Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Autoliv Aspinc.

Don Larry Parker

Terry Alan Wheelwright

Derek John Wiscombe

Charles Paul Dinsdale

Roger Dean Rickenbach

Andrew Lawrence Holliday

Andy Lawrence Holliday

Adam Smith

Christine Elizabeth Devey

Megan Donahue

Craig A Markusic

Bryant S Whitcomb

Andrew Lawrence Holiday

Andrew Holiday

Megan Donehue

Craig Allen Markusic

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.

Oblique impact airbag mitts and related systems and methods

A wire retention feature for an airbag module is provided where the airbag module has an inflator, a wire harness, and at least one of a cover, a wrapper, and a cushion. The wire retention feature has a tab extending from at least one of the cover, the wrapper, and the cushion, and a fastener securely attached to the wire harness. The fastener is securely connectable to the tab such that a pulling force being applied to the wire harness is distributed among the fastener, the tab, and at least one of the cover, the wrapper, and the cushion without negatively affecting the transmission of electrical signals through the wire harness to the inflator.

Airbag wire retention feature

An airbag assembly may include an airbag with a first fabric panel, a second fabric panel attached to the first fabric panel, and a third fabric panel attached to the second fabric panel. The first and second fabric panels may define a first inflatable cushion and the second and third fabric panels may define a C-shaped second inflatable cushion. Upon deployment, the first inflatable cushion may have a first pressure and the second inflatable cushion may have a second pressure greater than the first pressure. Further, the first inflatable cushion may be positioned directly outboard of the thoracic region and the second inflatable cushion may be positioned directly outboard of the acromial region and the coxal region, but not the thoracic region, to provide gentler cushioning for the thoracic region.

3-layer 'C' shaped side airbag

An airbag assembly can include an airbag cushion and a protective flap. In some arrangements, the protective flap is positioned over at least a portion of an inflatable region of the airbag cushion to prevent the inflatable region of the airbag cushion from being pinched due to securement of the airbag cushion to a mounting member via which the airbag assembly can be secured to a vehicle.

Protective flap for airbags

A side impact system for protection of an occupant of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat bolster forming a seat bolster cavity and an inflatable side airbag. The airbag includes a side panel having an outer portion defining an outer chamber. A tube panel is disposed within the side panel and joined to a seat bolster portion of the side panel. The tube panel defines a seat bolster chamber and has an opening to allow gas to flow from the seat bolster chamber to the outer chamber. The tube panel, the seat bolster portion of the side panel, and the seat bolster chamber remain within the seat bolster cavity when inflated. The seat bolster portion of the side panel contacts an inner side of the seat bolster cavity when the airbag is inflated. An inflator is operable to provide gas to the seat bolster chamber and the outer chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Syracuse, UT, United States of America

Don Larry Parker