Airbag apparatus

• US 20050140122A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Muneo
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• 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 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

An airbag apparatus is installed in a vehicle having a three-seat-row arrangement, and includes a vehicle airbag having a plurality of sections and a gas supplying device. The vehicle airbag is installed on an upper sidewall of the vehicle, and inflated downwardly in passenger-protection regions located between passengers on the seats and a sidewall of the vehicle for protecting the passengers during an accident such as a side collision or roll-over. The gas supplying device is capable of generating an inflation gas for inflating the airbag. The sidewall constitutes a large area on a side of the vehicle at a left or right side of the passenger such as a side window or a door. The vehicle airbag is typically installed in an area between a side roof panel on an upper region of the sidewall and a ceiling panel.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a sidewall and at least three seat-rows arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle airbag installed at an upper portion of the sidewall to be inflated downwardly in passenger-protection regions between passengers seated in three seat-rows and the sidewall of the vehicle for protecting the passengers upon a vehicle accident,

a plurality of sections defined in the vehicle airbag for dividing an inside of the vehicle airbag, at least one of said sections being inflated in a passenger-protection region corresponding to a third seat-row, and

a gas supplying device attached to the vehicle airbag for supplying gas to the sections.

2. An airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sections is inflated in a passenger-protection region corresponding to more than one seat-row.

3. An airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sections extend to overlap in one passenger-protection region corresponding to a predetermined seat-row when the vehicle airbag is inflated.

4. An airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle airbag is arranged to extend continuously along an upper portion of the sidewall of the vehicle from a region corresponding to a first seat-row to a region corresponding to the third seat-row.

5. An airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein three sections are defined in the vehicle airbag, and said gas supplying device includes at least two inflators for inflating the three sections.

6. An airbag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein one inflator inflates a first passenger protection region corresponding to a first seat-row, and another inflator inflates to second and third passenger protection regions corresponding to second and third seat-rows.

7. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a sidewall and at least three seat-rows arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle airbag installed at an upper portion of the sidewall of the vehicle to be inflated downwardly in passenger-protection regions between passengers seated in seats and the sidewall of the vehicle for protecting the passengers upon a vehicle accident, said vehicle airbag extending at the upper portion of the sidewall between a first region corresponding to a first seat-row from a front side of the vehicle to a third region corresponding to a third seat-row from the front side of the vehicle,

first and second sections disposed in the vehicle airbag for separately defining an inside of the vehicle airbag, said first section in the first seat-row overlapping with the second section in the third seat-row at a second region corresponding to a second seat-row when the vehicle airbag is inflated,

a first gas supplying device for supplying gas to the first section, and

a second gas supplying device for supplying gas to the second section.

8. An airbag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second region includes an upper section communicating with the first section, and a lower section communicating with the second section.