Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag inflatable from a stored condition adjacent a roof of the vehicle to a deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. The apparatus also includes a tether for anchoring the curtain airbag to the vehicle structure. The tether includes a length of woven fabric material having longitudinal slits spaced from each other along the length of the tether. The tether is doubled over onto itself to position the slits overlying each other and to form a loop at the terminal end of the tether. A fastener extends through the aligned slits and being configured to connect the tether directly to the sheet metal of the vehicle.

Abstract: An anchor assembly for connecting a curtain airbag to a side structure of a vehicle includes an elongated track configured to be connected to the side structure of the vehicle behind a vehicle trim piece that covers the side structure and forms a surface visible from within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. An anchor is configured to move along the track. The track includes sidewalls that define an interior channel that extends along the length of the track, and a slot that extends along the length of the track. The anchor includes a shank and a roller that is connected to the shank and rotatable relative to the shank. The roller and a portion of the shank to which the roller is connected are positioned in the channel and are movable along the channel when the anchor moves along the track. A portion of the shank extends through the slot, is positioned on an exterior of the track, and is configured to be connected to the curtain airbag.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect a driver side occupant of a vehicle having a steering yoke includes an airbag mounted to the steering yoke. The airbag is inflatable from a stored condition concealed in the steering yoke to a deployed condition in which the airbag is positioned between the steering yoke and the occupant. The apparatus also includes an airbag wrap for packaging the airbag in the stored condition. The airbag wrap is configured to bias the airbag to deploy initially in an initial deployment direction transverse to a steering axis of the steering yoke through a deployment opening defined by the airbag wrap and a pleat formed in the airbag wrap and secured with a tear stitch. The pleat is configured to initially reduce the size of the deployment opening, which limits initial deployment of the airbag through the deployment opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag having a packaged condition in which the curtain airbag is rolled and/or folded to be installed along a roof rail in a vehicle. The curtain airbag is configured to be inflated and deployed along a side structure of the vehicle structure. The curtain airbag includes a channel configured to receive a package maintaining structure configured to enforce a predetermined configuration of the curtain airbag in the packaged condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the airbag is positioned to help protect the vehicle occupant. The airbag includes an extendable member comprising one or more slits formed in the airbag material. Each slit has a concave configuration defining an extendable portion of the extendable member that is movable relative to the remainder of the extendable member to extend the reach of the extendable member. According to one aspect, the extendable member can form a mounting tab for mounting the airbag in the vehicle. According to another aspect, the extendable member can form a wrapping structure for maintaining the airbag in a packaged condition for installation in the vehicle.

Abstract: A knee airbag includes overlying panels interconnected along a perimeter connection to define an inflatable volume of the knee airbag. The knee airbag includes a filling portion and a cushion portion. The filling portion is configured to receive inflation fluid from an inflator and to direct the inflation fluid from the inflator to the cushion portion. The cushion portion has a width that is greater than a width of the filling portion and extends laterally beyond the width of the filling portion on opposite sides of the filling portion. The knee airbag also includes at least one tether having a first end connected to the cushion portion and an opposite second having a connection configured to anchor the at least one tether. The at least one tether is configured to limit movement of the cushion portion and to help position the cushion portion relative to a vehicle surface for which the knee airbag is configured to help prevent impacts from a vehicle occupant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for helping to protect occupants of an autonomous vehicle in the event of a collision. An airbag has a stored, pre-deployment condition in a vehicle roof. The airbag is deployable downward toward the vehicle floor in front of a vehicle occupant. The airbag includes an upper portion for receiving the occupant's head and torso. A lower portion extends downward and forward from the upper portion. The lower portion is for receiving the occupant's lower legs.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a support member connectable to a vehicle steering column. A steering wheel has first and second rim portions. At least one of the first and second rim portions is pivotable about a pivot axis between a steering position and a folded position. At least one linear actuator is connected to the support member and operably connected to at least one of the first and second rim portions. Actuation of the linear actuator pivots at least one of the first and second rim portions about the pivot axis.

Abstract: A mounting bracket for a curtain airbag includes a mounting plate configured to be installed in a mounting tab of a curtain airbag. The mounting plate includes an opening for receiving a fastener. The mounting bracket also includes a deployment plate that is configured to be installed between folded portions of the curtain airbag and to maintain the folded configuration of the folded portions. The mounting bracket also includes an arm portion that connects the deployment plate to the mounting plate and maintains the deployment plate spaced from the mounting plate at a predetermined orientation relative to the mounting plate. The mounting bracket further includes a slot defined between the mounting plate and the deployment plate and having an open end adjacent corresponding lateral edges of the mounting plate and the deployment plate. The arm portion defines a closed end of the slot opposite the open end.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag configured to be deployed from a roof of the vehicle. The airbag includes a front panel configured to face the occupant and a rear panel configured to face away from the occupant. An external tether has ends connected to the rear panel on an exterior of the airbag. The external tether has a length measured between the ends that is shorter than the length of the rear panel extending between the connections of the external tether to the rear panel so as to cause the airbag to have a curved portion when inflated and deployed, the curved portion facing convexly toward the occupant. In one example configuration, the curved portion can be configured to receive the occupants head and to unbend in response to receiving the occupants head, wherein the unbending causes the front panel to crumple and form creases.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a far-side collision in which the vehicle is impacted on a side opposite the seat in which the occupant is seated includes a curtain airbag configured to inflate and deploy from a roof of the vehicle in response to a far-side collision. The curtain airbag has an inflated and deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned inboard of the vehicle occupant.

