US-12617366-B2 - Horizontally inflating passenger front air bag system

US12617366B2US 12617366 B2US12617366 B2US 12617366B2US-12617366-B2

Abstract

A vehicular airbag deployment system includes an airbag storage chamber, the airbag storage chamber disposed at a location within a vehicle. The vehicular airbag deployment system also includes an airbag configured to be stored within the airbag storage chamber when the airbag is in a deflated state. The airbag is further configured to be inflated in response to a collision detection event and deploy from the airbag storage chamber. In an inflated state, the airbag extends in a generally horizontal direction between a passenger seating location and a reaction surface at a front interior surface of the vehicle and the airbag contacts the reaction surface in the inflated state.

Inventors

Vidyadhar V. Katkar
Sangjoon Han
Sohel Merchant

Assignees

CANOO TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20250109

Claims (16)

1 . A vehicular airbag deployment system for a vehicle having a cross car beam and a bullhorn beam connected to the cross car beam, comprising: an airbag storage chamber configured to be connected to the cross car beam; a launch pad configured to be connected to the bullhorn beam; and an airbag comprising a first volume and a second volume configured to be stored within the airbag storage chamber when the airbag is in a deflated state, the airbag having an internal vertical separator extending vertically from an interior bottom portion to an interior top portion and defining the first volume and second volume, wherein, the airbag is further configured to be inflated in response to a collision detection event and deploy from the airbag storage chamber, and wherein, in an inflated state, the second volume of the airbag extends in a generally horizontal direction from the internal vertical separator towards a passenger seating location and the first volume of the airbag extends horizontally from the internal vertical separator and downwardly towards the launch pad and contacts the launch pad, wherein the launch pad supports the first volume and acts as reaction surface for the second volume during deployment.
2 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the internal vertical separator of the airbag includes a controllable orifice area configured to manage a difference in pressure between the first volume and the second volume.
3 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 2 , wherein a pressure of the first volume is equal to or higher than a pressure of the second volume.
4 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the airbag includes: a front portion comprising the second volume that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends towards the passenger seating location; and a rear portion comprising the first volume that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends towards the launch pad.
5 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 4 , wherein the rear portion of the airbag has a height that is shorter than a height of the front portion of the airbag.
6 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 5 , wherein the height of the front portion of the airbag is configured to extend between a torso of a passenger and a head level of the passenger.
7 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 5 , wherein a pressure of the first volume of the rear portion of the airbag is higher than a pressure of the second volume of the front portion of the airbag, and wherein the higher pressure of the first volume in conjunction with the launch pad creates a resistance opposite a direction of loading of a passenger against the front portion of the airbag.
8 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein, when the airbag is in the inflated state, the airbag has a length relative to the generally horizontal direction that exceeds a height of the airbag.
9 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 8 , wherein the length of the airbag relative to the generally horizontal direction also exceeds a width of the airbag.
10 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more sensors configured to detect safety parameters of the vehicle; and an airbag control unit configured to: identify the collision detection event using the detected safety parameters provided by the one or more sensors; and trigger inflation and deployment of the airbag in response to the identification of the collision detection event.
11 . The vehicular airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein a combined volume of the first volume and the second volume of the airbag is approximately 145 liters.
12 . A method comprising: detecting a vehicular collision and triggering a collision detection event; and deploying, in response to the collision detection event, an airbag having a first volume and a second volume stored in a deflated state in an airbag storage chamber connected to a cross car beam within a vehicle, including inflating the airbag to an inflated state, the airbag having an internal vertical separator extending vertically from an interior bottom portion to an interior top portion and defining the first volume and second volume, wherein, in the inflated state, the second volume of the airbag extends generally in a horizontal direction from the internal vertical separator towards a passenger seating location, and wherein, in the inflated state, the first volume of the airbag extends horizontally from the internal vertical separator and downwardly towards a launch pad and contacts the launch pad, wherein the launch pad supports the first volume and acts as a reaction surface for the second volume during deployment, and wherein the launch pad is connected to a bullhorn beam connected to the cross car beam within the vehicle.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the internal vertical separator of the airbag includes a controllable orifice area managing a difference in pressure between the first volume and the second volume, and wherein a pressure of the first volume is equal to or higher than a pressure of the second volume.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the airbag includes: a front portion comprising the second volume that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends to the passenger seating location; and a rear portion comprising the first volume that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends towards the launch pad.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the rear portion of the airbag has a height that is shorter than a height of the front portion of the airbag, wherein a pressure of the first volume of the rear portion of the airbag is higher than a pressure of the second volume of the front portion of the airbag, and wherein the higher pressure of the first volume creates a support resistance opposite a direction of loading of a passenger against the front portion of the airbag.
