AUTOMOBILE OCCUPANT PROTECTION DEVICE

• US 20170072896A1
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukawatase, Osamu, Nakashima, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,994,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An automobile occupant protection device is provided including: a driver'"'"'s seat airbag; and a curtain airbag that is configured including a main chamber, an auxiliary chamber that is provided at a vehicle front side of the main chamber and that is disposed at a position bent toward the vehicle width direction inner side with respect to the main chamber as viewed along a vehicle up-down direction from inside the vehicle cabin, a non-inflating portion that is disposed between the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber, and a first gas supply path that is capable of supplying gas from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber. The non-inflating portion is disposed at a position facing, in the vehicle width direction, a maximum external diameter portion of the driver'"'"'s seat airbag where an external diameter of the driver'"'"'s seat airbag is largest.

Claims

1. An automobile occupant protection device comprising:

a driver'"'"'s seat airbag that is provided at a steering wheel, and that is configured by a bag body that has a substantially flattened spherical shape in a state in which deployment has been completed in the event of a collision at an angle; and

a curtain airbag that is provided behind a ceiling of a vehicle cabin and that includes;

a main chamber configured by a bag body that has a curtain shape disposed at a vehicle width direction inner side of a side window on a driver'"'"'s seat side in a state in which deployment has been completed in the event of a collision at an angle,

an auxiliary chamber that is provided at a vehicle front side of the main chamber and that is disposed at a position bent toward the vehicle width direction inner side with respect to the main chamber as viewed along a vehicle up-down direction from an inner side of the vehicle cabin in a state in which deployment has been completed,

a non-inflating portion that is disposed between the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber, and

a first gas supply path that is provided at a vehicle up-down direction upper side of the non-inflating portion and that is capable of supplying gas from the main chamber to the auxiliary chamber;

wherein the non-inflating portion is disposed at a position facing, in the vehicle width direction, a maximum external diameter portion of the driver'"'"'s seat airbag at which an external diameter of the driver'"'"'s seat airbag is largest.

2. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein a second gas supply path that places the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber in communication with each other along a vehicle front-rear direction is provided at the curtain airbag at a vehicle lower side of the non-inflating portion.

3. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 2, wherein an end portion at a vehicle width direction outer side, of the maximum external diameter portion at which the external diameter of the driver'"'"'s seat airbag is largest, is disposed over the second gas supply path when the driver'"'"'s seat airbag is viewed along the vehicle width direction from inside the vehicle cabin.

4. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 2, wherein, as viewed along the vehicle width direction from inside the vehicle cabin, at least a portion of the second gas supply path is positioned further to the vehicle lower side than a door beltline of a side door on the driver'"'"'s seat side.

5. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein, as viewed along the vehicle width direction from inside the vehicle cabin, a lower portion side of the auxiliary chamber in the vehicle up-down direction is provided with a lower side extension portion that is positioned further to a vehicle lower side than a door beltline of a side door on the driver'"'"'s seat side.

6. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 5, wherein a lower edge side of the main chamber in the vehicle up-down direction is formed with a recessed portion recessed toward a vehicle upper side and a vehicle rear side with respect to the lower side extension portion of the auxiliary chamber.

7. The automobile occupant protection device of claim 1, wherein:

the non-inflating portion is configured including a first non-inflating portion and a second non-inflating portion that are respectively formed in island shapes and disposed spaced apart from each other in the vehicle up-down direction, and a connecting portion that connects the first non-inflating portion and the second non-inflating portion together substantially in the vehicle up-down direction; and

as viewed along the vehicle width direction from inside the vehicle cabin, the first non-inflating portion is disposed further to the vehicle front side than the second non-inflating portion, and the connecting portion is disposed in a state inclined toward the vehicle front side with respect to the vehicle up-down direction.