VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM INCLUDING AN AIRBAG

• US 20070013174A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri (Sachsen) GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gutmann, Ralf, Riedel, Andreas, Schaupp, Jochen, Glockler, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 7,641,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint systems including an airbag which has a first airbag chamber and a second airbag chamber or, more generally, a first partial region and a second partial region. The first and the second airbag chambers are connected to each other so that, as a function of the internal pressures present, gas from the first airbag chamber can flow into the second airbag chamber and gas from the second airbag chamber can flow into the first airbag chamber. The second airbag chamber may include an elastic wall, so that, upon a loading of the first airbag chamber, gas flows into the second airbag chamber and, in the process, elastically expands the second airbag chamber.

Claims

1. Vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag including a first airbag chamber and a second airbag chamber which can be filled with gas, the first airbag chamber configured to interact with a vehicle occupant when the airbag deploys;

wherein the first and the second airbag chambers are connected to each other so that, as a function of the internal pressures present in the chambers, gas can flow from the first airbag chamber into the second airbag chamber and gas can flow from the second airbag chamber into the first airbag chamber, and

wherein the second airbag chamber has an elastic wall.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection between the first airbag chamber and the second airbag chamber is designed so that only from a predetermined pressure in the first airbag chamber it is possible for gas to flow from the first airbag chamber into the second airbag chamber, with it subsequently also being possible, as a function of the internal pressures present, for gas to flow from the second airbag chamber into the first airbag chamber.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the airbag is designed as a side airbag which is integrated in the seatback of a vehicle seat, with the second airbag chamber of the deployed airbag extending between the seatback and an associated vehicle structure.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second airbag chamber is designed and positioned in the vehicle so that it cannot come into interaction with a vehicle occupant.

5. A method for distributing gas between two airbag chambers of an airbag, comprising the steps of:

providing an airbag with at least one first airbag chamber and one second airbag chamber, the second airbag chamber having an elastic wall,

arranging the airbag in a vehicle so that, in the event of being triggered, the first airbag chamber comes into interaction with a vehicle occupant,

in the event of being triggered, providing an internal pressure at least in the first airbag chamber,

upon intrusion or loading of the first airbag chamber, gas flowing from the first airbag chamber into the second airbag chamber, with the second airbag chamber expanding elastically,

when the intrusion or loading of the first airbag chamber ceases, gas flowing from the second airbag chamber back into the first airbag chamber.

6. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag including a first partial region and a second partial region which can be filled with gas;

wherein the first partial region is configured so that, when the airbag is deployed, the first partial region interacts with a vehicle occupant;

wherein the second partial region is configured and positioned in the vehicle so that the second partial region cannot interact with the vehicle occupant when the airbag deploys; and

wherein the second partial region is configured to be compressed by at least one intruding vehicle part, and is configured so that upon intrusion of the vehicle part, gas from the second partial region is conducted into the first partial region to thereby increase the pressure in the first partial region.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second partial region is designed and positioned in the vehicle so that the second partial region is compressed by an intruding vehicle pillar.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first partial region is configured so that the internal pressure of the first partial region is noncritical with regard to an occupant being out of position unless gas from the second partial region is conducted into it.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first partial region and the second partial region are formed by two airbag chambers, wherein the airbag chamber which forms the first partial region is a main chamber, and the airbag chamber which forms the second partial region is an additional chamber smaller than the main chamber.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the airbag is designed as a side airbag, and wherein when the airbag deployes the second partial region extends between the B-pillar and the associated front vehicle seat.

11. A method for increasing the internal pressure in a partial region of an airbag, which, in the event of being triggered, comes into interaction with a vehicle occupant, comprising the steps of:

providing an airbag with at least one first partial region and one second partial region,

arranging the airbag in a vehicle so that,

i. the second partial region of the deployed airbag cannot come into interaction with a vehicle occupant and the second partial region can be compressed by an intruding vehicle part,

ii. the first partial region, in the event of being triggered, comes into interaction with a vehicle occupant,

in the event of being triggered, providing an internal pressure in the first partial region,

upon intrusion of the vehicle part, increasing the internal pressure in the first partial region by means of gas which flows from the second partial region into the first partial region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the internal pressure in the first partial region is noncritical with regard to an occupant being out of position before gas flows from the second partial region into the first partial region.