Occupant protection system with deployable curtains and airbags
A vehicle includes a first expandable curtain, a second expandable curtain, a third expandable curtain, a first airbag, and a second airbag disposed in the roof of the vehicle. The first expandable curtain, the second expandable curtain, the third expandable curtain, the first airbag, and the second airbag are selectively deployable from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration. The third expandable curtain couples to the first expandable curtain and the second expandable curtain.
1 . A vehicle comprising:
a first seat;
a second seat; and
an occupant protection system including:
a first side expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the first side expandable curtain including:
a first section configured to extend along a first portion of a first interior side of the vehicle, the first section having a first side airbag expandable proximate the first interior side and the first seat, and
a second section configured to extend along a second portion of the first interior side of the vehicle, the second section having a second side airbag expandable proximate the first interior side and the second seat;
a second side expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the second side expandable curtain including:
a third section configured to extend along a first portion of a second interior side of the vehicle, the third section having a third side airbag expandable proximate the second interior side and the first seat, and
a fourth section configured to extend along a second portion of the second interior side of the vehicle, the fourth section having a fourth side airbag expandable proximate the second interior side and the second seat;
a central expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the central expandable curtain having an airbag expandable at least partially between the first interior side and the second interior side, the central expandable curtain including:
a top portion that is not coupled to the first side expandable curtain and the second side expandable curtain, and
a bottom portion coupled to the first side expandable curtain and the second side expandable curtain;
a first frontal airbag configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the first frontal airbag configured to deploy adjacent to the first seat, the first frontal airbag including:
a first channel,
a second channel, and
a first central chamber fluidly connected to the first channel and the second channel, wherein the first central chamber is inflated after the first channel and the second channel are at least partially inflated; and
a second frontal airbag configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the second frontal airbag configured to deploy adjacent to the second seat, the second frontal airbag including:
a third channel,
a fourth channel, and
a second central chamber fluidly connected to the third channel and the fourth channel, wherein the second central chamber is inflated after the third channel and the fourth channel are at least partially inflated.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the first side expandable curtain includes a top and a bottom;
the second side expandable curtain includes a top and a bottom;
the top of the central expandable curtain is not attached to the first side expandable curtain at a location between the first section and the second section;
the top of the central expandable curtain is not attached to the second side expandable curtain at a location between the third section and the fourth section;
the bottom of the central expandable curtain couples to the bottom of the first side expandable curtain; and
the bottom of the central expandable curtain couples to the bottom of the second side expandable curtain.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first inflator configured to inflate the first side airbag;
a second inflator configured to inflate the second side airbag;
a third inflator configured to inflate the third side airbag;
a fourth inflator configured to inflate the fourth side airbag;
a fifth inflator configured to inflate the airbag of the central expandable curtain;
a sixth inflator configured to inflate the first frontal airbag; and
a seventh inflator configured to inflate the second frontal airbag.
4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
in the stowed state, the first frontal airbag is located overhead of the first seat; and
in the stowed state, the second frontal airbag is located overhead of the second seat.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the first side expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed state;
the second side expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed state; and
the central expandable curtain is zig-zag folded in the stowed state.
6 . A system comprising:
a first expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the first expandable curtain including one or more first airbags that inflate;
a second expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the second expandable curtain including one or more second airbags that inflate;
a third expandable curtain configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state, the third expandable curtain including:
a top portion which is not connected to either the first expandable curtain and the second expandable curtain, and
a bottom portion coupled to the first expandable curtain and the second expandable curtain such that the third expandable curtain expands from the stowed state to the deployed state during (i) expansion of the first expandable curtain from the stowed state to the deployed state and (ii) expansion of the second expandable curtain from the stowed state to the deployed state; and
a third airbag configured to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the third expandable curtain is disposable between the first expandable curtain and the second expandable curtain.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the third expandable curtain includes an airbag that inflates.
9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first expandable curtain includes a first section and a second section;
the first section includes a first airbag of the one or more first airbags;
the second section includes a second airbag of the one or more first airbags;
the second expandable curtain includes a third section and a fourth section;
the third section includes a first airbag of the one or more second airbags; and
the fourth section includes a second airbag of the one or more second airbags.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the third expandable curtain includes a first side and a second side;
at the first side, the top portion of the third expandable curtain is disposed between the first section and the second section; and
at the second side, the top portion of the third expandable curtain is disposed between the third section and the fourth section.
11 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
in the deployed state of the third expandable curtain, the top portion of the third expandable curtain is spaced apart from a top of the first expandable curtain and a top of the second expandable curtain; and
the bottom portion of the third expandable curtain is coupled proximate to a bottom of the first expandable curtain and a bottom of the second expandable curtain.
12 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the first expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed state;
the second expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed state; and
the third expandable curtain is zigzag folded in the stowed state.
13 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the third airbag includes:
a first channel;
a second channel; and
a central chamber fluidly connected to the first channel and the second channel.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first channel and the second channel are inflated at least partially prior to inflating the central chamber.
15 . A system comprising:
a first expandable curtain disposed in a roof of a vehicle, the first expandable curtain being configured to selectively deploy from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration;
a second expandable curtain disposed in the roof of the vehicle, the second expandable curtain being configured to selectively deploy from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration;
a third expandable curtain disposed in the roof of the vehicle, the third expandable curtain being configured to selectively deploy from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration;
a first airbag disposed in the roof of the vehicle, the first airbag being configured to selectively deploy from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, the first airbag including:
a first channel,
a second channel, and
a first central chamber fluidly connected to the first channel and the second channel, wherein the first central chamber is inflated after the first channel and the second channel are at least partially inflated; and
a second airbag disposed in the roof of the vehicle, the second airbag being configured to selectively deploy from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first expandable curtain includes a first top and a first bottom;
the second expandable curtain includes a second top and a second bottom;
the third expandable curtain includes a third top and a third bottom;
the third top is not attached to either the first top and the second top; and
the third bottom is coupled to the first bottom and the second bottom.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of:
the first expandable curtain includes one or more third airbags;
the second expandable curtain includes one or more fourth airbags; or
the third expandable curtain includes one or more fifth airbags.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first expandable curtain includes a first section and a second section;
the first section includes a third airbag;
the second section includes a fourth airbag;
the second expandable curtain includes a third section and a fourth section;
the third section includes a fifth airbag; and
the fourth section includes a sixth airbag.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:
in the deployed configuration of the third expandable curtain, a first top of the third expandable curtain is spaced apart from a second top of the first expandable curtain and a third top of the second expandable curtain; and
a first bottom of the third expandable curtain couples proximate to a second bottom of the first expandable curtain and a third bottom of the second expandable curtain.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed configuration;
the second expandable curtain is roll folded in the stowed configuration; and
the third expandable curtain is zigzag folded in the stowed configuration.