the vehicle during the accident, a thermal incident system that collects a plurality of thermal inputs indicative of thermal events within the vehicle, a propulsion system that provides a status-based input of the propulsion system of the vehicle, and one or more controllers.

Accident severity estimation system for a vehicle

A vehicle airbag and restraint system includes a vehicle seat positioned in a vehicle. At least one pressure sensor is included with the vehicle seat to sense when a user is in contact with the vehicle seat. At least one airbag is opened in response to a vehicle crash event. A controller determines when the user is seated on the vehicle seat in a position different than a normally upright position thereby defining the user being out-of-position, and generates a signal applied by the controller to modify an opening sequence of the at least one airbag when the user is out-of-position.

Airbag and restraint system control using seat pressure data

A vehicle event database includes simulation-based vehicle event metadata associated with a vehicle architecture. The metadata is generated by determining vehicle event pulses, applying the vehicle event pulses to a vehicle simulation model, collecting injury data associated with body regions of a simulated occupant within the vehicle simulation model, and predicting a probability of injury to the body regions of an actual occupant of a vehicle having the vehicle architecture based on the injury data. A vehicle event notification is received from a vehicle. Vehicle data and occupant data are received. The simulation-based vehicle event metadata associated with the vehicle architecture of the vehicle is retrieved from the vehicle event database. An injury to a first body region of the body regions of the actual occupant is predicted based on the vehicle data, the occupant data, and the simulation-based vehicle event metadata using an injury prediction model.

Systems and methods for predicting post-event vehicle occupant injury

A seatbelt anchorage system includes a vehicle seat connected in a vehicle. A seat belt assembly of the vehicle seat includes an extending seat belt shoulder strap portion, a lap belt section, and a buckle releasably connected to a first buckle connector defining a first anchor connected by a first pin to a seat structural member. The first pin and the first buckle connector together displace during a vehicle collision event from an initial to a final first buckle connector position forward of the initial position to mitigate against an occupant submarining motion. The shoulder strap portion is fixed to a second buckle connector defining a second anchor connected by a second pin to the seat structural member. The second pin and the second buckle connector displace during the vehicle collision event from an initial to a final second buckle connector position forward of the initial second buckle connector position.

Seatbelt anchorage with energy absorption for frontal impact protection

An airbag restraint system for a seat for an occupant located in a vehicle includes an airbag. The airbag includes an expandable body that is inflatable from a stowed position into a deployed position and the expandable body of the airbag restraint system is deflated and stored within a cavity defined by the seat back of the seat when the expandable body of the airbag is in the stowed position. The expandable body of the airbag surrounds a portion of a thorax of the occupant of the seat when the expandable body of the airbag restraint system is in the deployed position.

Airbag restraint system for a seat in a vehicle

An airbag system includes a vehicle having a vehicle seat rotated between an upright position to a fully reclined position. An airbag is positioned forward of a passenger seated on the vehicle seat, the airbag positioned in a stowed condition and a fully inflated condition. A horizontal cushion of the airbag in the fully inflated condition extends from a main airbag section. The horizontal cushion is contacted by a head of the passenger and prevents rotation of the head into direct contact with one or both knees of the passenger.

Airbag with extended horizontal cushion preventing head and knee contact

An anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle includes a main body constructed of an anisotropic material. The anisotropic material includes a primary material including a primary stiffness and a plurality of inserts that are dispersed throughout the primary material. The plurality of inserts exert an axial compressive force in response to the main body of the anti-submarining seat cushion experiencing a submarining load, where the axial compressive force is exerted in a direction that opposes the submarining load to increase an overall stiffness of the main body in a direction that aligns with the submarining load.

Anti-submarining seat cushion for a vehicle constructed of an anisotropic material

A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back pivotally moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and at least one upper arm support selectively moveable between a stowed position and an extended position, the at least one upper arm support adapted to provide support for an upper arm of an occupant when the seat back of the vehicle seat is in the reclined position and the at least one upper arm support is in the extended position.

Seat upper arm supports

A vehicle seat inter-connected tether assembly includes a first tether, a second tether and a vertically configured third tether positioned between the first tether and the second tether fixedly coupled to and connecting the first tether to the second tether. A connector positioned at distal ends of the first tether and the second tether is configured to couple the first tether and the second tether to opposed seat frame members of a vehicle seat frame.

Inter-connected tethers at rear of seatback foam for occupant thoracic protection

A knee bolster assembly for a vehicle seat includes a knee bolster moveably mounted in proximity to the vehicle seat, the knee bolster selectively moveable between a first position, wherein a passenger is able to enter and exit the vehicle seat, and a second position, wherein the knee bolster is positioned directly in front of a seating surface of the vehicle seat, such that legs of a passenger seated within the vehicle seat are positioned between the seating surface of the vehicle seat and the knee bolster, the knee bolster adapted to prevent an occupant of the vehicle seat from sliding forward off the vehicle seat and restrict any hyper-extending of their lower legs due to forward inertia, and an energy absorbing device adapted to absorb energy when knees or legs of a passenger within the vehicle seat impact the knee bolster.

Seat mounted knee bolster

A sleeping occupant crash protection system includes an occupant sleeping compartment positioned within an autonomous vehicle. A substantially flat platform of the occupant sleeping compartment supports an occupant reclining in a horizontal sleep position. An elastic bedsheet is positioned in direct contact with an upper surface of the platform positioned between the occupant and the platform. A sensing system is in communication with the occupant sleeping compartment and triggers deployment of a bedsheet displacement system during a vehicle rapid deceleration event.

Sleeping bedsheet crash protection system for lie-flat sleeping passenger

A one-way multiple cushions and chambers vehicle airbag assembly includes an airbag body having a primary airbag chamber and a secondary airbag chamber. At least one one-way vent valve provides a gas interconnection passage between the primary airbag chamber and the secondary airbag chamber.

One-way multiple chambers and cushions airbag

An automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system includes an airbag cushion having a first side oriented in a vertical configuration in a non-deployed condition and a second side oriented substantially ninety degrees from the first side in the non-deployed condition and adapted to receive an occupant on the second side providing an occupant sleeping position. At least one retracting tether is connected to the first side and the second side and is retracted using a retraction mechanism. The retraction mechanism acts upon receipt of a signal to retract the at least one retracting tether and pull the second side toward the first side thereby enclosing the occupant between the first side and the second side in a deployed condition of the airbag cushion. At least one energy absorbing (EA) element is connected to the airbag cushion acting to restrict a fore-aft motion of the airbag cushion.

Cocoon airbag to protect a sleeping occupant

An automobile vehicle airbag system includes a vehicle seat having a seat back rotatably connected to a seat base, with the seat base mounted on a seat frame. A seat base cushion is mounted on the seat frame upon which an occupant is seated. A thigh airbag is connected to the seat frame and positioned above the seat frame and below the seat base cushion in a thigh airbag uninflated condition. At least one airbag tether is connected to the seat frame and to the thigh airbag. A lap belt is connected to the vehicle seat and contacts a pelvis of the occupant. When inflated the thigh airbag pushes upward on the seat base cushion forcing the thighs and pelvis of the occupant upward into frictional contact with the lap belt, thereby mitigating against submarining of the pelvis beneath the lap belt.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Chin-Hsu Lin