Vehicle occupant restraint system and method

• US 20060028004A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oota, Kouichi, Wakana, Gousuke, Tobata, Hideo, Masuda, Daisuke, Maki, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,513,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0053 Legs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion. The second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

an air bag restraint device including a first deploying portion deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and a second deploying portion deploying related to the first deploying portion, whereby the second deploying portion providing a support for the first deploying portion to receive at least a part of a load acting on the first deploying portion from a head of the vehicle occupant.

2. The restraint system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second deploying portion is in contact with femoral regions of the vehicle occupant during deployment of the second deploying portion.

3. The restraint system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a seat belt restraint device including a belt portion; and

wherein the first deploying portion has deployed out of the belt portion.

4. The restraint system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the belt portion is a shoulder belt portion.

5. The restraint system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air bag restraint device includes at least one air bag deploying between the head of the vehicle occupant and femoral regions of the vehicle occupant thereby supporting a load acting on the femoral regions.

6. The restraint system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the air bag restraint device includes a plurality of air bags arranged in a vertical direction for transmission of the load therealong.

7. The restraint system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the air bag restraint device includes:

an upper air bag in the proximity of the head of the vehicle occupant; and

a lower air bag between the upper air bag and the femoral regions to support the load acting on the upper air bag on the femoral regions of the vehicle occupant.

8. The restraint system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lower air bag is integral with the upper air bag and separated by a partition.

9. The restraint system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one air bag has two end portions spaced in the vertical direction, and is deformable more at one of the two end portions than at the other.

10. The restraint system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a controller controls deployment of the plurality of air bags in response to a measure of physique of the vehicle occupant.

11. The restraint system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one air bag starts deploying between the head of the vehicle occupant and the femoral regions of the vehicle occupant upon determination that a vehicle frontal collision is imminent.

12. The restraint system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first deploying portion has inflated between the vehicle occupant and a portion in the vehicle in front of the vehicle occupant to be compressed therebetween to cause an increase in internal pressure within the first deploying portion, and wherein the second deploying portion deploying due to the increase in the internal pressure within the first deploying portion to press a predetermined area of the vehicle occupant different from the head.

13. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined area of the vehicle occupant is the femoral regions.

14. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the portion in the vehicle is a steering wheel.

15. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the portion in the vehicle is a dashboard.

16. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the portion in the vehicle is a support protruding into engagement with the first deploying portion.

17. The restraint system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the support is a third air bag.

18. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second deploying portion is separate from the first deploying portion, and wherein the air bag restraint device includes a tube element through which gas is supplied from the first deploying portion to the second first deploying portion.

19. The restraint system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second deploying portion is integral with the first deploying portion via a membrane, which provides supply of gas to the second deploying portion from the first deploying portion.

20. The restraint system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a seat belt restraint device including a shoulder belt portion; and

wherein both the first deploying portion and the second deploying portion have deployed out of the shoulder belt portion.

21. The restraint system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a seat belt restraint device including a shoulder belt portion and a lap belt portion; and

wherein the first deploying portion and the second deploying portion have deployed out of the shoulder belt portion and the lap belt portion, respectively.

22. The restraint system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air bag restraint device further includes:

at least one air bag deploying between the head of the vehicle occupant and the femoral regions of the vehicle occupant; and

a leg protection air bag deploying out of a portion in the vehicle in front of the vehicle occupant into pressing contact with the at least one air bag, thereby supporting the load acting thereon.

23. The restraint system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the air bag restraint device includes a plurality of air bags deploying between the head of the vehicle occupant and the femoral regions of the vehicle occupant, while interfering with each other.

24. The restraint system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the leg protection air bag includes a restrictor restricting deployment of the leg protection air bag to bring the leg protection air bag into pressing contact with the at least one air bag in the process of deployment of the at least one air bag and the leg protection air bag.

25. The restraint system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the restrictor includes a plurality of straps restricting deployment of a portion, which is not to be contact with the at least one air bag, of the leg protection air bag.

26. The restraint system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the restrictor includes a plurality of rings provided to an outer peripheral wall of the leg protection air bag and restricting deployment of the outer peripheral wall.

27. The restraint system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the restrictor includes door elements provided to a portion in the vehicle in front of the vehicle occupant and opening on hinges with a predetermined angle in the process of deployment of the leg protection air bag to restrict deployment of an outer peripheral wall of the leg protection air bag.

28. The restraint system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the leg protection air bag is formed with a stretchable portion and a non-stretchable portion, and wherein the stretchable portion and the non-stretchable portion cooperate with each other to form the restrictor in the process of deployment of the leg protection air bag.

29. The restraint system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the leg protection air bag includes an upper rear end wall, a leading chamber defined between the upper rear end wall and a partition, a one-way valve provided in the partition to allow flow of gas into the leading chamber, and a vent hole formed within the upper rear end wall to form the restrictor.

30. The restraint system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the leg protection air bag and the at least one air bag start deploying upon determination that a vehicle frontal collision is imminent.

31. A vehicle occupant restraint method, comprising:

deploying an air bag of an air bag restraint device between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle and also between a head of a vehicle occupant and on femoral regions of the vehicle occupant in case of a vehicle frontal collision, thereby receiving the head of the vehicle occupant; and

supporting a load acting on the femoral regions of the vehicle occupant via the air bag from the head of the occupant.

32. The restraint method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the air bag restraint device includes a first deploying portion deploying between the vehicle occupant and a portion in the vehicle in front of the vehicle occupant and compressed therebetween to cause an increase in internal pressure of the first deploying portion, and wherein the air bag restraint device further includes a second deploying portion deploying due to the increase in the internal pressure within the first deploying portion.

33. The restraint method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the air bag restraint device includes a head protection air bag protecting the head of the vehicle occupant, and a leg protection air bag protecting the legs of the vehicle occupant, and wherein the leg protection air bag deploys into pressing contact with the head protection air bag in the process of deployment of the head air bag and the leg protection air bag.

34. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

an air bag restraint device including first deploying means for deploying between a vehicle occupant and a portion in a vehicle, and second deploying means for deploying related to the first deploying means, whereby the second deploying means providing a support for the first deploying means to receive at lease a part of a load acting on the first deploying means from a head of the vehicle occupant.