VEHICLE SEAT AIRBAG SYSTEM AND VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20150091282A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGASAWA, Isamu, KAMATA, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/427 Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0032 Position of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• 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 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

A vehicle seat airbag system includes an airbag which is caused by the vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back. A plurality of elastic installation supporting members is provided within a seat back frame that forms the framework of the seat back of a seat for the vehicle. A seat pad is disposed on the front surface of each elastic installation supporting member. The airbag in a contracted state is disposed rearwardly of the elastic installation supporting members. All of these components are covered by an outer layer material in a bag shape. The airbag, which inflates and develops in the seat back due to a collision or the like, elastically supports the upper body of a seated person, and elastically receives an impact force which is applied to the rear of the seat back.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat airbag system comprising

an airbag which is caused by the vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back,

wherein the airbag is disposed between a seat pad and an outer layer of a rear of the seat back, and the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to the rear of the seat back.

2. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the seat back has a flexible member that covers a front of the inflated and developed airbag to allow the upper body of a seated person to be elastically supported, and the seat back further has a flexible movable member that covers a back of the inflated and developed airbag to allow an impact force applied to the rear of the seat back to be elastically received.

15. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision detection unit that detects a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit causes the airbag to inflate and develop after a predetermined time delay since the collision detection unit detects a collision.

18. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit starts to cause the airbag to inflate and develop at a time which is determined based on a time of collision occurrence predicted by the collision prediction unit.

21. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1,

wherein the airbag inflates and develops in multiple steps within the seat back.

3. A vehicle seat airbag system comprising

an airbag which is caused by the vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back,

wherein the airbag is disposed between a seat pad and an outer layer of a rear of the seat back, and the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back causes the outer layer to expand rearwardly and allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to the rear of the seat back.

4. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the outer layer has an elastic portion in an area corresponding to the inflated and developed airbag.

5. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, wherein at least an area of the outer layer is composed of a material having elasticity different from elasticity of the outer layer other than the area which corresponds to the inflated and developed airbag.

6. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the outer layer has a gusset that enables rearward expansion of the airbag which is caused by the inflation and development of the airbag.

7. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the outer layer has a breaking part that enables rearward expansion of the airbag which is caused by the inflation and development of the airbag.

8. The vehicle seat airbag system according claim 3, further comprising

a rear board that is disposed rearwardly of the outer layer along an expansion area of the outer layer.

16. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision detection unit that detects a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit causes the airbag to inflate and develop after a predetermined time delay since the collision detection unit detects a collision.

19. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit starts to cause the airbag to inflate and develop at a time which is determined based on a time of collision occurrence predicted by the collision prediction unit.

22. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 3,

wherein the airbag inflates and develops in multiple steps within the seat back.

9. A vehicle seat airbag system comprising

an airbag which is caused by the vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back, wherein

the airbag is disposed between a seat pad and a rear board provided in a rear of the seat back, and

the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person, and causes the rear board to be pushed rearwardly to allow the airbag to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to the rear board.

11. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9, wherein the rear board is removed from the rear of the seat back by the pushing.

12. The vehicle seat airbag system according claim 9,

wherein the rear board is removably fixed to the rear of the seat back and includes:

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to the vehicle; and

a fixing release mechanism that releases the fixing based on information of collision occurrence which is predicted by the collision prediction unit.

13. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9, wherein an outer layer is interposed between the airbag and the rear board, the outer layer being caused by the inflated and developed airbag to expand rearwardly, and the outer layer is provided with the rear board.

14. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9, wherein the rear board includes a fragile part.

17. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision detection unit that detects a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit causes the airbag to inflate and develop after a predetermined time delay since the collision detection unit detects a collision.

20. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to the vehicle,

wherein the control unit starts to cause the airbag to inflate and develop at a time which is determined based on a time of collision occurrence predicted by the collision prediction unit.

23. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 9,

wherein the airbag inflates and develops in multiple steps within the seat back.

10. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim wherein the rear board is supported on the rear of the seat back swingably in a direction away from the rear of the seat back.

24. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back frame, an elastic installation supporting member installed in the seat back frame, and an airbag within a seat back, the vehicle seat causing the airbag to inflate and develop within the seat back, wherein

an inflator is attached to the seat back frame, and

the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back due to an operation of the inflator allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to a rear of the seat back.

25. The vehicle seat according to claim 24, wherein

the seat back frame is formed in a substantially frame shape along a seat back shape,

the airbag is provided in the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape, and

the inflator is attached to a side portion of the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape.

26. The vehicle seat according to claim 25, wherein the inflator is disposed within the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape.

27. The vehicle seat according to claim 26, wherein

the airbag is disposed in the vehicle body rearwardly of the elastic installation supporting member, and

the inflator is disposed in the vehicle body forwardly of the elastic installation supporting member.

28. The vehicle seat according to claim 25, wherein the inflator is disposed outside the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape.

29. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back frame, an elastic installation supporting member installed in the seat back frame, and an airbag within a seat back, the vehicle seat causing the airbag to inflate and develop within the seat back, wherein

an inflator is attached to the seat back frame,

the seat back frame is formed in a substantially frame shape along a seat back shape,

the airbag is provided in the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape,

the inflator is attached to at least one of an upper portion and a lower portion of the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape, and

the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back due to an operation of the inflator allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to a rear of the seat back.

30. The vehicle seat according to claim 29, wherein the inflator is disposed within the seat back frame.

31. The vehicle seat according to claim 29, wherein the inflator is disposed outside the seat back frame.

32. The vehicle seat according to claim 30, wherein the inflator is attached to a position near a side end of at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape.

33. The vehicle seat according to claim 29, wherein the inflator is attached to each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the seat back frame, and

each inflator operates with a time lag to cause the inflation and development.

34. The vehicle seat according to claim 29, wherein the lower portion of the seat back frame to which the inflator is attached is a cylindrical cross member that extends in a width direction along a lower side of the seat back, and

the inflator is fixed to an inside of the cross member.

35. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat back frame, an elastic installation supporting member installed in the seat back frame, and an airbag within a seat back, the vehicle seat causing the airbag to inflate and develop within the seat back, wherein

an inflator is attached to the seat back frame,

the seat back frame is formed as a whole in a substantially frame shape along a seat back shape,

the airbag is provided in the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape,

the inflator is attached to the seat back frame in a substantially frame shape at a corner portion or a bending portion thereof, and

the inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back due to an operation of the inflator allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to a rear of the seat back.

36. The vehicle seat according to claim 35, wherein the attachment of the inflator to the seat back frame is achieved by bridging the inflator between both side positions of the seat back frame including the corner portion or the bending portion.

37. The vehicle seat according to claim 36, wherein the seat back frame has a lower cross member and an upper cross member that extend in a width direction at a lower and an upper positions respectively, and a pair of side frames that are disposed on both sides in the width direction, and

the corner portion or the bending portion serves as a connecting portion between the side frames and the lower cross member, and the inflator is bridged between and attached to the side frames and the lower cross member.

38. The vehicle seat according to claim 36, wherein

the seat back frame has a lower cross member and an upper cross member that extend in a width direction at a lower and an upper positions respectively, and a pair of side frames that are disposed on both sides in the width direction, and

the corner portion or the bending portion is located between the side frames and the upper frame, and the inflator is bridged between and attached to the side frames and the upper cross member.