Takata Corporation

Jonathan P Hurford

Mohamed Boumarafi

James P Karlow

Phillip K Davidson

Brian Arthur Weir

William V Collier

Ross J Laming

Ralph Lichlyter

James M Kumkoski

Aaron E Bowen

A dual chamber airbag and method for making a dual chamber side impact airbag with an integral vented panel. A partial vent panel is formed from a section in each airbag piece such that the to partial panels meet as the airbag pieces are assembled to make the airbag. The two panels are subsequently sewn together, thereby forming an integral vented panel separating an upper and lower chamber within the airbag.

Dual chamber airbag with improved assembly features

A side impact air bag module assembly for restraining a side impact air bag to a vehicle seat frame which provides a visible cover on the outside of the seat and allows the seat cavity to be only as large as the module's reaction housing. The housing encloses an inflator with a retainer configured to fasten the air bag, inflator, and housing to the seat back frame.

Seat mounted side impact module

An inflatable restraint system having a head/thorax air bag cushion configured to protect the head and thorax regions of a motor vehicle occupant during a side impact collision. The air bag is configured to be kidney shaped when inflated to optimize the protection area while eliminating excess volume. The air bag is inflated from the bottom up, thus inflating the region adjacent the thorax area of the occupant first. As the thorax area is loaded by the occupant, gas is forced into the head area of the air bag. As the head area is loaded by the occupant, gas is vented to atmosphere through vents located in the head area of the air bag.

Inflatable restraint system having a head/thorax cushion for side impact

A vehicle side impact restraint system especially adapted for providing head impact protection. The system employs a deployable restraint curtain which is maintained stowed in an undeployed condition within a slot along the upper edge of a vehicle side door window. A track assembly is vertically mounted along the rear edge of the window and includes a gas generator, a track, and a sliding projectile. The upper edge of the triangularly shaped curtain is attached to the vehicle whereas the rear end of the lower edge is mounted to the projectile. Upon deployment, the sliding projectile pulls the curtain to a downward position in response to a deployment signal sent to the gas generator. The projectile reaches the lower end of the track where it is locked in position thus stretching the curtain across a portion of the window area, thus providing a surface for impact energy absorption.

Side impact head restraint system

A vehicle seat having a resealable tear seam through which a seat deployed side impact air bag is deployed during a side impact collision wherein the air bag expands causing the resealable tear seam to open and allowing the air bag to expand outside of the vehicle seat. The resealable tear seam comprises a first and a second seam member, preferably plastic locking fasteners, configured to form a resealable interlocking bond. The seam members elastically deform when forming the bond and when opening along the bond and return to an undeformed state after the bond forms or opens. The seam may be easily opened to install or service the air bag module and after installation or service is complete the interlocking bond may be easily reformed.

Resealable tear seam for seat deployed side impact air bag

A side impact head restraint with inflatable deployment in which an inflatable member having a movable mounting point is used to deploy a fabric panel during a side impact collision for head protection. The inflatable member, made of coated fabric, is pressurized by a gas generator. The inflatable member is connected to fabric panel and is used to bring a fabric panel into position in the window area of a side door of the vehicle. The fabric panel is secured at three points, two fixed points located on the upper side rail and a third movable point on a track located on the 'B' pillar. The inflatable member pushes the movable mounting point down the track from a position near the upper side rail down to a position immediately below the centerline of the side glass. The movable point locks into position at the end of the travel, when fully deployed. The fabric panel can then be loaded by the head wherein fabric elongation absorbs head impact energy.

Side impact head restraint with inflatable deployment

A side impact air bag module assembly for retaining a side impact air bag to a vehicle seat frame which provides a housing having a minimum internal volume configured for mounting to an existing seat back frame with minimal modifications so as to conform to the seat back structure and decrease the packaging size required within the seat back. The housing retains an inflator within a deep-well portion in conjunction with a retainer configured to fasten the air bag and inflator to the housing and seat back frame.

An inflatable restraint housing for enclosing an air cushion assembly and securing the assembly within a vehicle is provided. The one-piece housing is formed of thermoplastic material and includes an inboard and outboard half hingedly secured together and enclosing the air cushion assembly in a tapered interior chamber. The housing is generally cylindrical having an inboard and outboard directing ramp formed on the respective inner surfaces of each half to define a tapering elliptical cross-section which focuses the energy generated by the inflation of the air cushion allowing the air cushion to rapidly emerge from the housing. The tapered interior chamber of housing also directs the air cushion into the desired position within the vehicle interior during deployment.

Inflatable restraint modular housing with deployment directing feature

An inflatable restraint module especially adapted for seat mounted side impact protection. The restraint module incorporates a retainer bracket with projecting deformable tab fingers which are loaded inside the bag through an access slit. Slots on opposite sides of the access slit are overlapped and placed such that the retainer bracket tab fingers extend through them. A sheet metal mounting bracket is then installed over the air bag. A cylindrical inflator is installed through holes formed in the mounting bracket and air bag into the interior cavity of the retainer bracket. This sub-assembly can be mounted into a plastic housing having slots which permit the tab fingers to extend to the exterior of the housing where they can be deformed to interlock the components in an assembled condition.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Jonathan P Hurford