IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,491,945
Granted Patent B2
US 11,491,945 · App. 17/225,248 · Granted Nov 8, 2022

Airbag assembly with selectively inflatable inflation chambers

Inventors: Joseph E. Abramczyk (Farmington Hills, MI); Zhibing Deng (Northville, MI); Deepak Patel (Canton, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60R21/21B60R21/01554B60R21/233B60R21/23138
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,491,945
App. No.
17/225,248
Granted
Nov 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify a longitudinal position of a seat. The instructions include to identify a rotational position of the seat. The instructions include to selectively inflate one or more of a plurality of inflation chambers of an airbag adjacent the seat based on the longitudinal position and the rotational position of the seat.

Claims (30)

1. A system comprising a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

identify a longitudinal position of a vehicle seat along a longitudinal axis of a vehicle;

identify a rotational position of the vehicle seat; and

selectively inflate one or more of a plurality of inflation chambers of an airbag each supported by a door of the vehicle, the plurality of inflation chambers being separated from each other along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

wherein selectively inflating the inflation chambers includes inflating one or more of the inflation chambers from the door adjacent the vehicle seat based on the longitudinal position and the rotational position of the vehicle seat.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to selectively inflate the one or more of a plurality of inflation chambers includes instructions to activate an inflator.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions to selectively inflate the one or more of a plurality of inflation chambers includes instructions to release one or more of a plurality of control valves between the inflator and each of the inflation chambers.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions to release one or more of the plurality of control valves include instructions to release a solenoid of at least one of the control valves.

5. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of fill tubes, each fill tube extending from the inflator to each of the inflation chambers.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a fill tube extending continuously from the inflator to all the inflation chambers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inflation chambers are fluidly isolated from each other.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of uninflatable panels, each of the uninflatable panels being between each of the inflation chambers.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a seat;

a door;

an airbag assembly including a plurality of inflation chambers fluidly isolated from each other and separated from each other along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, each of the inflation chambers being supported by the door; and

a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

identify a longitudinal position of the seat along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

identify a rotational position of the seat; and

selectively inflate one or more of the inflation chambers from the door adjacent the seat based the longitudinal position and the rotational position of the seat.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the airbag assembly includes an inflator fluidly connected to each of the inflation chambers.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the airbag assembly includes a plurality of control valves between the inflator and the inflation chambers.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to selectively inflate one or more of the inflation chambers include instructions to release at least one of the control valves.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein each of the control valves include a solenoid and the instructions to release at least one of the control valves includes instructions to release the solenoids.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of fill tubes, each fill tube extending from the inflator to each of the inflation chambers.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the inflator includes a fill tube extending continuously from the inflator to all the inflation chambers.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 , further comprising a door panel adjacent the seat, the airbag assembly being supported by the door panel adjacent the seat.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , further comprising a door-trim panel supported by the door panel, the airbag assembly being between the door panel and the door-trim panel.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of inflation chambers are separated from each other along the door panel in a vehicle-longitudinal direction.

19. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of uninflatable panels, each of the uninflatable panels being between each of the inflation chambers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2021
From: ABRAMCZYK, JOSEPH E.; DENG, ZHIBING; PATEL, DEEPAK
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 055862/0506 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220324405A1 · Oct 13, 2022