Abstract: A deployment ramp helps to direct a side airbag to deploy along a desired deployment trajectory from a vehicle seatback to a deployed position adjacent a side structure of the vehicle. The deployment ramp includes a mounting wall configured to be connected to a seat frame of the seatback. The deployment ramp also includes a deployment wall configured to deflect outboard of the vehicle seatback in response to airbag deployment and at least partially cover padding and/or a cover of the seatback. The deployment ramp further includes a bottom wall that extends between the mounting wall and the deployment wall, the bottom wall forming a reaction surface for side airbag deployment in the deployment trajectory.

Abstract: A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag having a stored condition within the roof and being inflatable to a deployed condition extending into the cabin and aligned with the seat. The airbag includes a first portion extending along the roof and a second portion extending away from the roof toward the occupant. The second portion being configured to fold away from the occupant in response to occupant penetration into the airbag.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for helping to protect occupants of a vehicle seat in the event of a collision. The vehicle seat includes a base with a bottom cushion, a backrest with a back cushion, and a side rest having a side cushion that extends upward from the bottom cushion and forward from the back cushion. The apparatus comprises a deployable restraint stored in a pre-deployment condition in the side rest. The deployable restraint comprising an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag. When inflated to a deployed condition the restrain cushions the occupant against impacts with the side rest.

Abstract: A knee airbag includes a cushion portion, which includes overlying panels interconnected along a perimeter connection to define an inflatable volume of the knee airbag. The panels are interconnected within the perimeter connection along one or more interior connections that define inflatable chambers within the inflatable volume. The knee airbag also includes a tether connected to an exterior surface of the cushion portion at spaced locations. The tether has a length that is shorter than the distance between the locations on the cushion portion to which the tether is connected. The tether is configured to become tensioned in response to inflation of the cushion portion and causing a bend to form in the cushion portion.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system for retaining an occupant in a vehicle seat includes a support extending adjacent a back of the vehicle seat so that the back of the vehicle seat extends between the occupant and the support. At least one strap has first and second ends attached to the support. The at least one strap extends around the occupant and the back of the seat so that the back of the vehicle seat and the occupant are between the support and the at least one strap.

Abstract: A knee airbag module includes an inflatable knee airbag, an inflator for inflating the knee airbag, a housing for supporting the knee airbag and inflator, a cover for enclosing the knee airbag in the housing, and a deployment flap positioned beneath the cover. The housing includes an opening through which the knee airbag deploys. The deployment flap is connected to the housing and spans across at least a portion of the opening. The knee airbag has a width that extends laterally beyond the lateral extent of the housing when the airbag is deployed. The knee airbag also includes a central portion that spans the width of the housing when the knee airbag is deployed. The deployment flap is configured to initially inhibit deployment of the central portion of the knee airbag while remaining portions of the knee airbag initially deploy. The deployment flap is configured to thereafter rupture and permit deployment of the central portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect occupants of a vehicle in the event of a collision includes a deployable restraint having a stored, predeployment condition in a vehicle floor. The restraint is deployable from the floor to restrain the feet and/or lower legs of an occupant from swinging forward and upward in response to a vehicle collision. In one configuration, the deployable restraint can include a module comprising an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag. The module can include a door that opens in response to deployment of the airbag and that serves as a reaction surface for the airbag. In another configuration, the deployable restraint can include a restraining panel configured to move to a deployed position extending above the vehicle floor adjacent the occupants lower leg and feet.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a one-piece woven (OPW) air bag includes method for manufacturing an OPW airbag. The method includes providing yarns, warping the yarns on at least one beam of a loom, and simultaneously weaving yarns into a fabric air bag structure having two layer portions defining an inflatable volume and single layer portions forming seams delimiting the inflatable volume. A plurality of the yarns overlay one another to form nonwoven alignment elements in at least one of the single layer portions. The air bag structure is cut to define the OPW air bag. The alignment elements are aligned with alignment elements on a panel. The air bag structure is sewn to the panel with the alignment elements aligned with one another.

Abstract: A restraint system is provided for helping to protect an occupant in a seat of a vehicle and includes an airbag having a main portion inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in front of the occupant. Arms extend from the main portion and are spaced apart from one another to form an uninflated volume for receiving the occupant in response to a vehicle collision. The arms are configured to inflate to opposite sides of the occupant prior to occupant penetration into the airbag.