Selectively extendable seat airbag
An assembly including a vehicle seat. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the vehicle seat and inflatable to an inflated position. The airbag includes a main chamber elongated along an axis and an extension supported by the main chamber. The extension extends from the main chamber transverse to the axis in the inflated position. The main chamber includes a lower segment and an upper segment selectively extendable away from the lower segment along the axis from an unreleased position to a released position. The extension is supported by the upper segment of the main chamber and the extension is translatable along the axis with the main chamber from the unreleased position to the released position.
1. An assembly comprising:
a vehicle seat;
an airbag supported by the vehicle seat and inflatable to an inflated position, the airbag having a main chamber elongated along an axis and an extension supported by the main chamber and extending from the main chamber transverse to the axis in the inflated position;
the main chamber having a lower segment and an upper segment selectively extendable away from the lower segment along the axis from an unreleased position to a released position; and
the extension being supported by the upper segment of the main chamber and being translatable along the axis with the main chamber from the unreleased position to the released position.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper segment includes a releasable portion elongated along the axis, the releasable portion being releasable from the unreleased position to the released position.
3. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a stitch extending through the releasable portion, the stitch being frangible relative to the airbag.
4. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a releasable tether selectively releasably connected to the releasable portion, the main chamber being in the unreleased position when the releasable tether in an unreleased position and the main chamber being in the released position when the releasable tether is in a released position.
5. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the upper segment includes a vehicle-inboard panel and a vehicle-outboard panel, the vehicle-inboard panel and the vehicle-outboard panel including the releasable portion.
6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the extension is supported by the vehicle-outboard panel.
7. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the upper segment overlaps itself at the releasable portion in the unreleased position.
8. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify a size of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and
release the releasable portion based on the identification of the size of the occupant.
9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a releasable tether selectively releasably connected to the main chamber, the main chamber being in the unreleased position when the releasable tether in an unreleased position and the main chamber being in the released position when the releasable tether is in a released position.
10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a tether release coupled to the releasable tether.
11. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify a size of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and
activate the tether release based on the identification of the size of the occupant.
12. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify a size of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and
release the upper segment based on identification of the size of the occupant.
13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main chamber is elongated a first distance in the unreleased position and a second distance in the released position, the second distance being longer than the first distance.
14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag is vehicle-inboard of the vehicle seat in the inflated position.
15. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a console adjacent the vehicle seat, the airbag being inflatable between the console and the vehicle seat.
16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat defines an occupant seating area, the extension being between the main chamber and the occupant seating area.
17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the airbag is vehicle-inboard of the occupant seating area.
18. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a seatback elongated along the axis, the airbag being supported by the seatback.
19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the upper segment is extendable along the seatback.
20. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the extension is translatable relative to the seatback.