Vehicle occupant protection device

• US 10,071,702 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohno, Mitsuyoshi, Ishida, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/347,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0023 Offset collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0044 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0273 automatically movable to an operative position, e.g. in case of collision or impending collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2074 in head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23538 Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23576 Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2334 Expansion control features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 : with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/262 : Elongated tubular diffusers, e.g. curtain-type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 : using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection device includes: an airbag that is configured to be stowed in a headrest, to receive a gas supply and is formed as a single bag body that, in an inflated and expanded state, includes a front inflation portion configured to be disposed at the front in a seat front-rear direction relative to a head of a vehicle occupant, and a pair of side inflation portions configured to be disposed at both sides in a seat width direction relative to the head of the vehicle occupant; an inflator that is fixed to an upper portion of a seatback frame in an attitude with a long dimension of the inflator in the seat width direction, the upper portion of the seatback frame extending in the seat width direction; and a fluid communication structure that communicates between the inflator and the airbag to allow a flow of gas.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:

an airbag that is configured to be stowed in a headrest, to receive a gas supply and is formed as a single bag body that, in an inflated and expanded state, the airbag including

a front inflation portion configured to be disposed at a front in a seat front-rear direction relative to a head of a vehicle occupant,

and a pair of side inflation portions configured to be disposed at both sides in a seat width direction relative to the head of the vehicle occupant;

an inflator that is fixed to an upper portion of a seatback frame in an attitude with a long dimension of the inflator in the seat width direction, the upper portion of the seatback frame extending in the seat width direction; and

a fluid communication structure that communicates between the inflator and the airbag to allow a flow of gas, the fluid communication structure including a pipe portion fabricated of metal that is connected to the inflator such that, when the airbag in the inflated and expanded state receives a load toward a front in the seat front-rear direction, the pipe portion interferes with the upper portion of the seatback frame from rearward thereof in the seat front-rear direction, wherein;

the inflator is configured to be fixed at a fixing portion of the upper portion of the seatback frame and to be covered from above by an upper wall of the upper portion of the seatback frame,

when the airbag in the inflated and expanded state receives a load toward a front in the seat front-rear direction, the pipe portion interferes with the upper wall from rearward thereof in the seat front-rear direction,

the inflator is configured to be covered from below by a lower wall of the upper portion of the seatback frame, and

the vehicle occupant protection device further comprises a protrusion portion fabricated of metal that protrudes from the inflator and penetrates through the lower wall such that, when the airbag in the inflated and expanded state receives a load toward the front in the seat front-rear direction, the protrusion portion interferes with the lower wall from forward thereof in the seat front-rear direction.

2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the pipe portion communicates between the inflator and the airbag to allow the flow of gas in a state in which the pipe portion penetrates through the upper wall of the upper portion of the seatback frame.

3. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the pipe portion and the protrusion portion is disposed between a pair of stay holders in the seat width direction, the pair of stay holders supporting stays of the headrest at the seatback frame, being spaced apart in the seat width direction, and being fixed to the upper portion of the seatback frame.

4. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the inflator is disposed between opposing faces of the upper wall and the lower wall and is fixed to the fixing portion, the fixing portion being the lower wall or a connecting wall of the upper portion of the seatback frame, the connecting wall connecting the upper wall with the lower wall.

5. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid communication structure includes a region disposed at a rear in the seat front-rear direction relative to the upper portion of the seatback frame such that, when the airbag in the inflated and expanded state receives a load toward the front in the seat front-rear direction, the region interferes with the upper portion of the seatback frame from rearward thereof in the seat front-rear direction.

6. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper portion of the seatback frame further comprises a connecting wall connecting the upper wall and the lower wall, and

the inflator is disposed between opposing faces of the upper wall and the lower wall, and is fixed to the lower wall by nuts being screwed onto stud bolts in a state in which the stud bolts penetrate through the lower wall, the stud bolts serving as the protrusion portion.

7. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper portion of the seatback frame further comprises a connecting wall connecting the upper wall and the lower wall, and

the inflator is fixed to the connecting wall by nuts being screwed onto stud bolts in a state in which the stud bolts penetrate through the connecting wall, and comprises an engaging pin that protrudes downward from the inflator, penetrates through the lower wall, and serves as the protruding portion.