AIRBAG APPARATUS

• US 20100283230A1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kanto Auto Works Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimura, Kenji, Suzuki, Shigeyuki, Mochiduki, Mitsuru, Tomitaka, Akihiro, Misawa, Kazumasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

The airbag apparatus (10) is installed in the vehicle (20) that has a plurality of seats arranged in the vehicle width direction. An airbag storage means (12) is formed between the plurality of seats (22R, 22L). An airbag (11) having a gas inflow opening and an inflator (13) for jetting gas into the airbag are stored in an airbag storage means (12). The inflator (12) is provided so as to jet gas in an upward direction. The airbag (11) is inflated in a substantially upward direction by the gas introduced from the inflator (12) and is abutted to a vehicle interior ceiling (25) and the vehicle interior ceiling (25) guides the inflation direction. The airbag (11) is inflated in the frontward direction and is then inflated in a downward direction to be the maximum inflation. An upper end and a lower end of the airbag (11) are abutted to a vehicle interior ceiling (25) and a vehicle interior lower side, respectively. The airbag (11) prevent an occupant sitting in a seat at a side opposite to collision from moving to the collision side.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus that is provided in a vehicle and that protects an occupant, comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator for jetting gas into the airbag; and

an airbag storage means that is provided at the center in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle and that stores therein the airbag and the inflator,

wherein the airbag is inflated by the gas introduced from the inflator and is abutted to a plurality of interior parts of a vehicle interior.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the airbag is abutted, in an inflated status, to the plurality of interior parts of the vehicle interior including any of a vehicle interior ceiling, a vehicle interior seat, a floor carpet of the vehicle interior, a back face of a front seat, and an inner face of a front glass.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle includes therein a plurality of seats arranged in the vehicle width direction, and

the airbag is inflated by the gas introduced from the inflator and an upper end and a lower end of the airbag are abutted to a vehicle interior ceiling and a vehicle interior lower side, respectively.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the airbag in an inflated status has an upward expansion margin at the upper end and a downward expansion margin at the lower end.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein the airbag in the inflated status is formed so that both side faces in the vicinity of the middle in a height direction protrude to both sides of a vehicle width direction.

6. An airbag apparatus that is provided in a vehicle and that protects an occupant, comprising:

a folded airbag; and

an inflator for jetting gas into the airbag;

wherein the airbag is inflated by the gas introduced from the inflator and is abutted to interior parts of a vehicle interior and the interior parts of the vehicle interior guide an inflating direction of the airbag.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the airbag is inflated in a substantially upward direction by the gas introduced from the inflator and is abutted to a vehicle interior ceiling and the vehicle interior ceiling guides the airbag so that the airbag is inflated in a frontward direction.

8. The airbag apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the airbag is inflated in the frontward direction and is then inflated in a substantially downward direction.

9. The airbag apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the inflator is provided so as to jet gas in the substantially upward direction to allow the airbag to be inflated in the substantially upward direction at an initial inflation stage.

10. The airbag apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the airbag is inflated in a substantially downward direction by the gas introduced from the inflator and is abutted to at least any of a vehicle interior seat and a floor carpet of the vehicle interior to be further inflated in a frontward direction.

11. The airbag apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the airbag is inflated in a frontward direction and is then inflated in a substantially upward direction.

12. The airbag apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the inflator is provided so as to jet gas in a substantially downward direction to allow the airbag to be inflated in the substantially downward direction at an initial inflation stage.

13. The airbag apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 12,

wherein the vehicle includes therein a plurality of seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, and

the airbag and the inflator are stored in an airbag storage means provided between the plurality of seats.

14. The airbag apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the airbag in the maximum inflation status is formed so that each of outlines of left and right side faces has a rear portion having a gas inflow opening, an upper portion close to a vehicle interior ceiling, and a lower portion positioned at a lower end,

the airbag is stored at an inner side of an airbag storage means in an order of the rear portion, the upper portion, and the lower portion, and

when the gas is introduced from the inflator to the airbag, the airbag is successively inflated in an order of the rear portion, the upper portion, and the lower portion.

15. The airbag apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the airbag in the maximum inflation status is formed so that each of outlines of left and right side faces has a rear portion having a gas inflow opening, an upper portion close to a vehicle interior ceiling, and a lower portion positioned at a lower end,

the airbag is stored in an airbag storage means by being successively folded from the lower portion via the upper portion to the rear portion, and

when the gas is introduced from the inflator to the airbag, the airbag is successively inflated in an order of the rear portion, the upper portion, and the lower portion.

16. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the airbag storage means is formed at an upper portion of a center console having a substantially L-like shape that consists of an armrest portion extending in a vehicle front-and-rear direction and a vertical portion formed to extend upwardly in a substantially vertical direction from a rear portion of the armrest portion at a position corresponding to a seat back of the seat.