Multi-stage airbag in vehicle with reconfigurable interior
A steering wheel is locatable between an operational position at a driver seat of a vehicle and a stowed position in the vehicle. A first airbag is coupled to the steering wheel, and a multi-stage airbag laterally overlaps the driver seat and a passenger seat of the vehicle next to the driver seat. A controller includes instructions for detecting a frontal collision, locating the steering wheel, deploying the first airbag at the driver seat and the multi-stage airbag at the passenger seat when the steering wheel is in the operational position, and deploying the multi-stage airbag at the driver and passenger seats when the steering wheel is in the stowed position.
1. A controller in a vehicle, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including instructions for:
monitoring crash sensor data;
detecting a frontal collision; and
determining that a steering wheel in a vehicle is in one of an operating position and a stowed position, and, when the steering wheel is in the operational position, deploying a first airbag at the driver seat and a multi-stage airbag at the passenger seat, and, when the steering wheel is in the stowed position, deploying the multi-stage airbag at the driver and passenger seats.
2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the first airbag is a steering wheel airbag.
3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the multi-stage airbag extends substantially laterally across a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
4. The controller of claim 3 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in a header of the vehicle.
5. The controller of claim 3 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in an instrument panel of the vehicle.
6. The controller of claim 1 , the instructions further including instructions for determining whether the driver and passenger seats are facing forward.
7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the multi-stage airbag includes a dual-stage inflator.
8. A system, comprising:
a steering wheel locatable between an operational position at a driver seat of a vehicle and a stowed position in the vehicle;
a first airbag coupled to the steering wheel;
a multi-stage airbag laterally overlapping with the driver seat and a passenger seat of the vehicle next to the driver seat; and
a controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including instructions for detecting a frontal collision, locating the steering wheel, deploying the first airbag at the driver seat and the multi-stage airbag at the passenger seat when the steering wheel is in the operational position, and deploying the multi-stage airbag at the driver and passenger seats when the steering wheel is in the stowed position.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multi-stage airbag includes two chambers.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the multi-stage airbag includes a dual-stage inflator.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the multi-stage airbag includes two inflators.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in a header of the vehicle.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in an instrument panel of the vehicle.
14. The system of claim 8 , the instructions further including instructions for determining whether the driver and passenger seats are facing forward.
15. A method, comprising:
monitoring crash sensor data;
detecting a frontal collision; and
determining that a steering wheel in a vehicle is in one of an operating position and a stowed position, and, when the steering wheel is in the operational position, deploying a first airbag at the driver seat and a multi-stage airbag at the passenger seat, and, when the steering wheel is in the stowed position, deploying the multi-stage airbag at the driver and passenger seats.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the multi-stage airbag extends substantially laterally across a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in a header of the vehicle.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the multi-stage airbag is in an instrument panel of the vehicle.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining whether the driver and passenger seats are facing forward.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first airbag is a steering wheel airbag.