Airbag apparatus

• US 20050248131A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Kenji Mori, Masakazu Hashimoto, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase, Yuji Kuriyama
• Original Assignee: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Kenji Mori, Masakazu Hashimoto, Tadashi Yamamoto, Toru Koyama, Toshinori Tanase, Yuji Kuriyama
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Kuriyama, Yuji, Mori, Kenji, Yamamoto, Tadashi, Hashimoto, Masakazu, Koyama, Toru, Tanase, Toshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,204,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.100
• 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

1-23. -23. (canceled)

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

an airbag, which is initially undeployed and which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position, wherein the airbag is located inside a vehicle passenger compartment on a steering wheel of the vehicle;

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

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, and wherein the deployment direction of the airbag, when displaced to the predetermined position, is toward a driver of the vehicle.

25. The airbag apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

26. The airbag apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

27. The airbag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body.

28. The airbag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between the airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

29. The airbag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the support body is the steering wheel.

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

an airbag, which is initially undeployed and which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position, wherein the airbag is located inside a vehicle passenger compartment below an instrument panel of the vehicle;

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

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, wherein a deployment direction of the airbag, when displaced to the predetermined position, is toward the vicinity of an occupant'"'"'s knees.

31. The airbag apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

32. The airbag apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

33. The airbag apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body.

34. The airbag apparatus according to claim 32 wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between the airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

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

an airbag, which is initially undeployed which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position, wherein the airbag is located inside a vehicle passenger compartment and inside an instrument panel on a passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle;

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

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, wherein a deployment direction of the airbag, when the airbag is displaced to the predetermined position, is toward the chest of an occupant.

36. The airbag apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

37. The airbag apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

38. The airbag apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body.

39. The airbag apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between the airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

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

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

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

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, wherein, when the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position, the airbag projects to deploy in the deployment direction.

41. The airbag apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the airbag an the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

42. The airbag apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

43. The airbag apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body.

44. The airbag apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between the airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.

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

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

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

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, wherein, when the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position, an opening for allowing the airbag to deploy in the deployment direction appears.

46. The airbag apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

47. The airbag apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising a support body, which supports the airbag when deployed, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body, and wherein the deployed airbag is supported between the support body and an occupant in the predetermined position.

48. The airbag apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position to change the relative position between the airbag and the support body.

49. The airbag apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the displacement mechanism varies the relative position between the airbag and the support body when a collision of the vehicle is predicted.