Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Other

Kurt Kottke

Travis B Hess

Michael Jay Daines

Jesse R Crookston

Kurt Gammil

Thomas C Burton

Atsushi Murakami

Corey Farnsworth

The present invention provides a system and method for tethering that may be used to keep a cushion properly positioned for side impact protection, particularly in vehicles with limited space rearward of the cushion. A tethering assembly provides tension to keep the cushion in place. The tethering assembly may include a tether with first and second ends attached together such that the tether forms a loop. The first and/or second ends may also be attached to a lower portion of the cushion. Upper and lower anchors may be attached to a vehicle surface near the cushion to slidably retain the tether. When the cushion inflates, the first and second ends move downward. The lower anchor may be a locking mechanism that restricts withdrawal of the first end. During deployment and impact of a vehicle occupant with the cushion, the tensioning assembly exerts tension to keep the cushion in place.

Compact tethering system and method for an inflatable curtain

An energy-absorbing bracket is disclosed for use in a vehicle to absorb the impact of a vehicle occupant with an interior surface of the vehicle such as a vehicular pillar, an interior trim panel, and other potential areas of contact. The brackets of the invention generally include an anchor plate configured to allow attachment of the bracket to a surface, an extension arm extending from the anchor plate; and a support foot linked to the extension arm. The energy-absorbing brackets of the invention are generally incompletely tubular in nature, and configured to deform when impacted to dissipate impact energy and assume a configuration adapted to absorb additional impact energy.

Energy absorption bracket

The present invention provides a system and method for distributing inflation gases within an airbag cushion. Such a cushion may have one or more protection zones configured to inflate to protect vehicle occupants. An inflation channel maybe enclosed by one or more of the protection zones, and may be attached to a mounting surface within a protection zone. The inflation channel may be connected to an inflator, and may have a plurality of holes along its length, sized or spaced apart in a manner selected to provide a comparatively even flow rate of inflation gas to all parts of the cushion during inflation. Additionally, the inflation channel may have a gas outlet extension along which the holes are disposed; the gas outlet extension may have a tapered shape configured to collapse under external pressure to prevent backflow of inflation gases into the inflation channel. The inflation channel may be easily manufactured in a number of ways, including extrusion of a polymeric workpiece with a slit along its length. The slit may be intermittently closed to form the gas outlet extension with the holes, without the need for punching or drilling.

Apparatus and method for airbag inflation gas distribution

A system and method for enhancing the interchangeability, cost effectiveness, and protective capacity of side impact, inflatable curtains is disclosed. An inflatable curtain module may have multiple cushions attached together by a separately manufactured inflatable tension coupling. The tension coupling may be attached to the cushions prior to folding of the cushions by, for example, sewing one end of the tension coupling to each cushion. The tension coupling may also be attached to the cushions after the cushions have been folded. The cushions may each have one or more tabs positioned to extend inward toward the tension coupling; the tabs may protrude from the folded cushions so that the tension coupling can be attached to the tabs after the cushions have been folded. The tension coupling may have a plurality of expanses configured to be attached between the cushions parallel to each other, and a flexible central portion connecting a pair of expanses to provide a barrier against occupant excursion while still permitting compaction of the tension coupling. Several combinations of compaction methods may be used to compact the cushions and the tension coupling. The tension coupling may alternatively have an array of holes at each end configured to be aligned with an array of holes on each cushion, so that one or more attachment mechanisms such as laces can be inserted through the holes to provide attachment.

Apparatus and method for airbag cushion modularization

A system and method for reducing the profile of compacted seams in an inflatable curtain modules is disclosed. A cushion of an inflatable curtain module has interior seams configured to separate the cushion into chambers. The interior seams are angled with respect to the direction along which the cushion is compacted to ensure that each interior seam does not simply bunch up at a one single location along the length of the compacted cushion. Preferably, the interior seams are angled so that overlap does not occur along at least half the length of each interior seam. The angle may be further selected to ensure that no overlap occurs, or even that no two portions of any interior seams can interfere to create a combined bulge. The interior seams may be modestly angled, aggressively angled to form a nested configuration, or even angled perpendicular to the compaction direction. The interior seams may also be curved to produce a more even displacement between helical turns of the interior seams after the cushion has been rolled.

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Bountiful, UT, United States of America

Kurt Kottke