IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,383,667
Granted Patent B1
US 11,383,667 · App. 17/329,543 · Granted Jul 12, 2022

Airbag assembly

Inventors: Mangesh Kadam (Canton, MI); Srinivas Reddy Malapati (Novi, MI); Yuqin Zhao (Troy, MI)
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
B60R21/207B60R21/2165B60R21/2338B60R2021/23386
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,383,667
App. No.
17/329,543
Granted
Jul 12, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

An assembly includes a seatback. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable to an inflated position seat-forward of the seatback. The airbag includes a first tether fixed to the seatback and the airbag. The airbag includes a retractor. The airbag includes a second tether connected to and slidable along the first tether. The second tether is operatively coupled to the retractor.

Claims (25)

1. An assembly, comprising:

a seatback;

an airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable to an inflated position seat-forward of the seatback;

a first tether fixed to the seatback and the airbag;

a retractor; and

a second tether connected to and slidable along the first tether, the second tether operatively coupled to the retractor.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a head restraint, the airbag supported by the head restraint.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a ring surrounding the first tether and fixed to the second tether.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first tether includes a restrictor that permits the second tether to slide along the first tether in a first direction and inhibits the second tether from sliding in a second direction opposite the first direction.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes an inner panel and an outer panel that define an inflation chamber.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a resilient member fixed to the outer panel, the resilient member stiffer than the outer panel.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the resilient member is elongated along a vertical axis.

8. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the resilient member is elongated along a lateral axis.

9. The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a gas deflector within the inflation chamber.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the airbag in the inflated position includes a front portion and a pair of side portions, and wherein the gas deflector includes first openings that direct inflation gas to the front portion and second openings that direct inflation gas to the pair of side portions.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the gas deflector includes a first portion that extends seat-forward from the seatback to the first openings and a pair of second portions that extend laterally from the first portion to the second openings.

12. The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising an internal tether fixed to the inner panel and the outer panel.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seat bottom supporting the seatback and having a top surface, the airbag in the inflated position extending below the top surface.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a zipper fixed to the airbag.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the zipper is elongated along a vertical axis and extends to a bottom edge of the airbag in the inflated position.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retractor is supported by the seatback below the airbag.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seatback includes a tear seam that extends downward from the first tether.

18. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a pulley supported by the seatback and operatively coupled to the second tether between the first tether and the retractor.

19. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second tether includes a releasable buckle.

20. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a third tether fixed to the seatback and the airbag in the inflated position above the first tether.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2021
From: KADAM, MANGESH; MALAPATI, SRINIVAS REDDY; ZHAO, YUQIN
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 056342/0396 →
Cited By (5)
US 12,187,217 US 12,246,670 US 12,269,408 US 12,275,366 US 12,296,776