Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Autoliv Aspinc.

Derek John Wiscombe

Don Larry Parker

Charles Paul Dinsdale

Terry Alan Wheelwright

Andrew Lawrence Holliday

Adam Smith

Christine Elizabeth Devey

Craig A Markusic

Roger Dean Rickenbach

Andy Lawrence Holliday

Bryant S Whitcomb

Andrew Lawrence Holiday

Craig Allen Markusic

Don Larry Parry

Far-side inflatable airbag assemblies are disclosed to be installed to deploy adjacent an occupant during a far-side collision event or a far-side oblique collision event, and may retain the occupant at the occupant's vehicle occupant position to protect the occupant from collision with structures within the vehicle, as well as from collisions with other occupants of the vehicle. The far-side inflatable airbag assemblies of the present disclosure may be particularly beneficial when installed between vehicle occupant positions of the vehicle.

Far-side airbag assemblies with pillow and sail

Subtotal enclosures for inflatable airbag assemblies are disclosed that preserve a packaged state of the inflatable airbag assembly and that may be installed beneath or behind a seat covering material whereby 'read-through' of the inflatable airbag assembly through the seat covering material is limited.

Subtotal enclosures for airbag assemblies

A housing for storing an inflatable airbag includes a first portion and a second portion that cooperate to at least partially define a chamber for storing the inflatable airbag. A hinge portion connects the first portion to the second portion such that the second portion is pivotable about the hinge portion from a closed position for retaining the inflatable airbag within the chamber to an open position for deployment of the inflatable airbag from the chamber. A sacrificial seam connects the first portion and the second portion when the inflatable airbag is stored within the chamber. The sacrificial seam includes a plurality of connection members breakable in response to a pressure from within the chamber from initial inflation of the inflatable airbag. The connection members each extend across the sacrificial seam in a first direction between the first and second portions of the housing and are configured to have a predetermined failure area adjacent one of the first portion and the second portion.

Airbag housing with sacrificial seam

A forked far-side airbag assembly includes a housing to be mounted in an inboard portion of a seat of a vehicle and an inflator assembly that is at least partially disposed within the housing. The forked far-side airbag assembly includes an airbag in a packaged state within the housing, the airbag to receive inflation gas to expand and deploy from the housing to a deployed state. The airbag assembly includes a first inflatable chamber extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and a second inflatable chamber oriented at a first angle from an inboard side of the first inflatable chamber, and a third inflatable chamber oriented at a second angle from the inboard side of the first inflatable chamber, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

Forked far-side airbag assembly

Lateral airbag cushions for preventing or inhibiting inboard occupant excursion. Some embodiments may comprise an inflatable cushion configured to deploy adjacent to a vehicle seat laterally of a vehicle occupant and a tether coupled with the inflatable cushion. The tether may be configured to be coupled to the vehicle seat at opposite ends and may be configured to, upon deployment, form the inflatable cushion into a pocket or other lateral engagement structure adjacent to the vehicle occupant to engage a shoulder and/or arm region of the vehicle occupant to prevent or at least inhibit inboard/lateral excursion during an impact event.

Lateral occupant engagement cushions

A side inflatable airbag assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. Inflatable airbag assemblies may provide protection for an occupant in a vehicle collision event. In a side collision event, or other event producing lateral movement of the occupant relative to the vehicle, the disclosed inflatable airbag assembly may receive and support the occupant during ride down so as to prevent or minimize injury resulting from impact with a vehicle door, sidewall, center console, or other vehicle structure disposed lateral to the vehicle seating position. The disclosed airbag may differentially support the occupant by providing varied degrees of support for the shoulder, pelvis, and torso, which may be particularly beneficial to an elderly occupant whose bones may be more susceptible to some injury types and modes as a result of age-incident health issues.

Side airbag assembly

A side inflatable airbag assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. Inflatable airbag assemblies may provide protection for an occupant in a vehicle collision event. In a side collision event, or other event producing lateral movement of the occupant relative to the vehicle, the disclosed inflatable airbag assembly may receive and support the occupant during ride down so as to prevent or minimize injury resulting from impact with a vehicle door, sidewall, center console, or other vehicle structure disposed lateral to the vehicle seating position. The disclosed airbag may differentially support the occupant buy providing varied degrees of support for the shoulder and pelvis, and the torso, which may be particularly beneficial to an elderly occupant whose bones may be more susceptible to some injury types and modes as a result of age-incident health issues.

Side airbag cushions, side airbag assemblies and related methods for stowing a side airbag cushion in a cover to provide, upon deployment, improved timing of pelvis coverage for an associated vehicle passenger are provided. The side airbag cushion desirably includes a first rolled portion and a second accordion folded portion and, wherein, upon deployment, the accordion folded portion provides improved timing allowing for better pelvis coverage for the associated vehicle passenger.

Side airbag with accordion pelvis fold

Airbag cushions and airbag cushion assemblies comprising mitts or bends for mitigating injuries during oblique impacts. In some embodiments, the cushions may be configured to deploy so as to extend adjacent to an occupant in a vehicle laterally of the occupant and form a mitt configured to receive the occupant's head and/or thorax during an oblique impact event. The airbag cushion may comprise a first portion configured to, upon deployment, extend laterally of the occupant towards a front portion of the vehicle and a second portion configured to, upon deployment, extend at an angle relative to the first portion so as to form the mitt.

Growing community of inventors

Morgan, UT, United States of America

Derek John Wiscombe