Ejection mitigation device

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of motor vehicle occupant protective systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to ejection mitigation devices for use with passenger airbag systems.

• • [0008] 50 vehicle
  • [0009] 50′ vehicle
  • [0010] 100 inflatable airbag
  • [0011] 100′ inflatable airbag
  • [0012] 144 A-pillar
  • [0013] 146 C-Pillar
  • [0014] 170 rear ejection mitigation device
  • [0015] 172 rear window
  • [0016] 174 front windshield
  • [0017] 200 deployment guides
  • [0018] 240 tether
  • [0019] 250 slider
  • [0020] 400 deployment guides
  • [0021] 410 deployment guides
  • [0022] 440 tether
  • [0023] 442 tether
  • [0024] 444 A-Pillar
  • [0025] 446 C-pillar
  • [0026] 450 slider
  • [0027] 452 slider
  • [0028] 470 rear ejection mitigation device
  • [0029] 472 rear window
  • [0030] 474 front windshield
  • [0031] 480 front ejection mitigation device

[0032] It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of various embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.

[0033] As those of skill in the art will appreciate, the examples and embodiments described herein may be applied to and used with a variety of airbag deployment systems including frontal driver and passenger airbags, knee airbags, overhead airbags, curtain airbags, and the like. Thus, the examples and embodiments described herein are applicable to airbag cushions of various shapes and sizes.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, an airbag system for protecting a passenger in a motor vehicle may include a passenger side airbag and/or a driver side airbag such as inflatable airbags 100. The inflatable airbags 100 may be associated with one or more ejection mitigation devices that may be configured to prevent the ejection of a vehicle occupant during a collision or roll-over accident. The ejection mitigation device may be configured to cover an inside surface of the vehicle like the inside of the windshield or the inside of the rear window. The inflatable airbags 100 may be mounted on or near a roof rail inside the vehicle 50. The inflatable airbags 100 may extend from the A-pillar to the C-pillar 146 in the vehicle 50. In alternative embodiments, the inflatable airbags 100 may extend from the A-pillar 144 to a D-pillar in larger A-D vehicles such as vans and large sport utility vehicles.

[0035] With continued reference to FIG. 1, a rear ejection mitigation device 170 (“REMD 170”) can be configured to protect a vehicle occupant from ejection from the rear window of the vehicle 50. The ejection mitigation device may be non-inflatable or be inflatable or partially inflatable. The ejection mitigation device may be formed from a mesh, a net, a flat fabric, or other appropriate material. In the undeployed state, the REMD 170 may be mounted and stored in the roof rail of the motor vehicle 50. In one example, the ejection mitigation device may be linked to a deployment guide configured to direct the deployment of the ejection mitigation device. Deployment guides may be mounted inside the vehicle, such as along the lateral edges of a front windshield or a rear window. In many vehicles, the front windshield and rear windows are not vertical, but are angled, and the top edges of the window may extend over a vehicle occupant. As such, the deployment of an ejection mitigation device for the front or rear windows needs to be directed along the contours of the window, toward the bottom of the window, and substantially along the inside surface of the window to ensure the best passenger protection and ejection mitigation.

[0036] For example, the lower edges of the REMD 170 may be attached to deployment guides 200. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the deployment guides 200 can be mounted on the C-pillar 146 and along the outer edges of the rear window 172. The deployment guides 200 may include rails, tracks, channels, rods, or combinations thereof. In this example, the deployment guides 200 can be located between the REMD 170 and the driver and passenger side airbags 100. In this arrangement, both the REMD 170 and the passenger and driver side airbags 100 may be linked to the deployment guides 200 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. For example, the airbags 100 and the REMD 170 can be attached to the deployment guides 200 such that the force of inflation of the airbags 100 will cause the deployment of the REMD 170 down the length of the deployment guides 200. In this way, the REMD 170 will be deployed along the longitudinal axis of the deployment guides ensuring that the REMD 170 covers the rear window and remains in place during a collision or roll-over accident. Moreover, with the REMD 170 deployed and secured with the deployment guides 100, the movement of the vehicle or an occupant will not be able to displace the REMD 170 thereby preventing ejection of a passenger from the vehicle.

[0037] With further reference to FIGS. 1-3, the passenger side and the driver side airbags 100 may be linked to the deployment guides 200 with a tether 240. The tether 240 may be movably linked to the deployment guides 200 allowing the tether 240 to move down the deployment guides 200 during the inflation of the airbags 100. The tether 240 may be configured to stretch or elongate in order to follow the angle of the deployment guides 200 during the inflation of the airbags 100. Alternatively, the airbags 100 can be attached to the deployment guides 200 with a wire, a strap, a pulley system, or other means of linking the airbags 100 to the deployment guides 200. In another embodiment, the airbags 100 may be directly or indirectly attached to the deployment guides 200 with a slider such as slider 250. The slider 250 may be directly attached to the airbags 100 on one end and the deployment guides 200 at another end. Alternatively, the slider 250 may be attached to the tether 240 at one end and to the deployment guides 200 at the other. The slider 250 may be configured to movably attach to the deployment guides 200 such that the slider 250 may move along the longitudinal axis of the deployment guides 200. The slider 250 may be configured with a locking or ratcheting mechanism which allows the slider to move down the deployment guides 200 and prevents the slider 250 from moving back up the deployment guides 200.

