1. A vehicle seat component comprising:
a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat component is to be used;
a molded foam seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity, and the seat pad including an attachment wire molded in situ;
a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;
an air bag module mounted on the frame within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, and the air bag module including an inflator and an air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat component through the air bag release seam of the trim cover;
an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities connected to the trim cover adjacent the air bag release seam, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof;
a first connector for securing the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel to the attachment wire of the seat pad; and
a second connector for securing the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel to the frame in a spaced location from the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel.
2. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the flexible inner panel extends from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence in a skewed angular relationship from the air bag module to the first connector.
3. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the flexible outer panel extends from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence along the air bag module to the second connector.
4. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein: the flexible inner panel extends from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence in a skewed angular relationship to the first connector; and the flexible outer panel extends from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence along the air bag module to the second connector.
5. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel includes an end retainer and the first connector is selected from the group consisting of: wires, plastic strips and combinations thereof that secure the end retainer to the attachment wire of the seat pad.
6. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the flexible outer panel and the trim cover extend along and around the air bag module with a portion of the seat pad therebetween, and the flexible outer panel and the trim cover extending around the air bag module to the second connector that secures the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel and the trim panel to the frame.
7. A vehicle seat component as in claim 7 wherein the second connector includes a hook shaped retainer that is secured to both the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel and to the trim cover and that is hooked to the frame.
8. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the air bag release seam includes stitching through bent seam ends of the trim cover and through the outer extremities of the flexible inner and outer panels.
9. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 embodied as a seat back and wherein the one side extremity is at an outboard location.
10. A vehicle seat back comprising:
a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat back is to be used;
a molded foam seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity, and the seat pad including an attachment wire molded in situ;
a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;
an air bag module mounted on the frame within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, and the air bag module including an inflator and an air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat back through the air bag release seam of the trim cover;
an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities connected to the trim cover adjacent the air bag release seam, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof with the flexible inner panel extending in a skewed angular relationship from the air bag module and with the flexible outer panel extending along the air bag module inwardly of a portion of the seat pad which is covered by the trim cover;
a first connector for securing the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel to the attachment wire of the seat pad; and
a second connector for securing the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel to the frame in a spaced location from the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for controlling inflation of an airbag in a vehicle which protects an occupant from injury in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:
sensing a crash involving the vehicle for which deployment of the airbag is desired;
inflating the airbag to protect the occupant in the crash involving the vehicle upon sensing of the crash;
incorporating a sensor in a seatbelt worn by the occupant; and
adjusting the continued inflation of the airbag after contact of the airbag with the occupant based on data provided by the sensor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer arranged to measure acceleration of the seatbelt.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measured acceleration of the seatbelt correlates to acceleration of the occupant and contact between the airbag and the seatbelt is determined based on changes in the measured acceleration of the seatbelt arising from contact of the airbag with the seatbelt.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the continued inflation of the airbag is control of outflow of inflation fluid from the airbag.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling the outflow of the inflation fluid to maintain the occupant’s chest acceleration below a threshold, the occupant chest acceleration corresponding to the deceleration of the airbag.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
forecasting the severity of the crash; and
setting the threshold based on the forecast severity.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining if the occupant is wearing a seatbelt; and
when the occupant is determined to be wearing a seatbelt, reducing outflow of inflation fluid from the airbag.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.
9. A method for controlling inflation of an airbag in a vehicle which protects an occupant from injury in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:
sensing a crash involving the vehicle for which deployment of the airbag is desired;
inflating the airbag to protect the occupant in the crash involving the vehicle upon sensing of the crash;
arranging a sensor in connection with the seatbelt to obtain information about a reaction of the seatbelt to contact with the airbag during inflation of the airbag; and
adjusting the continued inflation of the airbag after contact of the airbag with the seatbelt based on the information obtained by the sensor.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the adjustment of the continued inflation of the airbag is control of outflow of inflation fluid from the airbag.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the outflow of the inflation fluid to maintain the occupant’s chest acceleration below a threshold, the occupant chest acceleration corresponding to the deceleration of the airbag.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
forecasting the severity of the crash; and
setting the threshold based on the forecast severity.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer arranged to measure acceleration of the seatbelt.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the measured acceleration of the seatbelt correlates to acceleration of the occupant and contact between the airbag and the seatbelt is determined based on changes in the measured acceleration of the seatbelt arising from contact of the airbag with the seatbelt.
15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining if the occupant is wearing a seatbelt; and
when the occupant is determined to be wearing a seatbelt, reducing outflow of inflation fluid from the airbag.
16. A system for protecting an occupant from injury in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:
an inflatable airbag arranged to inflate to protect the occupant from injury during the crash;
a crash sensor system arranged to sense a crash involving the vehicle for which inflation of said airbag is desired;
an airbag inflation system coupled to said crash sensor system and arranged to initiate inflation of said airbag to protect the occupant in the crash involving the vehicle upon sensing of the crash by said crash sensor system; and
a deployment control system arranged to adjust continued inflation of said airbag after contact of said inflating airbag with the occupant based on contact between said airbag and the occupant.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said deployment control system includes a sensor arranged in connection with a seatbelt to obtain data relating to movement of said airbag which is analyzed to determine contact between said airbag and the seatbelt during inflation of said airbag.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein said sensor is an accelerometer arranged to measure acceleration of the seatbelt and senses contact between said airbag and the seatbelt based on changes in the measured acceleration of said seatbelt arising from contact of said airbag with the seatbelt.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein said sensor is a pressure sensor.