GM has filed a patent application for an inflatable roofliner that can protect vehicle occupants during a rollover. The new GM patent application has been assigned number US 11,897,408 B2 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and was published on February 13th, 2024. The patent was originally filed on September 22nd, 2021 and lists several Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, including Jeff E. Nasca, Daniel W. Booth, Wonhee M. Kim, Peter J. Gareau, and William J. Barnes.
The patent application describes an inflatable roofliner that is fitted between the roof structure and headliner, plus a series of headers that include a front header section, two side headers, and a rear header. This inflatable roofliner also incorporates “at least” one inflatable bladder that is connected to an inflator device, as well as a rib structure located adjacent to the bladder. The bladder can then inflate to a maximum height of 12 cm (4.7 inches) below the header. The patent describes a “matrix of isolated chambers” defined in a plurality of bumps located laterally and longitudinally across the headliner.
Essentially, this system will act like an airbag during a rollover accident, providing additional protection for vehicle occupants. This system is intended as a replacement for the current stationary foam pieces / counter measures and/or space found in the current array of headliner executions, and would inflate on impact while retaining the proper inflation in order to meeting the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards required for such a device (FMVSS 102U).
The design also allows for greater overall headroom, while still meeting the low-speed non-deployment rollover requirements of 4 mm (0.16 inches) where plastic ribs are in place.
Indeed, finding a solution to greater occupant protection in a rollover accident without significantly affecting headroom could prove to be highly useful.
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Comments
This is the first automotive patent in a while I’ve seen that actually makes sense. As it’s replacing a current system, it likely would only cost 10-20$ more per vehicle, while allowing for more room. I would love to see this, way more than some other ideas seen here.
I agree and it might help with the denting roof panels that are happening.
Not a bad idea, for a change, but I hope it doesn’t lead to a return to headliners falling down like they did back in the 80s when the current headliner style came into being. It was BAD.