SIDE AIRBAG FOR VEHICLES

摘要

A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.

主权项

1. A side airbag for vehicles comprising:
a wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening therebetween adjacent a lower airbag end relative to an operating position within a vehicle; and a deflector between a downstream side of the opening and an exterior vent, the deflector and a downstream surface of the wall defining a channel therebetween to direct inflation gasses exiting the opening toward an upper airbag end and around an end of the deflector adjacent an outlet end of the channel before reaching the exterior vent.