16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising: detecting safety parameters of the vehicle using one or more sensors; identifying, by an airbag control unit, the collision detection event using the detected safety parameters provided by the one or more sensors; and triggering inflation and deployment of the airbag in response to the identification of the collision detection event.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/619,009 filed Jan. 9, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/636,404 filed Apr. 19, 2024. The content of the above-identified patent applications is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to vehicular safety systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a horizontally inflating passenger front air bag system. BACKGROUND Vehicle platform architectures are becoming more unique, with some architectures having a higher longitudinal space between the driver and the windshield and a slim and smaller instrument panel than traditional vehicles. Due to this combination of a higher longitudinal space between the driver and windshield and a slimmer and smaller instrument panel, the necessary structural support for a passenger airbag is unavailable. Also, current airbags are deployed vertically and are designed to support/restrict the longitudinal movement of the occupant. However, this results in higher neck injury values and more chest deflection, both of which are crucial parameters for overall passenger safety and in obtaining 5-star safety rating performance. SUMMARY This disclosure relates to a horizontally inflating passenger front air bag system. In certain embodiments, a vehicular airbag deployment system includes an airbag storage chamber, the airbag storage chamber disposed at a location within a vehicle. The vehicular airbag deployment system also includes an airbag configured to be stored within the airbag storage chamber when the airbag is in a deflated state. The airbag is further configured to be inflated in response to a collision detection event and deploy from the airbag storage chamber. In an inflated state, the airbag extends in a generally horizontal direction between a passenger seating location and a reaction surface at a front interior surface of the vehicle and the airbag contacts the reaction surface in the inflated state. In some embodiments, the contact of the airbag and the reaction surface creates a resistance opposite a direction of loading of a passenger against the airbag. In some embodiments, the reaction surface is a windshield of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the airbag includes a front portion that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends to the passenger seating location, and a rear portion that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends to and contacts the reaction surface. In some embodiments, the rear portion of the airbag has a height that is shorter than a height of the front portion of the airbag. In some embodiments, the height of the front portion of the airbag is configured to extend between a torso of a passenger and a head level of the passenger. In some embodiments, the contact of the rear portion of the airbag and the reaction surface creates a resistance opposite a direction of loading of a passenger against the front portion of the airbag. In some embodiments, the airbag storage chamber is installed within an instrument panel of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the airbag is configured to deploy from the airbag storage chamber in response to the collision detection event initially vertically from the instrument panel and inflate in the generally horizontal direction over the instrument panel. In some embodiments, when the airbag is in the inflated state, the airbag has a length relative to the generally horizontal direction that exceeds a height of the airbag. In some embodiments, the length of the airbag relative to the generally horizontal direction also exceeds a width of the airbag. In some embodiments, the vehicular airbag deployment system also includes one or more sensors configured to detect safety parameters of the vehicle and an airbag control unit configured to identify the collision detection event using the detected safety parameters provided by the one or more sensors and trigger inflation and deployment of the airbag in response to the identification of the collision detection event. In some embodiments, a volume of the airbag is equal to, less than, or more than 190 liters. In certain embodiments, a method includes detecting a vehicular collision and triggering a collision detection event. The method also includes deploying, in response to the collision detection event, an airbag stored in a deflated state in an airbag storage chamber disposed at a location within a vehicle, including inflating the airbag to an inflated state. In the inflated state, the airbag extends in a generally horizontal direction between a passenger seating location and a reaction surface at a front interior surface of the vehicle and the airbag contacts the reaction surface in the inflated state. In some embodiments, the airbag includes a front portion that, when the airbag is in the inflated state, extends to the passenger seating location and a rear