GM has filed a patent for a seat-mounted airbag restraint system designed for seats that can swivel or recline. The application was assigned patent number US 12,139,091 B1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on November 12th, 2024. The GM patent filing was originally submitted on November 6th, 2024, and lists Ashish Nayak, Chin-Hsu Lin, and Shan Jain as the inventors.
The patent application describes a seat-mounted airbag restraint system that is designed specifically for vehicle seats that can swivel, rotate, or recline. Unlike traditional airbag systems, which are typically designed for forward-facing occupants, the system described in this GM patent application protects occupants regardless of the seat’s position relative to the rest of the vehicle, making it ideal for autonomous vehicles, or seats with unique movements.
The system is described with an expandable airbag body that transitions from a stowed position within the seat to a deployed position. When deployed, the airbag surrounds a portion of the occupant’s “thorax,” providing protection in the event of a collision.
A key component to this system is a tether strap connected to the airbag. This strap runs through a pulley system with multiple wheels, which helps control the airbag’s expansion. The pulley system pulls the airbag into its deployed position, ensuring smooth and reliable inflation.
When inflated, the airbag forms a protective barrier, with the front portion facing the occupant to limit forward motion during sudden stops or crashes. The opposing sides correspond to the occupant’s left and right, offering side impact protection.
This design is particularly useful in autonomous vehicles, where seats can rotate for passenger comfort. It can also accommodate seats in the reclined position, which can prove to be a challenge for standard airbag deployment, thus ensuring safety in unconventional seating setups.
In addition to providing protection in a variety of seating positions and accommodating unconventional seat movements, the system described is also unique for its pulley and tether mechanism, which ensures precise deployment. What’s more, by surrounding the occupant’s thorax, the system provides comprehensive protection from multiple angles – all of which are important as GM continues to develop its autonomous vehicle technologies.
Comments
I wonder if this system can be retrofitted to existing vehicles, possible replacing existing car seats.
This is what happens when you have too many lawyers in the company , there are already plenty of seat belt airbags and airbags that are in seats that fulfill this same idea
Maybe they should try engineering a little better and making all their controls a lot simpler.
Or not requiring 18 screws to replace a simple air filter
About 30 years ago I believe popular mechanics are popular science did article on how to make cars better for senior citizens and included a swivel seat. Well I’m still waiting for that swell swivel seat.
They still don’t understand that there are plenty of ladies under five four that need a shorter bottom seat under their thighs to be comfortable and that if you’re going to put a paracet in your cars make sure it has a power recliner function. Stop being cheap for another 12 bucks