Airbag for vehicle

• US 10,543,801 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kwon, Hyock In
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US15/827,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20190054890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• 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 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An airbag for a vehicle includes an airbag cushion and a tether. The airbag cushion is installed on one side of a seat and is composed of multiple chambers. When the airbag is deployed, the airbag cushion extends to a front side of the seat and the chambers are consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat. The tether connects the chambers to each other or connects one chamber to a vehicle body. The multiple chambers include a normal chamber deployed to the front side of the seat and a confining chamber bent toward an occupant when being deployed. The confining chamber is pressed by the adjacent normal chamber, or pulled or pressed by the tether. Thus, a front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward a rear half portion of the confining chamber, thereby coming into tight contact with the occupant.

Claims

1. An airbag for a vehicle, the airbag comprising:

an airbag cushion located on one side of a seat and extending to a front side of the seat when deployed, the airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers, that are consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deployed state; and

a tether connecting the chambers to each other or connecting one chamber to a vehicle body,

wherein the plurality of chambers comprises a normal chamber being deployed to a front side of the seat and a confining chamber configured to be bent toward an occupant sitting in the seat when being deployed, the confining chamber being pressed by the normal chamber or the tether or pulled by the tether such that a front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward a rear half portion and is configured to come into contact with the occupant;

wherein the airbag cushion comprises an upper chamber, a middle chamber, and a lower chamber;

wherein the upper chamber and the lower chamber correspond to respective normal chambers; and

wherein the middle chamber corresponds to the confining chamber.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tether is provided on one surface of the confining chamber, the surface configured to be on an opposite side of the occupant;

and

wherein the confining chamber is pressed by the tether such that the front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward the rear half portion of the confining chamber, thereby configured to come into contact with the occupant when the airbag cushion is deployed.

3. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tether connects the upper chamber and the lower chamber, thereby limiting a distance between the upper chamber and the lower chamber when the airbag cushion is deployed, so that the middle chamber and the upper chamber are pressed by the lower chamber configured to be bent toward the occupant.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tether connects the upper chamber and the lower chamber and wherein the tether presses a surface of the middle chamber such that the middle chamber is configured to be bent toward the occupant, the surface being on an opposite side of the occupant.

5. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the upper chamber and the lower chamber are provided with a first through-hole and a second through-hole, respectively;

and

wherein the tether is installed such that a first end thereof is fixed to the seat or the airbag cushion and a second end thereof extends to the front side of the seat, then passes through the first through-hole, then extends downward along a surface of the middle chamber, which is configured to be disposed on the opposite side of the occupant, then passes through the second through-hole, then extends to a rear side of the seat, and is finally fixed to the seat or the airbag cushion.

6. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the upper chamber is provided with a third through-hole disposed in front of the first through-hole;

and

wherein the tether sequentially passes through the first through-hole, passes through the third through-hole, extends downward, and passes through the second through-hole.

7. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein when the airbag cushion is deployed, the distance between the upper chamber and the lower chamber is limited by the tether so the middle chamber is configured to not be displaced further away from the occupant.

8. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein when the airbag cushion is fully inflated, an upper end of the upper chamber and a lower end of the lower chamber are configured to incline toward the occupant to support the occupant.

9. The airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a tether connected to an upper end of the seat, the tether being provided with a tensioner, wherein the confining chamber is configured to come into tight contact with the occupant due to actions of the tether and the tensioner when the airbag cushion is fully inflated, thereby preventing forward movement of the occupant.

10. An airbag for a vehicle, the airbag comprising:

an airbag cushion located on one side of a seat and extending to a front side of the seat when deployed, the airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers, that are consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deployed state; and

a tether connecting the chambers to each other or connecting one chamber to a vehicle body,

wherein the plurality of chambers comprises a normal chamber being deployed to a front side of the seat and a confining chamber configured to be toward an occupant sitting in the seat when being deployed, the confining chamber being pressed by the normal chamber or the tether or pulled by the tether such that a front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward a rear half portion and is configured to come into contact with the occupant;

wherein the airbag cushion comprises an upper chamber, a middle chamber, and a lower chamber;

wherein the upper chamber corresponds to the confining chamber;

wherein the middle chamber and the lower chamber correspond to respective normal chambers; and

wherein the airbag further comprising a seat belt installed to be positioned between the upper chamber and the middle chamber so that the seat belt is prevented from tightly fastening a neck of the occupant.

11. The airbag according to claim 10, wherein the upper chamber extends to a front side of the seat such that a front portion of the upper chamber is configured to be disposed in front of a neck of the occupant when the airbag is fully inflated.

12. The airbag according to claim 10, wherein the tether is connected with the upper chamber such that the upper chamber is pulled by the tether and thus the occupant is confined to the seat when the airbag cushion is deployed.

13. The airbag according to claim 10, wherein the airbag cushion comprises a first airbag cushion;

wherein the airbag further comprises a second airbag cushion located at a second side of the seat; and

wherein when the first and second airbag cushions are fully inflated, the upper chambers of the first and second airbag cushions extend to a front side of the seat, front portions of the upper chambers are configured to be disposed in front of the neck of the occupant, and ends of the upper chambers of the first and second airbag cushions come into contact with each other.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a seat;

an airbag cushion located on one side of the seat, the airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers, and extending to a front side of the seat when deployed, the chambers being consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deployed state; and

a tether connecting the chambers to each other or connecting one chamber to a vehicle body,

wherein the plurality of chambers comprises a normal chamber being deployed to a front side of the seat and a confining chamber configured to be bent toward an occupant sitting in the seat when being deployed, the confining chamber being pressed by the normal chamber or the tether or pulled by the tether such that a front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward a rear half portion and is configured to come into contact with the occupant, wherein the airbag cushion comprises an upper chamber, a middle chamber, and a lower chamber;

wherein the upper chamber and lower chamber correspond to respective normal chambers; and

wherein the middle chamber corresponds to the confining chamber.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising a second airbag cushion located on a second side of the seat, the second airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers that are consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deployed state.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a seat;

an airbag cushion located on one side of the seat, the airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers, and extending to a front side of the seat when deployed, the chambers being consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deployed state; and

a tether connecting the chambers to each other or connecting one chamber to a vehicle body,

wherein the plurality of chambers comprises a normal chamber being deployed to a front side of the seat and a confining chamber configured to be bent toward an occupant sitting in the seat when being deployed, the confining chamber being pressed by the normal chamber or the tether or pulled by the tether such that a front half portion of the confining chamber is folded toward a rear half portion and is configured to come into contact with the occupant;

a second airbag cushion located on a second side of the seat the second airbag cushion composed of a plurality of chambers that are consecutively arranged in a superior-inferior direction of the seat in a deposed state;

wherein the airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion each comprise an upper chamber, a middle chamber and a lower chamber; and

wherein when the airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion are fully inflated, the upper chambers of the airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion extend to a front side of the seat, front portions of the upper chambers are configured to be disposed in front of the neck of the occupant, and ends of the upper chambers of the airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion come in contact with each other.