Low-volume seat-mounted airbag with knee restraint

摘要

A low-volume airbag can deploy from a seat back to cushion an occupant disposed rearward of the seat during a collision event. The low-volume airbag can deploy from the seat at a position that is level with or lower than the position of the occupant's knees. When deployed, the low-volume airbag may adopt a curved or bent configuration. The low-volume airbag can be shaped and positioned to receive the head and/or torso of the occupant during a collision event. Cushioning of the knees of an occupant during a collision event may also be provided.

主权项

1. An airbag assembly comprising:
an airbag housing that is configured to be disposed within or adjacent to a seat back of a seat in a vehicle; an inflator; an airbag cushion that is deployable from the airbag housing to cushion at least one of a head and a torso of a back-seat occupant seated in a vehicle occupant position in a back seat of the vehicle during a collision event, wherein the airbag cushion is configured to receive inflation gas from the inflator to transition from a compact un-deployed state to an expanded deployed state in which the airbag cushion adopts a curved or bent shape such that a cross-section of the airbag cushion includes a substantially U-shape, the cross-section to be parallel to the sagittal plane of the back-seat occupant when the back-seat occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position in the back seat of the vehicle; and a knee restraint that is configured to deploy to cushion one or more knees of the back-seat occupant when the back-seat occupant is seated in the vehicle occupant position in the back seat of the vehicle as a result of deployment of the airbag cushion during the collision event.