Airbag apparatus

• US 10,351,092 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Hiroyuki, Nakajima, Yutaka, Fukuda, Hideho, Nogami, Mitsuo, Kobayashi, Yuto, Fuma, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew J
• Application Number:
  US15/556,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0055 Pelvis
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0058 Shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/20 Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

An airbag apparatus capable of protecting an occupant by restraining movement of the occupant in an obliquely forward direction and towards a far side during a collision. A far side airbag apparatus (102), which is an airbag apparatus, deploys between a driver seat (106) and a front passenger seat (108) arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction of a vehicle cabin (100). The apparatus (102) includes a cushion (120) which is embedded in a floor of the vehicle cabin (100) and reaches a height at least equal to that of a pelvis region (160) of an occupant (156) seated in either one of the driver seat (106) and the front passenger seat (108) during inflation and deployment.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a floor in a vehicle cabin comprising;

a cushion embedded in the floor of the vehicle cabin and reaching a height at least equal to that of a pelvis region of a representative occupant seated in a seat from a space on a passage during inflation and deployment of the cushion,

wherein the space on the passage defined between each seat cushion of two seats arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle cabin is filled with the cushion.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

the cushion reaches a height equal to that of a head of the representative occupant seated in either one of the two seats, and includes;

a first chamber for restraining the pelvis region of the representative occupant; and

a second chamber which is formed above the first chamber for restraining the head of the representative occupant.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

the cushion inflates and deploys so as to be sandwiched between the respective seat cushions of the two seats.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

the cushion provided as a first cushion for the representative occupant seated in one of the two seats during the inflation and deployment of the cushion; and

the cushion provided as a second cushion for the representative occupant seated in the other of the two seats during inflation and deployment of the cushion.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising;

at least one of the first cushion and the second cushion includes;

a first chamber for restraining the pelvis region of the representative occupant; and

a second chamber which is formed above the first chamber for restraining the head of the representative occupant, and has a height that reaches a height equal to that of a head of the representative occupant seated in at least one of the two seats.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising;

the first cushion and the second cushion inflate and deploy so as to be sandwiched between the respective seat cushions of the two seats.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising;

a pair of the first cushion and the second cushion are provided between the seats with each of the first cushion and the second cushion having a width about one half of the separation between the two seats.

8. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a floor in a vehicle cabin, comprising:

a cushion embedded in the floor of the vehicle cabin and reaching a height at least equal to that of a pelvis region of a representative occupant seated in a seat during inflation and deployment of the cushion,

wherein the airbag apparatus deploys on a vehicle outer side and obliquely forward one of two of the seats arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction of the cabin, and inflates and deploys during a collision in which a force that causes the representative occupant to move in an obliquely forward direction is exerted on the vehicle.

9. The airbag apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising;

the cushion has a height that reaches a height equal to that of a head of the representative occupant seated in one of the two seats.