Wrap-around airbag device

Abstract

An airbag device for a vehicle including at least one airbag housing interface chamber that attaches to an airbag housing; at least one airbag cushion chamber downstream of the at least one interface chamber; an elbow that fluidly connects the housing interface chamber with the cushion chamber and configured so that it controllably regulates gas flow into the at least one airbag cushion chamber; the elbow having an internal configuration, which includes at least one opening that permits back and forth gas flow between the elbow'and the least one airbag cushion chamber, and which controls the directional deployment of the airbag cushion chamber so that upon deployment the do tread end of the cushion chamber exits an airbag housing outwardly in a first direction and then in at least one second direction, so that the direction of deployment of the cushion chamber changes in direction to thereby wrap at least partially around a structure of a vehicle of the vehicle and at least temporarily interpose the cushion chamber between any occupant and the vehicle structure.

1 . An airbag device for a vehicle comprising:
 an airbag including:
 a) at least one irbag housing interface chamber that attaches to an a bag housing; 
 b) at least one airbag cushion chamber down Cream of the at least one housing interface chamber; 
 c) at least two generally opposing panels that are connected together to define the at least one housing interface chamber the at least one airbag cushion chamber, or both: 
 d) at least one elbow that fluidly connects the at least one housing interface chamber with the at least one airbag cushion chamber, wherein the at least one elbow includes at least one opening that permits back and forth gas flow between the at least one elbow and the at least one airbag cushion chamber;
 the at least one elbow having an internal configuration, which controls directional deployment of the at least one airbag cushion chamber so that upon deployment a downstream end of the at least one airbag cushion chamber exits the airbag housing outwardly in a first direction and then in at least one second direction, so that the direction of deployment of the at least one airbag cushion chamber changes between the first direction and the second direction to thereby wrap at least partially around a component of the vehicle and at least temporarily interposes the at least one airbag c cushion chamber between an occupant and the component; 
 
   wherein the at least one elbow has an inner facing panel with a length A and an outer facing panel with a length C that is longer than at least about 3 times the length A, the inner facing panel being tethered to the outer facing panel by a first tether located proximate to the at least one airbag housing interface chamber, the first tether having a tether length B and a second tether having a tether length D that is less than the length B.   
     
     
         2 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The airbag device of  claim 1 , wherein during deployment, the at least one elbow exhibits a generally concave and relatively rigid internal deflection surface that redirects gas flow in the second direction. 
     
     
         22 . The airbag device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one airbag cushion chamber includes an airbag leg cushion chamber, the component is an instrument panel, and the change in direction between the first direction and the second direction includes an upwardly direction. 
     
     
         23 . The airbag device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least two generally opposing panels include:
 a forward panel; and   a rear panel that is connected to the forward panel.   
     
     
         24 . The airbag device of  claim 23 , wherein the first tether and'the second tether each have lateral peripheral edges and gas flow is defined between the lateral peripheral edges and an interior wall of the airbag. 
     
     
         25 . The airbag device of  claim 1 , wherein the airbag housing includes a generally outwardly facing opening which is oriented so that the downstream end of the at least one airbag cushion chamber exits the airbag housing generally along a first axis greater than about 60 degrees below horizontal. 
     
     
         26 . The airbag device of  claim 25 , wherein the airbag device is free of any guidance hardware or another structural arrangement located external of the airbag device for directionally controlling inflation. 
     
     
         27 . An airbag device for a vehicle comprising:
 an airbag including:   a) at least one airbag housing interface chamber that attaches to an airbag housing;   b) at least one airbag leg cushion chamber downstream of he at least one housing interface chamber;   c) at least one elbow which fluidly connects the at least one airbag housing interface chamber with the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber, wherein the at least one elbow includes:
 i) at least one upstream generally flat panel tether proximate the at least one airbag housing interface chamber; 
 ii) at least one downstream generally flat panel tether proximate the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber; 
   iii) an internal configuration, which controls a direction of deployment of the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber so that the airbag inflates from the at least one airbag housing along at least three generally axial directions;   iv) at least one opening in the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether, at least one opening in the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether, or at least one opening in both the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether and the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether through which gas flows;   v) lateral peripheral edges on the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether, lateral peripheral edges on the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether, or lateral peripheral edges on both the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether and the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether so that gas flows between the lateral peripheral edges and an interior wall of the airbag; and   d) at least two generally opposing panels that are connected together with the at least one upstream, generally flat panel tether and the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether and define the at least one elbow; wherein upon deployment a downstream end of the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber exits the at least one airbag housing in a first direction, then in a second direction, and then in a third and upwardly direction so that the direction of deployment of the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber changes from the first direction to the third and upwardly direction to thereby wrap at least partially around an instrument panel of the vehicle and at least temporarily interposes the at least one airbag leg cushion chamber between a leg of an occupant and the instrument panel;
 wherein the direction of deployment changes direction and the airbag device wraps at least partially around the instrument panel due primarily to its internal structure; and 
 wherein one of the at least two generally opposing panels is an inner facing panel with a length A, and one of the at least two generally opposing panels is an outer facing panel with a length C that is longer than at least about 3 times the length of A. 
   
