Airbag apparatus

• US 20030195685A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Kuriyama, Yuji, Mori, Kenji, Yamamoto, Tadashi, Hashimoto, Masakazu, Koyama, Toru, Tanase, Toshinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2173 the module or part thereof being movably mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/18 yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable padded linings associated with the steering column B60R21/05

Abstract

A first airbag apparatus of the present invention has an airbag module, which includes an airbag and an inflator, and a displacement mechanism, which displaces the airbag module. The displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module from an original position to a predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and displaces the airbag module from the predetermined position to the original position when the predicted collision is avoided. A second airbag apparatus of the present invention has the airbag module and the displacement mechanism, which displaces a support member. The support member displaces the airbag from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed. The deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an airbag, which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position, and which airbag is initially undeployed;

an inflator, which supplies gas into the airbag to deploy the airbag in a deployment direction;

a first displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted; and

a second displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the first and second displacement mechanisms displace the airbag module.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first displacement mechanism also serves as the second displacement mechanism.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is located inside a vehicle passenger compartment.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is located on a steering wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the deployment direction of the airbag that is displaced to the predetermined position is oriented toward a driver of the vehicle.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is located at a backrest of a seat of the vehicle, and wherein the first displacement mechanism displaces the airbag such that the airbag projects toward a body side portion of the vehicle from the backrest.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is located below an instrument panel of the vehicle, and wherein the deployment direction of the airbag that is displaced to the predetermined position is oriented toward the vicinity of an occupant'"'"'s knees.

8. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is located at an inner roof of the vehicle, and wherein the first displacement mechanism moves the airbag to separate from the inner roof.

9. The airbag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the airbag is located at part of the inner roof corresponding to both sides of the vehicle or corresponding to the rear of the vehicle.

10. The airbag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the airbag is located inside a headlining in the original position and is exposed outside the headlining in the predetermined position.

11. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is located outside a vehicle passenger compartment.

12. The airbag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the airbag is located in the vicinity of a lower end of a front glass, and wherein the first displacement mechanism moves the airbag upward from a position lower than a rear end of a hood panel to a position substantially the same height as the rear end of the hood panel.

13. An airbag apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an airbag;

an inflator, which supplies gas into the airbag to deploy the airbag;

a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, and which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position; and

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the support body from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.

14. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a restore mechanism, which displaces the support body from the predetermined position to the original position.

15. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

16. The airbag apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the displacement mechanism serves also as the restore mechanism.

17. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the support body is a steering wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the airbag is located on the steering wheel.

18. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the airbag is arranged to deploy between a surface that partly defines the vehicle passenger compartment and an occupant, and

wherein the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position is located between the deployed airbag and the surface that partly defines the vehicle passenger compartment.

19. An airbag apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an airbag;

an inflator, which supplies gas into the airbag to deploy the airbag;

a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed; and

a displacement mechanism, which changes the relative position between the airbag and the support body from an original position to a predetermined position before the airbag is deployed, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

20. The airbag apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a restore mechanism, which changes the relative position between the airbag and the support body from the predetermined position to the original position.

21. The airbag apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

22. The airbag apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the displacement mechanism serves also as the restore mechanism.

23. The airbag apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the support body is a steering wheel of the vehicle, and

wherein the airbag is located on the steering wheel.