Passenger protective device and method

• US 20060255573A1
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oota, Kouichi, Tobata, Hideo, Masuda, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

To provide a passenger protective device and method that can achieve a stable protective performance even when deploying the airbag from the seat belt, thus allowing for appropriate restraint of the passenger'"'"'s head. Passenger protective device 1 makes the timing in which the internal pressure of thigh airbag 12 peaks slower than the timing in which the internal pressure of head airbag 11 peaks. In addition, it also makes the timing in which the capacity of thigh airbag 12 reaches the maximum slower than the timing in which the capacity of head airbag 11 reaches the maximum. In this manner, the passenger'"'"'s head, which moves due to inertial force, is caught by head airbag 11 and head airbag 11 is supported by thigh airbag 12, which is softer than said airbag 11. Therefore, the passenger'"'"'s head can be caught softly.

Claims

1. A passenger protective device, comprising:

a head airbag that is equipped in a seatbelt and that catches a passenger'"'"'s head when deployed;

a thigh airbag that is equipped in the seatbelt and that deploys so as to fill in the space from the deployed head airbag to the passenger'"'"'s thigh; and

a control unit that deploys the head and thigh airbags, and makes the timing in which an internal pressure of the thigh airbag peaks slower than the timing in which an internal pressure of the head airbag peaks when deploying the head and thigh airbags.

2. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the speed in which the thigh airbag is deployed is slower than the speed in which the head airbag is deployed.

3. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the thigh airbag comprises a plurality of airbags, and the head airbag is supported by one or more of the plurality of thigh airbags.

4. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the head airbag and the thigh airbag comprise at least three airbags, and the at least three airbags are provided so that the timing in which the internal pressure peaks for each airbag becomes slower in order from the airbag at nearest the head to the airbag nearest the thigh.

5. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the control unit makes the internal pressure of the thigh airbag lower than the internal pressure of the head airbag when deploying the head and thigh airbags.

7. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the speed in which the thigh airbag is deployed is slower than the speed in which the head airbag is deployed.

8. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the thigh airbag comprises a plurality of airbags, and the head airbag is supported by one or more of the plurality of thigh airbags.

9. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the head airbag and the thigh airbag comprise at least three airbags, and the at least three airbags are provided so that the timing in which the capacity reaches the maximum for each airbag becomes slower in order from the airbag nearest the head to the airbag nearest the thigh.

10. The passenger protective device of claim 1, wherein the control unit makes the internal pressure of the thigh airbag lower than the internal pressure of the head airbag when deploying the head and thigh airbags.

12. The passenger protective device of claim 7, wherein the speed in which the thigh airbag is deployed is slower than that in which the head airbag is deployed.

13. The passenger protective device of claim 7, and further comprising:

an airbag inflator having an output set so that the internal pressure of each airbag is lower for the thigh airbag than for the head airbag.

14. The passenger protective device of claim 7, wherein each of the head airbag and the thigh airbag have a vent hole, and wherein the vent hole of the thigh airbag is larger than the vent hole of the head airbag.

15. The passenger protective device of claim 7, and further comprising:

a head airbag internal pressure detection means for detecting the internal pressure of the head airbag;

a thigh airbag internal pressure detection means for detecting the internal pressure of the thigh airbag; and

an inflowing gas control means that controls the amount of gas that flows into at least one of the airbags when the head airbag and the thigh airbag are deployed;

wherein the control unit controls the amount of inflowing gas by means of the inflowing gas control means so that the internal pressure detected by the thigh airbag internal pressure detection means is smaller than the internal pressure detected by the head airbag internal pressure detection means.

16. The passenger protective device of claim 7, and further comprising:

a head airbag internal pressure detection means for detecting the internal pressure of the head airbag;

a thigh airbag internal pressure detection means for detecting the internal pressure of the thigh airbag; and

an outflowing gas control means that controls the amount of gas that flows out from at least one of either the head airbag or the thigh airbag;

wherein the control unit controls the amount of outflowing gas by means of the outflowing gas control means so that the internal pressure detected by the thigh airbag internal pressure detection means is smaller than the internal pressure detected by the head airbag internal pressure detection means.

