Zf Passive Safety Systems US Inc.

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Dylan Moran

Avadhoot R Paranjpe

Bruce R Hill

Ali Emambakhsh

Richard C Patton

Luis Raul Valles Rey

Kurt F Fischer

Anton Fischer

Daniel R Sutherland

Hylus Ranjit Raj Jayakar

Angelo J Adler

Rico Scott Bertossi

Alexandra E Schroeder

Joseph C Popek

Songwei Zhang

Manuel Schaefer

Patrick Landis

Blair Morrison

Ernesto Uribe

Michael Lalka, Ii

Michelle Blackson

Mario Vega

Kevin Ruedisueli

Greg Kosten

Courtney McKeon

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag having a packaged condition in which the curtain airbag is rolled and/or folded for installation in the vehicle. The curtain airbag is configured to inflate and deploy between the occupant and a side structure of the vehicle. A deployment wrap includes a sheet of material configured as a loop to extend around the curtain airbag in the packaged condition. The deployment wrap is configured to undergo tension in response to inflation of the curtain airbag. The tension acts on the curtain airbag to help control the initial deployment of the curtain airbag. The deployment wrap is rolled up along its length, forming a roll that takes up the material of the deployment wrap and causes the deployment wrap to constrict around the curtain airbag.

Roof rail airbag restrictor wrap

An anchor assembly for connecting a curtain airbag to a side structure of a vehicle includes an elongated track configured to be connected to the side structure of the vehicle behind a vehicle trim piece that covers the side structure and forms a surface visible from within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. An anchor is configured to move along the track. The track includes sidewalls that define an interior channel that extends along the length of the track, and a slot that extends along the length of the track. The anchor includes a shank and a roller that is connected to the shank and rotatable relative to the shank. The roller and a portion of the shank to which the roller is connected are positioned in the channel and are movable along the channel when the anchor moves along the track. A portion of the shank extends through the slot, is positioned on an exterior of the track, and is configured to be connected to the curtain airbag. The track is configured so that the slot is at least partially exposed to a gap between trim piece and the side structure so that the portion of the shank that extends through the slot is not inhibited by the trim piece from moving along the slot when the anchor moves along the track in response to curtain airbag deployment.

Tether anchor assembly for curtain airbag

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag having a packaged condition in which the curtain airbag is rolled and/or folded to be installed along a roof rail in a vehicle. The curtain airbag is configured to be inflated and deployed along a side structure of the vehicle structure. The curtain airbag includes a channel configured to receive a package maintaining structure configured to enforce a predetermined configuration of the curtain airbag in the packaged condition.

Curtain airbag with package maintaining structure

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the airbag is positioned to help protect the vehicle occupant. The airbag includes an extendable member comprising one or more slits formed in the airbag material. Each slit has a concave configuration defining an extendable portion of the extendable member that is movable relative to the remainder of the extendable member to extend the reach of the extendable member. According to one aspect, the extendable member can form a mounting tab for mounting the airbag in the vehicle. According to another aspect, the extendable member can form a wrapping structure for maintaining the airbag in a packaged condition for installation in the vehicle.

Airbag with extendable member

A mounting bracket for a curtain airbag includes a mounting plate configured to be installed in a mounting tab of a curtain airbag. The mounting plate includes an opening for receiving a fastener. The mounting bracket also includes a deployment plate that is configured to be installed between folded portions of the curtain airbag and to maintain the folded configuration of the folded portions. The mounting bracket also includes an arm portion that connects the deployment plate to the mounting plate and maintains the deployment plate spaced from the mounting plate at a predetermined orientation relative to the mounting plate. The mounting bracket further includes a slot defined between the mounting plate and the deployment plate and having an open end adjacent corresponding lateral edges of the mounting plate and the deployment plate. The arm portion defines a closed end of the slot opposite the open end.

Mounting bracket for curtain airbag

A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes method for manufacturing an OPW airbag. The method includes providing yarns, warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom, and simultaneously weaving yarns into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining an inflatable volume and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. A plurality of the yarns overlay one another to form nonwoven alignment elements in at least one of the single layer portions. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag. The alignment elements are aligned with alignment elements on a panel. The air bag structure is sewn to the panel with the alignment elements aligned with one another.

