VEHICLE AIRBAG

• US 20170313276A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: YOO, Wan-Dong, JUNG, Yong Hyun, GWON, Tae Ik, KIM, Dong Young
• Granted Patent: US 10,322,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0032 Position of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23538 Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2334 Expansion control features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A vehicle airbag includes a main panel to form a main chamber deployed toward an inner part of a vehicle, and a protrusion panel provided outside the main panel to form at least one protrusion chamber that communicates with the main chamber and protrudes toward the inner part of the vehicle based on the main chamber. The protrusion panel is folded to have a wrinkle part when the vehicle airbag is not inflated.

Claims

1. A vehicle airbag comprising:

a main panel to form a main chamber deployable toward an inner part of a vehicle; and

a protrusion panel provided outside the main panel to form at least one protrusion chamber that communicates with the main chamber through at least one vent hole formed in the main panel and protrudes toward the inner part of the vehicle based on the main chamber,

wherein the protrusion panel is folded to have a wrinkle part when the vehicle airbag is not inflated.

2. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, wherein the wrinkle part is formed by folding the protrusion panel toward the main panel or toward the inner part of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, wherein an inflation volume of the at least one protrusion chamber is adjusted by adjusting a number of winkle parts.

4. The vehicle airbag of claim 3, wherein a number of upper wrinkle parts of the protrusion panel is different from a number of lower wrinkle parts of the protrusion panel.

5. The vehicle airbag of claim 4, wherein a number of the at least one vent hole or a size of the at least one vent hole is varied depending on the inflation volume of the at least one protrusion chamber.

6. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, wherein the protrusion panel comprises first and second panels and a deployment shape of the at least one protrusion chamber is controlled by adjusting lengths of the first and second panels.

7. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, wherein the vehicle airbag is selected from a group consisting of a driver seat airbag, a passenger seat airbag, a side curtain airbag, and a knee airbag.

8. The vehicle airbag of claim 7, wherein the vehicle airbag is a passenger seat airbag, the main panel comprising a front panel for making contact with a head of an occupant;

and

the protrusion panel coupled to an outside of the front panel and provided in at least one side thereof with the wrinkle part.

9. The vehicle airbag of claim 8, wherein both ends of the protrusion panel are coupled to both ends of the front panel,

the protrusion panel is provided at a central portion thereof with central sewing lines spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and

a non-inflation region is formed between the central sewing lines, and the at least one vent hole is formed in the main panel between the central sewing lines and the both ends of the protrusion panel such that two protrusion chambers are inflated about the non-inflation region.

10. The vehicle airbag of claim 7, wherein the vehicle airbag is a driver seat airbag:

the main chamber is inflatable toward an occupant from a steering wheel of the vehicle; and

the at least one protrusion chamber that more protrudes toward the inner part of the vehicle than the main chamber and is inflated adjacent to a lateral side of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle airbag of claim 7, wherein the vehicle airbag is a side curtain airbag:

the main chamber is inflatable along a lateral side of the vehicle; and

the at least one protrusion chamber provided at a front end of the main chamber and inflated to more protrude toward the inner part of the vehicle than the main chamber, and

wherein the at least one protrusion chamber is adapted to block a space between the driver seat airbag and the side curtain airbag or supports a front side of the driver seat airbag.

12. The vehicle airbag of claim 7, wherein the vehicle airbag is a knee airbag:

the main chamber is inflatable toward a leg of an occupant; and

the at least one protrusion chamber that communicates with the main chamber, more protrudes the leg of the occupant than the main chamber, and is inflatable adjacent to a lateral side of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, in combination with the vehicle.

16. The vehicle airbag of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an inflation volume of the at least one protrusion chamber by folding the protrusion panel to include at least one additional wrinkle part.

14. A method of using an airbag to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing the airbag to include a main panel and a protrusion panel, the main panel forming a main chamber deployable toward an inner part of the vehicle, the protrusion panel provided outside the main panel to form at least one protrusion chamber that communicates with the main chamber through at least one vent hole formed in the main panel and protrudes toward the inner part of the vehicle based on the main chamber; and

folding the protrusion panel to have a wrinkle part when the airbag is not inflated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein folding the protrusion part includes folding the protrusion panel toward the main panel or toward the inner part of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein folding the protrusion part includes folding an upper part of the protrusion panel to include a first number of upper wrinkle parts and folding a lower part of the protrusion panel to include a second number of lower wrinkle parts.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first number is different than the second number.