Pleated airbag construction
An airbag for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes first and second panels each comprising a periphery having substantially identical configurations, wherein the first and second panels are positioned overlying each other and connected to each other via a perimeter connection that extends along their peripheries to define an inflatable volume of the airbag. The first panel includes a pleat configured to increase the area of the first panel over that of the second panel while the configurations of the peripheries of the first and second panels remain substantially identical, wherein the pleat is configured to form a bend in the airbag when the airbag is inflated.
1 . An airbag for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:
first and second panels having substantially identical peripheries, wherein the first and second panels are positioned overlying each other and connected to each other via a perimeter connection that extends along their peripheries to define an inflatable volume of the airbag, wherein the airbag has a length and a width that corresponds to respective lengths and widths of the interconnected first and second panels;
wherein the first panel comprises a pleat configured to form a bend in the airbag when the airbag is inflated, wherein the first panel comprises multiple panel pieces that have end portions positioned adjacent to each other and interconnected along respective edges by a panel connection that extends widthwise across the first panel between opposite longitudinally extending portions of the periphery of the first panel, wherein the interconnected edges have curved configurations such that the panel connection has a length that is greater than the width of the first panel across which the panel connection spans, which causes the area of the first panel to be greater than the area the second panel, allowing the pleat to be formed in the first panel despite the substantially identical peripheries of the first and second panels.
2 . The airbag recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple panel pieces comprise a first piece and a second piece,
wherein the first piece comprises a main portion with a periphery that forms a portion of the periphery of the first panel, wherein the end portion of the first piece has a periphery that does not form a portion of the periphery of the first panel,
wherein the second piece comprises a main portion with a periphery that forms a portion of the periphery of the first panel, wherein the end portion of the second piece has a periphery that does not form a portion of the periphery of the first panel,
wherein the end portions of the first and second pieces are connected to each other along their peripheries via the panel connection, the interconnected end portions of the first and second pieces forming the pleat, the pleat being positioned between the main portions of the first and second pieces.
3 . The airbag recited in claim 2 , wherein the peripheries of the end portions of the first and second pieces have matching curved configurations.
4 . The airbag recited in claim 3 , wherein the panel connection connecting the end portions of the first and second pieces has opposite ends that terminate at the perimeter connection on opposite sides of the airbag.
5 . The airbag recited in claim 1 , wherein the airbag is configured to position the bend in the airbag at a location on the airbag configured to receive the occupant's head.
6 . The airbag recited in claim 1 , further comprising connections that interconnect the first and second panels to define chambers within the inflatable volume of the airbag.
7 . The airbag recited in claim 6 , wherein the connections that interconnect the first and second panels to define chambers within the inflatable volume of the airbag comprise tethers.
8 . The airbag recited in claim 1 , wherein the airbag has a first end portion configured to be mounted to the vehicle structure at a mounting location on the vehicle, and wherein the bend is configured to control the shape of the airbag so that the airbag is positioned at a desired location relative to the occupant when deployed.
9 . The airbag recited in claim 8 , wherein the airbag comprises a first pleat configured to define a first bend in the airbag, and a second pleat configured to define a second bend in the airbag, wherein the first and second pleats define the first end portion of the airbag, a second end portion of the airbag, and a middle portion of the airbag extending between the first and second end portions of the airbag from the first pleat to the second pleat, wherein the first end portion of the airbag is configured to be mounted to the vehicle structure and to extend along the vehicle structure, the first bend is configured to cause the middle portion of the airbag to extend away from the vehicle structure toward the vehicle occupant, and the second bend is configured to cause the second end portion of the airbag to extend downward in front of the occupant.
10 . The airbag recited in claim 9 , wherein the vehicle structure comprises a roof of the vehicle.
11 . The airbag recited in claim 9 , wherein the vehicle structure comprises a seatback of a vehicle seat positioned in front of a vehicle seat upon which the occupant is seated.
12 . The airbag recited in claim 11 , wherein the first end portion of the airbag is configured to extend upward along the seatback, the middle portion of the airbag is configured to extend rearward from the seatback toward the occupant, and the second end portion of the airbag is configured to extend downward in front of the occupant.
13 . The airbag recited in claim 9 , further comprising an external tether that interconnects two of the first end portion of the airbag, second end portion of the airbag, and middle portion of the airbag.
14 . The airbag recited in claim 9 , wherein the airbag is configured so that the second bend is positioned in front of a head of the occupant and so that the second end portion of the airbag extends from the occupant's head down along the occupant's torso and terminates adjacent upper legs of the occupant.
15 . The airbag recited in claim 14 , wherein the second end portion of the airbag is configured to be impinged between the occupant's upper legs and the occupant's torso as the occupant leans forward into engagement with the airbag in response to a vehicle collision.
16 . An airbag module comprising:
the airbag of claim 1 ;
an inflator that is actuatable to produce inflation fluid for inflating and deploying the airbag; and
a housing for supporting the airbag and inflator.
17 . A vehicle safety system comprising the airbag module in claim 16 .
18 . The vehicle safety system recited in claim 17 , further comprising:
a sensor for sensing the occurrence of an event for which deployment of the airbag is desired and producing a signal indicative thereof; and
a controller connected to the sensor and, in response to receiving the signal, actuating the inflator to inflate and deploy the airbag.
19 . The airbag recited in claim 1 , wherein the perimeter connection is not required to form the pleat.
20 . An airbag for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, comprising:
a first panel and a second panel, the first panel comprising first and second panel pieces;
wherein the first panel piece has a periphery including first curved edge that extends widthwise across the first panel piece between opposite edges of the first panel piece;
wherein the second panel piece has a periphery including a second curved edge that extends widthwise across the second panel piece between opposite edges of the second panel piece;
wherein the first and second panel pieces are connected to each other by a panel connection that connects the first curved edge to the second curved edge;
wherein the first panel is positioned overlying the second panel and connected to the second panel by a perimeter connection that extends along the entire periphery of the second panel, wherein the first and second panel pieces are configured so that portions of their peripheries not including the interconnected first and second curved edges mate with the periphery of the second panel and are connected to the periphery of the second panel by the perimeter connection.