US 11,685,332 B2
Vehicle airbag
Young Kim, Rochester Hills, MI (US); and Jason Bare, Macomb, MI (US)
Assigned to ZF Passive Safety Systems US Inc., Washington Township, MI (US)
Filed by ZF Passive Safety Systems US Inc., Washington Township, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 3, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/558,451.
Prior Publication US 2021/0061214 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B60R 21/232 (2011.01); B60R 21/231 (2011.01); B60R 21/237 (2006.01); B60R 21/213 (2011.01); B60R 21/2338 (2011.01); B60R 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 21/232 (2013.01) [B60R 21/213 (2013.01); B60R 21/237 (2013.01); B60R 21/23138 (2013.01); B60R 21/2338 (2013.01); B60R 2021/0006 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A curtain airbag system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the curtain airbag system comprising:
an inflator configured to be mounted on or near a roof rail of the vehicle; and
a curtain airbag in fluid communication with the inflator, the curtain airbag comprising:
an upper edge comprising a plurality of mounting portions spaced along its length and configured to be connected via fasteners to the roof rail of the vehicle;
an inflatable main portion that extends the entire length of the curtain airbag, the main portion comprising an inflatable main chamber, the main portion being defined at an upper extent by the upper edge of the curtain airbag and at a lower extent by a lower edge that defines the lowermost extent of the curtain airbag; and
supplemental portions that extend along portions of the length of the curtain airbag corresponding to seating rows of the vehicle, the supplemental portions comprising inflatable supplemental chambers, the supplemental portions being defined at their upper extents by the upper edge of the curtain airbag and at their lower extents by lower edges of the supplemental portions, the lower edges of the supplemental portions being configured to terminate vertically above the lower edge of the main portion of the curtain airbag,
wherein the inflator and curtain airbag are configured so that the inflator directs inflation fluid into both the main chamber and the supplemental chamber so that the main portion and supplemental portion deploy in a downward direction away from the roof rail along a side structure of the vehicle, the supplemental portion being configured to deploy between the main portion and the side structure,
wherein the curtain airbag comprises a connection port along the upper edge of the curtain airbag for receiving the inflator and directing inflation fluid from the inflator into the main chamber and supplemental chamber from the upper edge of the curtain airbag, and
wherein the inflator directs inflation fluid through the connection port into the main and supplemental chambers at the same time so that the main and supplemental chambers inflate and deploy simultaneously.