Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,919,482) for an “airbag-based occupant safety system,” ostensibly for an “Apple Car.”
Dennis Sellers for Apple World Today:
In the patent filing, the tech giant notes that existing occupant safety systems for traditional, one- two- or three-row vehicles, such as restraints including seatbelts and airbags, can reduce the risk of injury during a collision…
However, in the absence of adequate reaction surfaces or tethers, airbags may deflect too much to adequately protect an occupant during a collision. Apple also notes that, in non-traditional vehicle designs, for example, where rows of occupants face each other within the passenger compartment or where the vehicle is designed without roof rails, there are limited options for reaction surfaces and tethers.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s summary for an ‘Apple Car’ airbag system:
One aspect of the disclosed embodiments is an occupant safety system. The occupant safety system includes a sensor that provides an output signal indicative of an imminent collision and a pair of inflatable restraints. The inflatable restraints deploy from opposing interior surfaces of a passenger compartment of a vehicle based on the output signal. The inflatable restraints each include a central chamber and a pair of outer chambers. The outer chambers extend along opposing side surfaces of the central chamber upon deployment, and the central chamber has a first pressure and the outer chambers have a second pressure. The central chambers and the outer chambers of the pair of inflatable restraints meet along an interface region within the passenger compartment.
Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments is an occupant safety system. The occupant safety system includes a sensor that provides an output signal indicative of an imminent collision, a first inflatable restraint that deploys from a first interior surface of a passenger vehicle in response to the output signal, and a second inflatable restraint that deploys from a second interior surface of the passenger vehicle in response to the output signal. An interface structure is defined on one or both of the first inflatable restraint and the second inflatable restraint to restrain motion of the first inflatable restraint relative to the second inflatable restraint when the first inflatable restraint and the second inflatable restraint are deployed.
Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments is an occupant safety system. The occupant safety system includes a sensor that provides an output signal indicative of an imminent collision and an inflator that selectively inflates an airbag or vents to an exterior of a vehicle based on the output signal. The inflator is disposed within a cavity of a door of a vehicle.