US 11,807,166 B2
Airbag with releasable secondary chambers
Zhibing Deng, Northville, MI (US); Joseph E. Abramczyk, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Deepak Patel, Canton, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/508,183.
Prior Publication US 2023/0128759 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B60R 21/2338 (2011.01); B60R 21/207 (2006.01); B60R 21/015 (2006.01); B60R 21/231 (2011.01); B60R 21/233 (2006.01); B60R 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 21/2338 (2013.01) [B60R 21/01512 (2014.10); B60R 21/207 (2013.01); B60R 21/233 (2013.01); B60R 21/23138 (2013.01); B60R 2021/0048 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23107 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23146 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23161 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23388 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An assembly comprising:
a first seat and a second seat spaced from the first seat;
an airbag supported by the first seat in an uninflated position, the airbag being inflatable to an inflated position between the first seat and the second seat;
the airbag having a main chamber and two secondary chambers supported by the main chamber;
a tether releasably connected to the secondary chambers, the secondary chambers being maintained by the tether in an undeployed position relative to the main chamber and the secondary chambers being releasable by the tether to a deployed position in a cross-vehicle direction relative to the main chamber;
the main chamber is between the two secondary chambers in the cross-vehicle direction in the inflated position;
one of the secondary chambers is adjacent the first seat between the main chamber and the first seat in the inflated position and the other of the secondary chambers is adjacent the second seat between the main chamber and the second seat in the inflated position; and
a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
identify that an occupant is seated in the first seat;
identify that an occupant is seated in the second seat; and
release the tether based on the identification of the occupants seated in the first seat and the second seat.