Airbag Apparatus And Motorcycle With Airbag Apparatus

• US 20070052213A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Yasuhito
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

A technique is provided that is effective in increasing occupant retraining performance of an airbag apparatus to be mounted to a motorcycle in a vehicle accident while reducing the size of an airbag. In one form, an airbag of an airbag apparatus mounted to a motorcycle includes a first airbag portion that deploys into the region of the occupant restraining region around the lumbar part of a rider; a second airbag portion that deploys into the region of the occupant restraining region around the chest of the rider; and an interference preventing portion that prevents interference with the arms of the rider with the first airbag portion and the second airbag portion.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a motorcycle, the airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag for being deployed and inflated in emergency conditions;

a retainer for the airbag;

a first portion of the airbag for being inflated adjacent the retainer and a lumbar region of a motorcycle rider;

a second portion of the airbag for being inflated above the airbag first portion and adjacent a chest region of the motorcycle rider; and

an interference avoidance portion of the airbag constructed and arranged to keep arms of the motorcycle rider from interference with deployment and inflation of the airbag first and second portions.

2. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion includes a lower surface sized to extend over both thighs of the motorcycle rider.

3. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airbag first portion extends laterally beyond either side of the airbag second portion.

4. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airbag second portion is narrower than the airbag first portion and extends upwardly and centrally relative to the wider, lower airbag first portion.

5. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airbag generally has an inverted T configuration.

6. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airbag first portion has a larger lateral size than the airbag second portion and the interference avoidance portion is a transition airbag portion between the different lateral sizes of the airbag first and second portions.

7. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interference avoidance portion is constructed and arranged to extend under both arms of the motorcycle rider.

8. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion is a lowermost portion of the airbag that extends laterally to be positioned over thighs of the motorcycle rider, the second portion is a uppermost portion of the airbag that extends upwardly with the first portion extending laterally beyond either side of the lower portion, and the interference avoidance portion is a transition portion between the lowermost and uppermost portions of the airbag extending from the lowermost portion laterally inward toward the uppermost portion for being disposed under arms of the motorcycle rider.

9. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airbag comprises a single airbag.

10. A motorcycle comprising:

a motorcycle body;

a seat of the motorcycle body for a rider;

handlebars of the motorcycle body forward of the seat;

an airbag retainer mounted to the motorcycle body;

an airbag for being deployed from the retainer during emergency conditions;

a lower portion of the airbag that upon inflation extends in a lateral direction beyond either side of the motorcycle body for being disposed above knees of the rider; and

an upper portion of the airbag that upon inflation is narrower in the lateral direction than the lower portion and extends upwardly and centrally relative to the lower portion for being disposed adjacent a chest region of the rider.

11. The motorcycle of claim 10 wherein the airbag includes intermediate side portions between the upper and lower portions that extend laterally inward toward the upper portion for being disposed under arms of the rider so that the rider'"'"'s arms generally do not interfere with the inflation of the airbag portions.

12. The motorcycle of claim 11 wherein the intermediate side portions extend arcuately in a fore and aft direction alongside the motorcycle body with an upward bow.

13. The motorcycle of claim 10 wherein the airbag is sized so that an uppermost end of the airbag upper portion extends above the handlebars and below a head of the rider.

14. The motorcycle of claim 10 wherein the airbag generally has an inverted T configuration.

15. The motorcycle of claim 10 wherein the airbag comprises a single airbag.