Granted Patent B2

US 12,617,364 · App. 18/885,816 · Granted May 5, 2026

Inventors: Fernando Lozano Omana (Cuauhtemoc, MX); Joel Alonso Vazquez (Mexico City, MX); Jesus Alfonso Alarcon Hernandez (Toluca, MX); Dante Arturo Rodriguez Camacho (Texcoco, MX)

Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC

B60R21/207B60R21/23138B60R21/2338B60R2021/0006B60R2021/23146

Abstract

Claims (29)

1 . A vehicle seat comprising:

a seatback frame having an outboard side and an inboard side spaced from the outboard side in an inboard direction;

a tray supported by the seatback frame and being movable relative to the seatback frame in the inboard direction from an undeployed position to a deployed position;

an airbag supported by the tray and movable with the tray in the inboard direction from the undeployed position to the deployed position; and

a rail fixed to the seatback frame and a sliding member fixed to the tray, the sliding member being slidably engaged with the rail in the inboard direction;

the tray including a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending in the inboard direction from the sliding member to the second wall, and the second wall extending from the first wall in a seat-forward direction in the undeployed position and in the deployed position;

the airbag includes a base portion constrained between the inboard side and the second wall of the tray in the deployed position;

the airbag in the deployed position extending from the first wall in the seat-forward direction farther than the second wall extends from the first wall.

2 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the tray is at the inboard side of the seatback frame in the undeployed position.

3 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator between the rail and the sliding member to move the sliding member relative to the rail.

4 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a pyrotechnic actuator between the seatback frame and the tray to move the tray from the undeployed position to the deployed position.

5 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the rail has a first end and a second end spaced from the first end in the inboard direction, the second end being higher than the first end.

6 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag, the inflator being supported by the tray and moveable with the tray from the undeployed position to the deployed position.

7 . The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second wall includes a bottom portion and a top portion extending from the bottom portion toward an upright midline of the seatback frame.

8 . The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second wall includes a bottom portion and a top portion extending from the bottom portion in a vehicle-outboard direction.

9 . The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the airbag inflates between the tray and the inboard side when the tray is in the deployed position.

10 . A vehicle comprising:

a seatback frame;

a tray supported by the seatback frame and being movable relative to the seatback frame in a vehicle-inboard direction from an undeployed position to a deployed position;

an airbag supported by the tray and movable with the tray from the undeployed position to the deployed position;

a rail fixed to the seatback frame and a sliding member fixed to the tray, the sliding member being slidably engaged with the rail in the vehicle-inboard direction;

an actuator between the seatback frame and the tray to move the tray from the undeployed position to the deployed position;

the tray including a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending in the vehicle-inboard direction from the sliding member to the second wall, and the second wall extending from the first wall in a vehicle-forward direction in the undeployed position and in the deployed position;

the airbag includes a base portion constrained between the seatback frame and the second wall of the tray in the deployed position;

the airbag in the deployed position extending from the first wall in the seat-forward direction farther than the second wall extends from the first wall; and

a computer having a processor and memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuator in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts and detection of absence of an occupant vehicle inboard of the seatback frame.

11 . The vehicle as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate the inflator in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts.

12 . The vehicle as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the inflator is supported by the tray and is moveable with the tray from the undeployed position to the deployed position.

13 . The vehicle as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)