One-piece woven occupant restraint system

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag (CAB) having a packaged condition in which the CAB is rolled and/or folded to be installed along a roof rail in a vehicle. The CAB is configured to be inflated and deployed along a side structure of the vehicle structure. The apparatus includes an anti-twist structure for being positioned within the rolls and/or folds to inhibit relative twisting of the packaged CAB within the rolls and/or folds. The apparatus includes a CAB mount for extending about and supporting the packaged CAB in the vehicle. The CAB mount cooperates with the anti-twist structure to fix the position and orientation of the anti-twist structure, and thus the packaged CAB, relative to the vehicle.

Curtain airbag with anti-twist structures

An airbag and a method for manufacturing the airbag. The airbag is manufactured by weaving yarns to form a one-piece woven (OPW) airbag having inflatable portions and non-inflatable portions. The non-inflatable portions are woven with varying weave patterns so as to form recesses in the surface of the airbag in the form of an indicia.

One-piece woven airbag with integrally woven indicia

A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes providing yarns and warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom. Yarns are simultaneously woven into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining both an inflatable volume and non-inflatable portions and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag and at least one opening extending through only one layer of the two layer portions.

A deployment ramp for helping to direct a curtain airbag to deploy inboard of a trim piece on a side structure of a vehicle includes a deployment flap for directing the curtain airbag to deploy inboard of the trim piece and a mounting portion configured to receive a fastener for connecting the deployment ramp and the curtain airbag to the vehicle. The mounting portion includes a pair of mounting tabs. Each mounting tab is configured to be installed in a corresponding sleeve in the curtain airbag to connect the deployment ramp to the curtain airbag. The mounting portion is configured so that installing both mounting tabs in their corresponding sleeves requires the application of external manipulating forces to the mounting portion in order to bend and/or deflect in order to overcome an interference between the mounting portion and the curtain airbag.

Curtain airbag deployment ramp with mounting tabs

In one aspect, an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a frontal curtain airbag. The airbag has overlying panels that are interconnected. The airbag is deployable a deployed condition in which the airbag spans across a width of a windshield opening of the vehicle. A restraining panel is separate from and extends widthwise over the panels of the airbag. The restraining panel is connected to the airbag and has a width configured to cause opposing end portions of the deployed airbag to be bent toward one another and into a curved configuration. Pressurization in the deploying airbag tensions the restraining panel widthwise. The tensioned restraining panel maintains the bend in the deploying airbag so that an effective airbag depth is measured between the restraining panel and the airbag.

Apparatus for covering a windshield opening of a vehicle

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

An airbag module for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag and a mounting bracket. The curtain airbag includes a mounting tab configured to receive a fastener for connecting the curtain airbag to the vehicle. The mounting bracket is configured to cooperate with the mounting tab to facilitate the connection of the curtain airbag to the vehicle via the fastener. The mounting bracket includes a generally planar body portion and a fastening structure that extends transversely from the body portion. The mounting tab includes overlying layers of material that help define a pocket configured to receive the mounting bracket. The mounting tab includes a first fastener opening configured to receive the fastening structure so that the fastening structure extends through the first fastener opening with the body portion positioned in the pocket. The fastening structure is configured for installation in the vehicle structure to initially support the airbag module in the vehicle. The airbag module further includes a fastener configured to extend through the mounting tab and the mounting bracket to connect the airbag module to the vehicle.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a seat in a vehicle having an instrument panel and a housing positioned therein includes an airbag for positioning in the housing and defining an inflatable volume for receiving inflation fluid from an inflator. The airbag includes an occupant-facing panel. A tether has a first end connected to the occupant-facing panel for forming a pocket therein and a second end connected to a portion of the airbag positioned within the housing. The second end includes a folded-over portion. First stitching extends through the folded-over portion in a direction extending transverse to a centerline of the tether. Second stitching extends through the folded-over portion and parallel to the first stitching. The first and second stitchings are spaced a predetermined length from one another.

Airbag with reinforced tether

In one aspect, an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag having a stored condition in which the curtain airbag is deflated, flattened, and rolled and/or folded. A wrap includes an integral woven portion of the curtain airbag formed from a fabric extension of an upper edge of the curtain airbag. The wrap has a first end portion where the wrap merges with the upper edge of the curtain airbag, and an opposite, free second end portion. The wrap is configured to wrap about a circumference of the rolled and/or folded curtain airbag. The second end portion is configured to connect to the first end portion of the wrap to secure the wrap on the curtain airbag and package the curtain airbag in the stored condition.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Dylan Moran