Airbag assembly for leg flail protection and associated systems and methods

1. An airbag system for use with a side-facing seat in a vehicle, wherein the side-facing seat faces generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and wherein the airbag system comprises:

a housing having a cavity and an opening in communication with the cavity, wherein the housing is positioned forward of a leading leg of an occupant when the occupant is seated in the side-facing seat;

an airbag assembly stowed within the cavity, the airbag assembly having an airbag configured to deploy through the opening to inhibit occupant leg rotation in response to a significant dynamic event;

an inflator;

a gas delivery hose operably coupling the inflator to the airbag and configured to direct gas from the inflator to the airbag; and

a tether including a first end portion attached to the housing and a second end portion attached to the airbag, wherein the first end portion is not directly connected to the inflator, and wherein the tether includes a fabric tube portion that defines a passage enclosing at least a portion of the gas delivery hose.

2. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the housing is positioned at least proximate a side-facing seat in an aircraft.

3. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the housing includes an aperture configured to receive a tool to be inserted therethrough to induce at least one bend in the gas delivery hose positioned therein.

4. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the gas delivery hose includes at least one bend positioned within the cavity of the housing prior to airbag deployment, and wherein the gas delivery hose is configured to straighten and push the airbag out of the housing upon deployment.

5. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein a portion of the tether extends into the airbag and includes two layers of fabric, and wherein the airbag system further includes a stiffener secured between the two layers of fabric.

6. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the first end portion of the tether is attached to the housing with one or more fasteners such that the fasteners are positioned outside the cavity.

7. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the airbag, when inflated, has a generally wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape.

8. The airbag system of claim 7 wherein the airbag includes a first side extending laterally from the attachment of the gas delivery hose and a second side extending laterally in a direction opposite the first side, the second side having a length greater than the first side.

9. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the airbag, when inflated, has a generally C-shaped cross-sectional shape.

10. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the tether is a first tether, and wherein the system further comprise a second tether having a first end portion coupled to the airbag and a second end portion coupled to the housing, wherein the second tether is positioned to retain the airbag to the housing after the airbag is deployed.

11. The airbag system of claim 10 wherein the second tether is an upper tether and the first tether is a lower tether configured to retain the airbag to the housing after the airbag is deployed, and wherein the first tether and the second tether are secured to the housing behind a rear plate of the housing.

12. The airbag system of claim 1 , further comprising an electronics module assembly having a sensor, wherein the electronics module is operably coupled to the inflator and configured to initiate airbag deployment when a significant dynamic event is detected by the sensor, and further wherein a post-tensioner retraction unit operably coupled to the electronics module assembly is initiated to retract the airbag after the airbag is deployed.

13. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the airbag is stowed in the cavity with folded opposing first and second side portions prior to inflation such that one of the first and second side portions nearest the occupant's legs unfurls towards the occupant before the other first and second side portions unfurls in an opposite direction away from the occupant when the airbag is inflated.

14. An airbag system for use in a vehicle, the airbag system comprising:

an opening in an interior structure of the vehicle at least proximate a side-facing seat of the vehicle, wherein the opening is positioned between a forward portion of the vehicle and a leading leg of an occupant when the occupant is seated in the side-facing seat;

an airbag assembly stowed within the opening, wherein the airbag assembly includes an airbag configured to deploy from the opening in response to a significant dynamic event; and

an inflator operably coupled to the airbag via a gas delivery hose and configured to provide fluid for inflating the airbag via the gas delivery hose,

wherein the airbag is secured to the interior structure of the vehicle during both stowage and deployment via upper and lower tethers, and wherein the upper and lower tethers are attached to both the interior structure and the airbag.

15. The airbag system of claim 14 wherein the opening is at least proximate a side-facing seat of an aircraft.