Airbag device

• US 20090309341A1
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pausch, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 7,845,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag is inflated by gas for deployment to the front of and for restraining an occupant. A tether allows an inner capacity of the airbag to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value by restricting a distance between a proximal end of the airbag and a surface of the airbag at deployment. A control unit acquires information relating to at least one of an occupant seat position, an occupant position to an instrument panel, an occupant physique, an occupant weight, and a magnitude of a collision impact. A release unit controls capacity and configuration of the airbag by releasing an end of the tether at a side of the proximal end according to the information acquired by the control unit. A vent discharges the gas before activation of the release unit and is closed on activation of the release unit.

Claims

1. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag comprising;

a restraining portion for restraining an occupant,

a proximal end located apart from the restraining portion, and

a suction port through which deployment gas is introduced, the airbag being inflated by the deployment gas for deployment to the front of the occupant;

a gas supply unit for supplying the deployment gas to the suction port;

a tether disposed outside the airbag configured to allow an inner capacity of the airbag to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value by restricting a distance between the proximal end and an outer surface of the airbag apart from the proximal end at deployment;

a control unit configured to acquire capacity set information data that relates to at least one of a seat position on which the occupant is seated, a position of the occupant with respect to an instrument panel, a physique of the occupant, a weight of the occupant, and a magnitude of an impact caused by the collision;

a tether release unit activated by the control unit configured to adjust configuration of the airbag by releasing an end portion of the tether at a side of the proximal end according to the capacity set information acquired by the control unit; and

a vent that is configured to open in order to at least partially discharge the deployment gas from the airbag before activation of the tether release unit, wherein the vent is configured to close with the activation of the tether release unit to control discharge of the deployment gas from the airbag.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the vent comprises:

a vent hole formed in a surface of the airbag;

a cover panel disposed in a region along an inner surface or an outer surface of the airbag to cover the vent hole, the cover panel forming an opening around the vent hole; and

a vent sealing tether connected to the cover panel and pulled upon activation of the tether release unit,

wherein the cover panel is fixed to the airbag before activation of the tether release unit and has a region opposite the vent sealing tether and bent by a breakable member, the opening located at a position overlapped with the vent hole to open the vent hole, and after activation of the tether release unit the breakable member is broken by inflation of the airbag to extend the bent portion, the opening being displaced from the vent hole and closing the vent hole.

3. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the cover panel is connected to an inner side surface of the airbag and the tether is connected to an outer side surface of the airbag, and wherein before activation of the tether release unit, the tether pulls the outer side surface of the airbag to bring the vent hole of the airbag and the opening of the cover panel into a substantially same position to discharge a large amount of the deployment gas to reduce the capacity and the configuration of the airbag.

4. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the cover panel is integrally formed with the vent sealing tether.

5. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein after activation of the tether release unit and after complete deployment of the airbag, the tether is released so that a main panel of the pulled airbag is largely inflated,

wherein the cover panel has one end fixed to the main panel of the airbag and the other end connected to the vent sealing tether, and

wherein an end portion of the vent sealing tether opposite the cover panel is fixed to a vehicle body via to a fixing member to keep the cover panel at a constant distance from the fixing member in spite of movement of the tether.

6. The airbag device according to claim 5, wherein after activation of the tether release unit, a distance between a bottom surface of a retainer for fixing the airbag to the vehicle body and the vent hole of the airbag is longer than the distance between the bottom surface and the opening of the cover panel.

7. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the variable vent member comprises a vent hole formed in a surface of the airbag and a cover panel disposed in a region along an outer surface of the airbag to cover the vent hole and form an opening around the vent hole to which the tether is connected, and

wherein a breakable member of the cover panel holds a region of the vent hole in the outer surface of the airbag opposite the proximal end in a bent state before activation of the tether release unit, the cover panel being located at a position having the opening overlapped with the vent hole to open the vent hole, and after activation of the tether release unit the breakable member is broken under a tensional force exerted to the airbag to extend the bent portion to displace the opening from the vent hole to close the vent hole.

8. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein before activation of the tether release unit, the opening formed in the cover panel and the vent hole of the airbag are located at a substantially same position and held with the breakable member.

9. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein after activation of the tether release unit, a distance between a fixing member for fixing the airbag to a vehicle body and the opening of the cover panel is longer than a distance between the fixing member and the vent hole of the airbag.

10. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a plurality of tethers is disposed from an outer lower side surface of the airbag to the tether release unit after deployment to pull the outer side surface of the airbag and change a configuration of the airbag by restricting the capacity of the airbag.

11. The airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a retainer configured to store the airbag in a folded state before deployment,

wherein the tether release unit is disposed outside the airbag.