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DE-102021130240-B4 - VEHICLE SEAT SAFETY SYSTEM WITH CEILING AIRBAG WITH INTEGRATED SEAT BELT SYSTEM

DE102021130240B4DE 102021130240 B4DE102021130240 B4DE 102021130240B4DE-102021130240-B4

Abstract

Vehicle seat safety system, comprehensive: a vehicle seat (100) configured to move between a substantially reclining position and a substantially seated position, the vehicle seat (100) comprising at least a backrest (120) and a seat surface (130); an enclosure configured to store a ceiling airbag (210) in a deflated position prior to a collision, wherein the enclosure is located near the head of a passenger (101) in the vehicle seat (100); a first electromechanical restraint system (710R) assigned to the backrest (120) and coupled to the ceiling airbag (210) by a first physical coupling; and a second electromechanical restraint system (710L) assigned to the seat surface (130) and coupled to the ceiling airbag (210) by a second physical coupling, wherein the first and second electromechanical restraint systems (710R, 710L) pull the ceiling airbag (210) from the unfurled position to a furled position in which the ceiling airbag (210) substantially covers the sections of a passenger (101) that are located on the backrest (120) and the seat surface (130).

Inventors

  • Chin-Hsu Lin
  • Yi-Pen Cheng
  • Scott D. Thomas
  • Gary L. Jones
  • Paul E. Krajewski

Assignees

  • GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20211119
Priority Date
20210119

Claims (10)

  1. Vehicle seat safety system comprising: a vehicle seat (100) configured to move between a substantially reclining position and a substantially seated position, the vehicle seat (100) comprising at least a backrest (120) and a seat surface (130); an enclosure configured to store a ceiling airbag (210) in a non-deployed position prior to a collision, wherein the enclosure near the head of a passenger (101) in the vehicle seat (100); a first electromechanical restraint system (710R) associated with the backrest (120) and coupled to the ceiling airbag (210) by a first physical coupling; and a second electromechanical restraint system (710L) associated with the seat surface (130) and coupled to the ceiling airbag (210) by a second physical coupling, wherein the first and second electromechanical restraint systems (710R, 710L) pull the ceiling airbag (210) from the uninflated position to an inflated position in which the ceiling airbag (210) substantially covers the portions of a passenger (101) that are located on the backrest (120) and the seat surface (130).
  2. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 1 , wherein the first and second physical couplings comprise at least one of a belt, cord, cable, string or chain.
  3. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 1 , wherein the ceiling airbag (210) comprises first several inflatable chambers (401-410), wherein the first several inflatable chambers (401-410) are coupled to each other by first several conduits.
  4. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 3 , wherein the ceiling airbag (210) further comprises a tubular airbag (510) arranged around the circumference of the ceiling airbag (210), wherein the tubular airbag (510) is coupled to the first several inflatable chambers (401-410) of the ceiling airbag (210) by second several lines.
  5. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 4 , wherein the tubular airbag (401-410) comprises several inflatable chambers.
  6. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 5 , wherein the first and second multiple inflatable chambers are coupled by the second multiple lines.
  7. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 3 , furthermore comprising a high-pressure gas source coupled to the ceiling airbag (210).
  8. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 7 , wherein the high-pressure gas source inflates the ceiling airbag (210) when the first and second electromechanical restraint systems (710R, 710L) pull the ceiling airbag (210) from the intermediate position to the deployed position.
  9. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 8 , wherein the ceiling airbag (210) further comprises a tubular airbag (510) arranged around the circumference of the ceiling airbag (210), the tubular airbag (510) being coupled to the first multiple inflatable chambers (401-410) and the high-pressure gas source inflating the tubular airbag (510) when the first and second electromechanical restraint systems (710R, 710L) pull the ceiling airbag (210) from the intermediate position to the deployed position.
  10. Vehicle seat safety system according to Claim 9 , wherein the high-pressure gas source inflates the first several inflatable chambers (401-410) of the ceiling airbag (210) sequentially as the first and second electromechanical restraint systems (710R, 710L) pull the ceiling airbag (210) from the intermediate position to the deployed position.

