Side airbag device

• US 20060157958A1
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri (Sachsen) GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schafer, Stefan, Kraft, Michael, Heudorfer, Benedikt, Weyrich, Christian, Rist, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A side airbag device for a vehicle includes an airbag which is deployed in the event of an accident and, in the deployed state, covers a side wall section of the vehicle. In order for the airbag to reliably deploy, provision is made according to embodiments of the invention for the side airbag device to have a deployment control mechanism which deflect the airbag during its deployment around an obstacle situated in a region of a side wall section.

Claims

1. A side airbag device for a vehicle comprising:

an airbag which is deployed in event of an accident and, in the deployed state, covers a side wall section of the vehicle,

wherein the airbag includes a deployment control mechanism configured to deflect the airbag during deployment around an obstacle positioned in a region of the side wall section.

2. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle is a vehicle pillar trim and the deployment control mechanism is configured to deflect the airbag around the vehicle pillar trim.

3. The side airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the airbag is fitted above the vehicle pillar trim and the deployment control mechanism is configured to deflect the airbag past the vehicle pillar trim during deployment in a downwards direction.

4. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the deployment control mechanism is configured to press the airbag in a region outside the obstacle in a direction of the side wall section.

5. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the deployment control mechanism is formed by the deployed airbag being shaped in a curved manner in a Y-direction of the vehicle.

6. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein the deployed airbag is curved away from the obstacle and outside the obstacle the deployed airbag is curved towards the side wall section to be covered.

7. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein the deployment control mechanism is formed by a gas bag material blank of the airbag being of asymmetrical design.

8. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein the airbag includes a first material layer facing a vehicle occupant and a second material layer facing away from the vehicle occupant, and the first and second material layers have different contours and/or are connected asymmetrically.

9. The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is gathered on one side.

10. The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is shortened by inserting a material fold.

11. The side airbag device according to claim 10, wherein the material fold is inserted by sewing or gluing.

12. The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is folded over.

13. The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers includes an additional airbag material.

14. The side airbag device according to claim 13, wherein the additional airbag material is lentil-shaped.

15. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag includes at least one usable chamber covering the side wall section and at least one positioning chamber which forms the deployment control mechanism.

16. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein the positioning chamber rotates or tilts the usable chamber.

17. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein the positioning chamber is deployed on a side of the airbag facing away from a vehicle occupant, and the positioning chamber presses the usable chamber in a direction of the vehicle occupant.

18. The side airbag device according to claim 15, further comprising a second positioning chamber that is deployed on a side of the airbag facing the vehicle occupant, and the second positioning chamber presses the usable chamber in a direction of the side wall section to be covered.

19. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein airbag material of the positioning chamber and airbag material of the usable chamber lie on different sides of an imaginary line formed by fastening points of the airbag.

20. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein the positioning chamber forms an additional protective region configured to protect a head of a vehicle occupant from a roof frame of the vehicle.

21. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein material layers of the usable chamber are folded together and/or folded in zig-zag form by rollers.

22. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein the airbag is accommodated in the side airbag device in such a manner that material layers of the positioning chamber are folded in together with material layers of the usable chamber.

23. The side airbag device according to claim 15, wherein the airbag is accommodated in the side airbag device in such a manner that material layers of the positioning chamber are entirely or partially wound around the folded-together material layers of the usable chamber.

24. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the deployment control mechanism comprises at least one control strap to control deployment of the airbag.

25. The side airbag device according to claim 24, wherein a length of the control strap is shorter than a distance between fastening points of the control strap on the airbag.

26. The side airbag device according to claim 24, wherein the control strap is folded in together with the airbag.

27. The side airbag device according to claim 24, wherein the control strap is placed around the folded-together airbag.

28. The side airbag device according to claim 24, wherein the control strap is configured to tear off from the airbag when a predefined load is exceeded.