EXPANSION-CONTROLLED JOINTS IN AIRBAGS FOR OUT-OF-POSITION OCCUPANTS AND CUSHION POSITIONING

摘要

The application provides airbag cushion deployment restraint systems (80) for use in inflatable airbag cushions (50). The deployment restraint systems (80) of the invention regulate deployment of an airbag cushion (50) to provide full radial expansion of the cushion prior to final expansion of the cushion toward a vehicle occupant. The deployment restraint systems of the invention thus increase the amount of contact surface area available to a vehicle occupant early in deployment and decrease the force with which the cushion is expanded toward a vehicle occupant during a collision event, thus reducing the likelihood of injury to an out-of-position vehicle occupant.