Description

INTRODUCTION The present invention relates to a vehicle seat safety system. For general background information, please refer in advance to the printed publications. DE 10 2014 004 185 A1 and DE 10 2020 207 842 A1 referred. Conventional vehicles use both manual and passive restraint systems to ensure passenger safety in the event of an accident. A passive restraint system works automatically and requires no action from the vehicle's occupants. A well-known example of a passive restraint system is the airbag, which deploys automatically during a crash. The seatbelt is perhaps the best-known manual restraint system. The seatbelt requires the passenger to fasten it to ensure their own safety. However, the development of autonomous vehicles has introduced unconventional types of seats into passenger compartments. Many of these new seats allow a passenger to quickly recline into a horizontal position. This poses challenges to the effectiveness of conventional manual and passive restraint systems. SUMMARY Further applications of the present invention will become apparent from the description provided below. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only. According to the invention, a vehicle seat safety system is presented which is characterized by the features of claim 1. The vehicle seat safety system comprises (i) a vehicle seat configured to move between a substantially reclined position and a substantially seated position, the vehicle seat comprising at least a backrest and a seat cushion; and (ii) an enclosure configured to store a ceiling airbag in a deflated position prior to a collision. The enclosure is located near the head of a passenger within the vehicle seat. The system further comprises (iii) a first electromechanical restraint system associated with the backrest and coupled to the ceiling airbag by a first physical coupling; and (iv) a second electromechanical restraint system associated with the seat cushion and coupled to the ceiling airbag by a second physical coupling. The first and second electromechanical restraint systems retract the ceiling airbag from the deflated position to a deployed position in which the ceiling airbag substantially covers the portions of a passenger located on the backrest and seat cushion. In one embodiment, the first and second physical couplings comprise at least one of a belt, cord, cable, string or chain. In another embodiment, the ceiling airbag comprises several inflatable chambers, wherein the several inflatable chambers are coupled to each other by first several lines. In yet another embodiment, the ceiling airbag further comprises a tubular airbag arranged around the circumference of the ceiling airbag, wherein the tubular airbag is coupled to the first several inflatable chambers of the ceiling airbag by second several lines. In yet another embodiment, the tubular airbag comprises several inflatable chambers. In another embodiment, the first and second multiple inflatable chambers are coupled by the second multiple lines. In a further embodiment, the vehicle seat safety system also includes a high-pressure gas source that is coupled to the ceiling airbag. In yet another embodiment, the high-pressure gas source inflates the ceiling airbag when the first and second electromechanical restraint systems pull the ceiling airbag from the intermediate position to the deployed position. In one embodiment, the ceiling airbag further comprises a tubular airbag arranged around the circumference of the ceiling airbag, wherein the tubular airbag is coupled to the first multiple inflatable chambers and the high-pressure gas source inflates the tubular airbag when the first and second electromechanical restraint systems inflate the ceiling airbag from the intermediate position to the fully unfolded position. In another embodiment, the high-pressure gas source successively inflates the first several inflatable chambers of the ceiling airbag when the first and second electromechanical restraint systems pull the ceiling airbag from the intermediate position to the deployed position. In yet another embodiment, the first electromechanical restraint system is arranged in a housing on an edge of the backrest and the second electromechanical restraint system is arranged in a housing on an edge of the seat surface. In yet another embodiment, the first electromechanical restraint system is arranged on a floor surface of the backrest and the second electromechanical restraint system is arranged on a floor surface of the seat. In another embodiment, the vehicle seat also includes a leg rest. In yet another embodiment, the vehicle seat safety system further comprises a third electromechanical restraint system, which is assigned to the leg support and coupled to the ceiling airbag by a third physical coupling. In yet another embodiment, the first, second and third electromechanical restraint systems pull the ceiling airbag