     
     
         28 . The airbag device of  claim 27 , wherein the generally two opposing panels are formed of a single continuous sheet. 
     
     
         29 . The airbag device of  claim 27 , wherein at least one opening in the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether has an area that is less than an area of at least one of the openings in the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether; and
 the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether has a tether length B and the   at least one downstream generally flat panel tether has a tether length D that is less than the length B.   
     
     
         30 . The airbag device of  claim 29 , wherein the airbag housing includes a generally outwardly facing opening which is oriented so that the downstream end of the at least one airbag cushion chamber exits the airbag housing generally along a first axis greater than about 70 degrees below horizontal. 
     
     
         31 . The airbag device of  claim 30 , wherein the inner facing panel length, the outer facing panel length, the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether length, and the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether length create are internal deflection surface in the at least one elbow which redirects gas flow. 
     
     
         32 . The airbag device of  claim 27 , wherein the airbag is a knee airbag. 
     
     
         33 . The airbag device of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one upstream generally flat panel tether, the at least one downstream generally flat panel tether, or both are a fabric panel structure. 
     
     
         34 . The airbag device of  claim 29 , wherein the airbag includes a downstream end and an upstream end; and
 the downstream end has a width larger than the width of the upstream end.   
     
     
         35 . An airbag device for a vehicle comprising:
 an airbag including:   a) at least one airbag housing interface chamber that attaches to an airbag housing which includes a generally outwardly facing opening through which the airbag initially exits;   b) at least one airbag cushion chamber downstream of he at least one housing interface chamber;   c) at least one elbow that fluidly connects the at least one housing interface chamber with the at least one airbag cushion chamber; and includes;
 a first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether having a first end and a second end, which is proximate to the at least one housing interface chamber; 
 ii) a second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether having a first end and a second end, which is proximate to the at least one airbag cushion chamber; 
 iii) an inner elbow panel connected to the first ends of each of the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether and the second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether; 
 iv) an outer elbow panel connected to the second ends of each of the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether and the second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether; 
 v) at least one opening in the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether through which gas flows; 
 vi) at least one opening in the second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether through which gas flows; and 
 vii) an internal configuration, which controls a direction of deployment of the at least one airbag cushion chamber so that the airbag device inflates from the at least one airbag housing along at least three directions; 
 viii) at least two generally opposing panels that are connected together to define the at least one housing interface chamber, the at least one airbag cushion chamber, or both; 
   wherein at least one of the openings in the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether has an area that is less than an area of at least one of the openings in the second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether;
 wherein the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether and the second upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether connect the at least two generally opposing panels to define the at least one elbow; 
 wherein at least one of the tethers includes at least one lateral peripheral edge and the gas flow is defined between the at least one lateral peripheral edge and an inner wall of the airbag device; 
 wherein the inner elbow panel has a length A, and the outer elbow panel has a length C that is longer than at least about  4  times the length A; and 
 wherein upon deployment through the generally outwardly facing opening the direction of deployment of the at least one airbag cushion chamber changes from a first direction, in a generally outward direction, to a second direction, and then a third direction so that the airbag wraps at least partially around a component of the vehicle and at least temporarily interposes the at least one airbag cushion chamber between an occupant and the component. 
   
     
     
         36 . The airbag device of  claim 35 , wherein the generally outwardly facing opening is oriented so that the downstream end of the at least, one airbag cushion chamber exits the airbag housing generally along a first axis greater than about 80 degrees below horizontal. 
     
     
         37 . The airbag device of  claim 38 , wherein the first upstream generally elongated and flat panel tether has a tether length B and the second downstream generally elongated and flat panel tether has a tether length D that is less than the length of B. 
     
     
         38 . The airbag device of  claim 35 , wherein the airbag is rolled, tucked, and/or folded for containment within the airbag housing prior to deployment. 
     
     
         39 . The airbag device of  claim 38 , wherein the airbag is a single-celled structure.