Safety system for occupants of a motor vehicle

• US 20040164528A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boegge, Herbert, Mueller, Frank, Maesing, Alfons, Linder, Leo
• Application Number:
  US10/729,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A safety system intended for an occupant of a motor vehicle is in the form of a protective bag which can be filled with gas. In a moved-in condition, the bag is folded together in a packet and, in an inflated condition, the bag extends along an interior side of a side window in order to protect a head region of an adjacent sitting occupant against an impact. To improve functioning of the safety device and reduce a space requirement, the packet is fully immersed in a door body of the door, and the protective bag unfolds during inflation from the door body, in a direction of a roof, essentially along the door window.

Claims

1. A safety system for a motor vehicle in the form of a protective bag which can be filled with gas and which, in a moved-in condition, is folded together in a packet and, in an inflated condition, extends along an interior side of a door window of a door of a vehicle body in order to protect a head region of an adjacent sitting occupant against an impact, wherein the packet is arranged to be fully immersed in a door body of the door, and wherein the protective bag unfolds during inflation from the door body in a direction of a roof essentially along the door window.

2. The safety system according to claim 1, wherein the protective bag is constructed such that a wall of the protective bag facing away from the door window, in the inflated condition, extends approximately parallel to the door window.

3. The safety system according to claim 1, wherein the protective bag has several hollow-body-type sections which, in the inflated condition, provide the protective bag with a defined inherent stability.

4. The safety system according to claim 3, wherein the hollow-body-type sections of the protective bag are constructed approximately with the same cross-section.

5. The safety system according to claim 4, wherein the hollow-body-type sections extend at an identical distance from one another in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

6. The safety system according to claim 1, wherein the protective bag emerges by way of a door covering during inflation.

7. The safety system according to claim 6, wherein the packet forms a constructional unit together with a gas lance.

8. The safety system according to claim 7, wherein the constructional unit is fastened to an assembly carrier in the door body.

9. The safety system according to claim 8, wherein a gas generator is housed adjacent to the constructional unit in the door body.

10. The safety system according to claim 6, wherein the protective bag emerges adjacent to a belt line.

11. A process of operating a safety system for a motor vehicle comprising filling, with gas, a protective bag which, in a moved-in condition, is folded together in a packet arranged to be fully immersed in a door body of a door of a vehicle body so that the protective bag unfolds during inflation from the door body in a direction of a roof essentially along a door window and extends along an interior side of the door window in order to protect a head region of an adjacent sitting occupant against an impact in an inflated condition.

12. A motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having a door and a door window of the door, and

a safety system in the form of a protective bag which can be filled with gas and which, in a moved-in condition, is folded together in a packet and, in an inflated condition, extends along an interior side of the door window of the door of the vehicle body in order to protect a head region of an adjacent sitting occupant against an impact,

wherein the packet is arranged to be fully immersed in a door body of the door, and

wherein the protective bag unfolds during inflation from the door body in a direction of a roof essentially along the door window.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the protective bag is constructed such that a wall of the protective bag facing away from the door window, in the inflated condition, extends approximately parallel to the door window.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the protective bag has several hollow-body-type sections which, in the inflated condition, provide the protective bag with a defined inherent stability.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the hollow-body-type sections of the protective bag are constructed approximately with the same cross-section.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the hollow-body-type sections extend at an identical distance from one another in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the protective bag emerges by way of a door covering during inflation.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the packet forms a constructional unit together with a gas lance.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the constructional unit is fastened to an assembly carrier in the door body.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 19, wherein a gas generator is housed adjacent to the constructional unit in the door body.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the protective bag emerges adjacent to a belt line.