Airbag system

• US 20050127646A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Rie
• Application Number:
  US10/998,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20050127646A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0016 Fall in water
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0097 Amusement vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 27/02 power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 59/02 Fenders integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor, e.g. fenders forming part of the hull or incorporated in the hull; Rubbing-strakes fenders on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures E02B3/26

Abstract

An airbag system for a vehicle having a saddle type seat and a steering mechanism. The airbag system may include a front airbag configured to deploy in front of the vehicle, a side airbag configured to deploy along a side of the vehicle; and a driver airbag configured to deploy between a driver of the vehicle and the steering mechanism.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a vehicle having a saddle type seat and a steering mechanism comprising:

a front airbag configured to deploy in front of the vehicle;

a first side airbag configured to deploy along a side of the vehicle; and

a driver airbag configured to deploy between a driver of the vehicle and the steering mechanism.

2. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a second side airbag positioned to configured to deploy along an opposite of the vehicle from the first side airbag.

3. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein the first side airbag includes a pair of airbags configured to deploy at first and second levels.

4. The airbag system of claim 3, wherein each of the pair of airbags is independent of the other one of the pair of airbags.

5. The airbag system of claim 3, wherein the second level is located along the side of the vehicle at a position that enables the vehicle to float.

6. The airbag system of claim 3, configured to be positioned on a snowmobile and including a detector for detecting an approaching snow slide.

7. The airbag system of claim 6, further comprising an acceleration sensor for detecting the speed of a proximate object.

8. The airbag system of claim 6, further comprising a control unit that controls the deployment of each airbag;

and wherein the control unit is configured to utilize an output from the detector to determine whether to inflate a first or second level of the side airbag.

9. The airbag system of claim 7, further comprising a control unit that controls the deployment of each airbag;

and wherein the control unit is configured to utilize an output from the sensor to determine whether to inflate a first or second level of the side airbag.

10. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor for detecting between the vehicle and an object.

11. The airbag system of claim 10, further comprising a control unit that controls the deployment of each airbag;

and wherein the control unit is configured to utilize an output from the sensor to determine whether to inflate a first or second level of the side airbag.

12. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a mayday system for sending a locator signal.

13. The airbag system of claim 12 wherein the mayday system activates upon deployment of an airbag.

14. The airbag system of claim 1 wherein the front airbag, the driver airbag and the side airbag are formed from a material having a color that contrasts with a color of the saddle vehicle and water.

15. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein the side airbag is a color contrasted to a color of the saddle vehicle and water.

16. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein the front airbag, driver airbag, and first side airbag are formed from a material having a color that contrasts with a color of the saddle vehicle and snow.

17. The airbag system of claim 3, wherein the second level side airbag is a color contrasted to the color of the vehicle and snow.

18. The airbag system of claim 1, further comprising a manually operated switch for controlling the deployment of one of the airbags.

19. An airbag system for a vehicle having a saddle seat, wherein the airbag system is configured to detect a proximate object and deploy at least one of a plurality of airbags to protect the vehicle and/or the object from damage resulting from a collision between the object and the vehicle.

20. An airbag system for a snowmobile, wherein the airbag system includes an airbag that is configured to inflate in the event of a snow slide to protect the snowmobile and its driver.

21. An airbag system for a snowmobile, the system including a plurality of airbags configured to inflate around the exterior of the snowmobile when a collision between the snowmobile and an object is detected to thereby protect the snowmobile and the object from injury or damage.

22. An airbag system for a water craft having a saddle type seat for an operator of the craft, wherein the system includes a plurality of inflatable bags that are configured to inflate when a controller determines that the craft is in imminent danger of a collision or sinking.