US 12,083,987 B2
External airbag device
Jiwoon Song, Yongin-si (KR); Sang Won Hwangbo, Yongin-Si (KR); Do Hyoung Kim, Yongin-si (KR); Seok Min Lee, Yongin-si (KR); and Jae Jun Harm, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD., Seoul (KR)
Filed by HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/476,603.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0136209 (KR), filed on Oct. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0118938 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B60R 21/36 (2011.01); B60R 19/48 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 21/36 (2013.01) [B60R 19/48 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An external airbag comprising:
a housing located in a bumper of a vehicle; and
an airbag cushion stored folded in the housing and configured to expand outwardly from the housing through an airbag exit portion of the bumper when gas is injected into the airbag cushion, the airbag cushion having a contact surface configured to contact an external obstacle colliding with the vehicle when the airbag cushion is deployed,
wherein:
the airbag cushion is configured to, when deployed, extend in an upwardly inclined direction from the airbag exit portion of the bumper such that a first portion of the airbag cushion having an elevation higher than the airbag exit portion of the bumper is larger than a second portion of the airbag cushion having an elevation lower than the airbag exit portion of the bumper;
the airbag cushion stored in the housing has upper and lower portions folded separately;
the folded upper portion is located above the folded lower portion within the housing; and
the folded upper and lower portions of the airbag cushion are folded so that the folded lower portion is folded more densely than the folded upper portion is folded so that the folded lower portion has a first volume smaller than a second volume of the folded upper portion and so that the folded upper portion is deployed more rapidly than the folded lower portion when gas is injected into the airbag cushion.