Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Robert Andrew Parks

Peter L Vigeant

David Laird Geyer

Joseph Mannino

Tanja Kryzaniwskyj

Minoru Niwa

Stephanie Schneider

Bradley S Honerman

An example airbag arrangement includes an example airbag moveable between an expansion-constrained position and an expanded position. The airbag includes a contact face. A tether has a first end connected to the contact face and a second end anchoring the tether. The tether holds the contact face of the airbag in a substantially vertical position.

Externally anchored tether for altering airbag deployment

An example airbag assembly an airbag, a duct having an duct opening for venting gas outside the airbag, and a flap moveable from a first position to a second position. The duct is configured to direct more gas outside the airbag when the flap is in the first position than when the flap is in the second position. A tether is configured to move the flap from the first position to the second position.

Dynamic airbag venting

An exemplary airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct having an duct opening for venting gas. The duct has a first position and a second position. The duct is configured to direct less gas out of the airbag when in the second position than when in the first position. A tether kinks about the duct to move the duct from the first position to the second position. The inflating causes the tether to kink about the duct.

An example airbag arrangement includes an airbag moveable between an expansion-constrained position and an expanded position. The airbag includes a contact face. A tether has a first tether end connected adjacent an upper portion of the contact face and a second tether end anchoring the tether. The tether holds the contact face in a substantially vertical position.

Externally anchored upper tether for altering airbag deployment

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag having an airbag opening and a duct adjacent the airbag opening. A tether is configured to move the duct between a first position and a second position. The duct communicates a first flow from the duct through the airbag opening in the first position. The duct communicates a second flow from the duct through the airbag opening in the second position. The first flow is greater than the second flow.

An example airbag arrangement includes an airbag that is moveable to an expanded position. The airbag has a contact area. A panel is secured exclusively to the airbag. A portion of the airbag extends through an aperture in the panel when the airbag is in the expanded position. The panel alters expansion of the contact area.

Exterior airbag panel

An airbag includes end panels sewn onto opposite ends of the airbag. The end panels include side tabs and a center tab. The side tabs hook onto a retainer. The center tab is sewn to the airbag adjacent the opening in the retainer to pull the airbag against the concave inner surface of the retainer, thereby eliminating bunching and folding of airbag material at the interface of the retainer and inflator.

Passenger airbag

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct. The duct has a duct opening for venting gas. The duct is moveable between a first position where the duct opening is outside the airbag and a second position where the duct opening is inside the airbag. Inflating the airbag moves the duct between the first position and the second position. The airbag is configured to be inflated by a first stream of gas moving from the duct opening to an interior of the airbag and by a second stream of gas moving from an airbag inflator to the interior of the airbag. The first stream of gas is separate from the second stream of gas.

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct having an opening for venting gas. The duct moves between a first position where the opening is outside the airbag and a second position where the opening is inside the airbag. Inflating the airbag moves the duct between the first position and the second position.

An example airbag arrangement includes an airbag that moves between an expansion-constrained position and an expanded position. A tether adjacent an exterior surface of the airbag moves with the airbag between a shorter position and a longer position. The tether remains intact in the shorter position and the longer position. When the tether is in the shorter position, the tether holds the airbag in the expansion-constrained position.

Constrained airbag deployment using an external tether

A passenger airbag module includes opposite side walls connected by a rear wall. The side walls each include at least one inward projection that traps a semi-cylindrical retainer between the projections and the rear wall. The retainer holds the inflator and airbag within the housing. End walls connect the side walls with interlocking channels thereby preventing the side walls from releasing the retainer, inflator and airbag.

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Berkley, MI, United States of America

Robert Andrew Parks