AIRBAG

• US 20100295280A1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• 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: Suzuki, Shigeyuki, Kato, Hiroshi, Mochiduki, Mitsuru, Tomitaka, Akihiro, Misawa, Kazumasa, Fujimura, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• 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 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• 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

An airbag (11) by which, when a vehicle (20) including two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction is subjected to a side collision, an occupant (P10, P11) sitting in a seat (22L, 22R) at the opposite side of the collision is restricted from moving to the collision side. The airbag (11) has, in the maximally-expanded status, an outline shape seen from the front side of the vehicle. This outline shape has: an airbag upper part (11U) that forms a part equal to or higher than a position corresponding to a shoulder of a seat back (25L, 23R) and that protects the neck and head for example of the occupant (P10, P11); and an airbag lower part (11D) that forms a part equal to or lower than a position corresponding to a shoulder of the seat back (25L, 23R) and that protects the shoulder and arm. for example of the occupant (P10, P11). The airbag (11) is configured to have an entire shape that has the inner outline of the occupant (P10, P11) in the vehicle width direction.

Claims

1. An airbag that is expanded between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, wherein

in an expanded status, an outline of a vertical cross section along a vehicle width direction forms a shape in which a vicinity of a center in a height direction is protruded to both sides in the vehicle width direction.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein in an expanded status, the outline of the vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction has a polygonal shape in which the vicinity of the center in the height direction is protruded to both sides in the vehicle width direction.

3. The airbag according to claim 2, wherein the polygonal shape has a polygonal number of an even number of 4 or more.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein at the expansion thereof, the airbag forms a three-dimensional shape composed of a front face, a back face, an upper face, a lower face, and left and right side faces protruding in a convex manner to both sides in the vehicle width direction.

5. The airbag according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the airbag is planarly configured by two left and right flat fabric cloths.

6. An airbag that is expanded between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, wherein

the airbag has an outline shape seen from the front side of the vehicle in the maximally-expanded status that is composed of an airbag upper part that forms a part equal to or higher than a position corresponding to a shoulder of a seat back of the seat and that protects the neck and head for example of the occupant and an airbag lower part that forms a part equal to or lower than a position corresponding to a shoulder of the seat back and that protects the shoulder and arm for example of the occupant, the airbag upper part has the outermost part in the vehicle width direction that reaches the vicinity of an inner end of a headrest of each of the seat backs in the vehicle width direction, the airbag lower part has the outermost part in the vehicle width direction that reaches the vicinity of inner ends of the left and right seat backs in the vehicle width direction and, the airbag has an entire shape so as to have an inner outline of the occupant in the vehicle width direction.

7. The airbag according to claim 6, wherein the airbag is configured, in the maximally-expanded status thereof, so that an upper face of the airbag upper part is abutted to a vehicle interior ceiling of the vehicle and a lower face of the bag lower part is abutted to an upper face of an armrest of a center console.

8. The airbag according to claim 7, wherein the airbag upper part has an outline shape in a horizontal cross-section in the maximum width portion in the vehicle width direction, the outline shape has a backmost portion in the vicinity of the backmost part of the center console and completely covers the backmost part of the center console in the vehicle width direction in the maximum width, the airbag upper part has a reduced width toward the front side so as to form the whole airbag upper part has a substantially bell-like shape with a narrow tip end.

9. The airbag according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the airbag lower part is entirely configured so that a width in the vehicle width direction is wider than the width of the center console in the vehicle width direction, an outline shape in a horizontal cross-section at a position corresponding to a shoulder of the seat back has a rear part in the vicinity of the backmost part of the center console and a front part in the vicinity of the front end of a seat cushion of the seat so that the rear part and the front part have substantially the same maximum width in the vehicle width direction, and an intermediate portion of the rear part and the front part has a relatively narrow width in the vehicle width direction.

10. An airbag that is expanded between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, wherein the airbag includes a tether for limiting the expansion of the airbag, and the airbag is configured so that a length at a front end in a vehicle width direction is shorter than a length at a rear end in the vehicle width direction in a horizontal cross-section of the tether part.