[0038] Likewise, the REMD 170 may be linked to the deployment guides 200 with a tether or a slider such as slider 250. The slider 250 may be movably linked to the deployment guides 200 allowing the REMD 170 to move down the deployment guides 200 during the inflation of the airbags 100. Alternatively, the ejection mitigation device can be attached to the deployment guides 200 with a wire, a strap, a pulley system, or other means.

[0039] By way of example only, before inflation, the airbags 100 may be stored along the roof rail of the vehicle 50 and, toward the rear bottom edge of the airbags 100, the slider 250 or the tether 240 may be attached and stowed with the airbags 100. The tether 240 can be linked to the slider 250 which is connected near the top of the deployment guides 200. The deployment guides 200 may be positioned along both C-pillars 146 of the vehicle 50. As such, the passenger side airbag 100 is linked to a passenger side deployment guide 200 with a tether 240 or a slider 250 or both. Likewise, the driver side airbag 100 is linked to a driver side deployment guide 200 with a tether 240 or a slider 250 or both.

[0040] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, the REMD 170 may be attached to the roof of the vehicle 50 above the rear window 172 and be configured to span the rear width of the vehicle. During storage, the REMD 170 may be rolled or folded while allowing the bottom outside edges to be attached to a pair of sliders 250 which are linked to the passenger and driver side deployment guides 200. As shown in FIG. 2, when the passenger and driver side airbags 100 are inflated, the force of the inflation moves the sliders 250 down the deployment guides 200 while simultaneously pulling the REMD 170 down across the inside of the rear window 172 of the motor vehicle 50. In this way, the REMD 170 is deployed along the inside surface of the rear window 172 and secured in place by the deployment guides 200. The REMD 170 can be held in the deployed position by a locking or ratcheting mechanism included with the deployment guides 200 or the slider 250 or both. For example, the deployment guides 200 can be configured to allow the slider 250 to move down towards the bottom of the rear window 172 but restrict the movement of the slider 250 back towards the top of the window 172.

[0041] In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a rear ejection mitigation device 470 (“REMD 470”) may be used in combination with a front mitigation device 480 (“FEMD 480”). In this example, the FEMD 480 is linked to a pair of deployment guides 410 mounted along the A-pillar 444 and the REMD 470 is linked to deployment guides 400 mounted on the C-pillar 446. The deployment guides 400 and 410 may be attached to the passenger's and driver's side airbags 100′. The FEMD 480 may be linked to the deployment guides 410 with a tether and/or a slider such as tether 442 and slider 452. Likewise, the REMD 470 may be linked to the deployment guides 400 with a tether and/or a slider such as tether 440 and slider 450. The slider 452 may be movably linked to the deployment guides 410 allowing the FEMD 480 to move down the deployment guides 410 during the inflation of the airbags 100′. Alternatively, the FEMD 480 can be attached to the deployment guides 410 with a wire, a strap, a pulley system, or other means.

[0042] The FEMD 480 may be non-inflatable or inflatable and may be formed of a mesh, net, or other material. The FEMD 480 may be configured to extend from the roof rail or vehicle ceiling down towards the bottom of the front windshield 474 or to the surface of the vehicle dashboard. In this way, the FEMD 480 may be deployed during the inflation of the passenger and driver side airbags 100′ and may cover the inside of the front windshield 474 of the vehicle 50′. The simultaneous deployment of both the REMD 470 and the FEMD 480 by the inflation of the airbags 100′ may provide ejection mitigation protection to the occupants for the front windshield 474 as well as the rear window 472. Furthermore, the attachment of the FEMD 480 and the REMD 470 to the deployment guides 400 and 410 can act to stabilize the deployed airbags and prevent them from swinging outside of the motor vehicle during a collision or rollover accident.

[0043] In yet another example (not shown), the FEMD 480 may be linked to the deployment guides 410 and deployed during inflation of the passenger and driver side airbags 100′ without any accompanying REMD 470. In this way, when the passenger and driver side airbags 100′ are deployed, the FEMD 480 is also deployed to prevent ejection of a passenger from the front windshield 474 of the vehicle 50′. The FEMD 480 may be configured to be deployed concurrently with or independently from the inflation of the vehicle's front airbags (not shown). For example, the FEMD 480 may be configured to deploy between the front windshield 474 and the inflated front airbags of vehicle 50′ thus providing for the impact protection of the front airbags as well as the ejection mitigation protection from the FEMD 480.

[0044] In another example, an ejection mitigation device, such as REMD 470 and FEMD 480, may include an inflatable chamber that may be at least partially inflated during deployment.

[0045] Various embodiments for preventing the ejection of a passenger from a vehicle have been disclosed herein. The front and rear ejection mitigation devices, alone or in combination, are examples of means for ejection mitigation and keeping a passenger's limbs, head, and body within the vehicle.

[0046] Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can use the preceding description to utilize the present disclosure to its fullest extent. The examples and embodiments disclosed herein are to be construed as merely illustrative and not a limitation of the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the disclosure described herein. In other words, various modifications and improvements of the embodiments specifically disclosed in the description above are within the scope of the appended claims.