17. The passenger protective device of claim 7, wherein the thigh airbag comprises a plurality of airbags, and the head airbag is supported by one or more airbags of the plurality of airbags.

18. The passenger protective device of claim 7, wherein the head airbag and the thigh airbag comprise at least three airbags, and the at least three airbags are provided so that the timing in which the internal pressure peaks becomes slower in order from the airbag at the top to the airbag at the bottom.

19. The passenger protective device of claim 7, wherein the head airbag and the thigh airbag comprise at least three airbags, and the said at least three airbags are provided so that the timing in which the capacity reaches the maximum becomes slower in order from the airbag at the top to the airbag at the bottom.

21. The passenger protective device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is adapted to control timing of the head and thigh airbags so that the head airbag deploys before the thigh airbag.

22. The passenger protective device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is adapted to control internal pressure of the head and thigh airbags so that the thigh airbag internal pressure remains lower than the head airbag internal pressure.

23. The passenger protective device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is adapted to control timing of the head and thigh airbags so that the head airbag deploys before the thigh airbag, and to control internal pressure of the head and thigh airbags so that the thigh airbag internal pressure remains lower than the head airbag internal pressure.

24. The passenger protective device of claim 16, wherein the thigh airbag comprises a plurality of airbags, and the head airbag is supported by one or more airbags of the plurality of airbags.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the head airbag is deployed before the thigh airbag.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the head airbag is deployed to a higher internal pressure than the thigh airbag.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the head and thigh airbags are deployed so that the head airbag deploys before the thigh airbag, and that the thigh airbag internal pressure remains lower than the head airbag internal pressure.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein deploying the thigh airbag comprises deploying a plurality of thigh airbags, and the head airbag is supported by one or more of the plurality of thigh airbags.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein deploying the head and thigh airbags comprises deploying the airbags in order from the head airbag to the thigh airbag closest to a thigh of a passenger.

6. A passenger protective device, comprising:

a head airbag that is equipped in a seatbelt and that catches a passenger'"'"'s head when deployed;

a thigh airbag that is equipped in the seatbelt and that deploys so as to fill in the space from the deployed head airbag to the passenger'"'"'s thigh; and

a control unit that deploys the head and thigh airbags makes the timing in which a capacity of the thigh airbag reaches an maximum slower than the timing in which a capacity of the head airbag reaches an maximum when deploying the head and thigh airbags.

11. A passenger protective device, comprising:

a head airbag that is equipped in a seatbelt and that catches the passenger'"'"'s head when deployed;

a thigh airbag that is equipped in the seatbelt and that deploys so as to fill in the space from the deployed head airbag to the passenger'"'"'s thigh; and

a control unit that deploys the head and thigh airbags and makes the internal pressure of the thigh airbag lower than the internal pressure of the head airbag when deploying the head and thigh airbags.

20. A passenger protective device, comprising:

a head airbag that catches the passenger'"'"'s head when deployed;

a thigh airbag that deploys so as to catch the head airbag as it penetrates into it when deployed and so as to fill in the space from the deployed head airbag to the passenger'"'"'s thigh; and

a control unit that deploys the head and thigh airbags.

25. A passenger protective method, comprising:

deploying a head airbag when a vehicle collision is detected so as to catch the passenger'"'"'s head as it moves due to inertial force; and

deploying a thigh airbag so as to fill in the space from the deployed head airbag to the passenger'"'"'s thigh while catching the head airbag as it penetrates the thigh airbag.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein deploying a plurality of thigh airbags comprises deploying two thigh airbags.

32. A passenger protective device, comprising:

a head protection means that catches a passenger'"'"'s head as it moves due to inertial force when a vehicle collision is detected; and

a support means that fills in the space from the head protection means to the passenger'"'"'s thigh and supports the head protection means as it penetrates.