Gas bag lateral impact protective device

• US 5,803,485 A
• Filed: 10/08/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Richter, Thomas, Acker, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/727,192
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 297/216.13
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2176 the air bag components being completely enclosed in a soft or semi-rigid housing or cover
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source, a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag. Both gas bags are to be inflated by the compressed gas source and are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to the side of the seat back, the head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above the thorax protecting gas bag.

Claims

1. A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants, which is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source and further a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag which both are to be inflated by said compressed gas source and which are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to a side of the seat back, said head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above said thorax protecting gas bag, said gas bags being independent from each other, separate connection openings for said thorax protecting gas bag and said head protecting gas bag are provided in a housing, said connection opening for said head protecting gas bag extends in a plane running obliquely to a longitudinal axis of the seat back.

7. The gas bag lateral impact protective device according to claim 1, wherein separate attachment lugs are provided for attachment of said housing to a frame of said seat back.

2. A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants, which is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source and further a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag which both are to be inflated by said compressed gas source and which are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to a side of the seat back, said head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above said thorax protecting gas bag, said head protecting gas bag being adapted, in the course of inflation, initially to mainly deploy obliquely upward and forward and then to deploy mainly obliquely upward and rearward so that finally it assumes a position to the side of a head of a vehicle occupant.

3. The gas bag lateral impact protective device according to claim 2, wherein said gas bags are connected with each other by an equalization duct.

4. The gas bag lateral impact protective device according to claim 3, wherein said equalization duct is formed by a seam line by which said gas bags are furthermore separated from one another.

5. The gas bag lateral impact protective device according to claim 2, wherein said gas bags are formed integral with each other.

6. A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants, which is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source and further a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag which both are to be inflated by said compressed gas source and which are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to a side of the seat back, said head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above said thorax protecting gas bag, said gas bags and said compressed gas source being mounted at a housing as a single module, said housing being comprised of two housing shells which are joined together.

8. A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants, which is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source and further a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag which both are to be inflated by said compressed gas source and which are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to a side of the seat back, said head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above said thorax protecting gas bag, said head protecting gas bag and said thorax protecting gas bag being so folded up that a part of said head protecting gas bag, while partially overlapping said thorax protecting gas bag, assumes an outside position on a side of said thorax protecting gas bag facing away from said compressed gas source.

9. A gas bag lateral impact protective device for vehicle occupants, which is integrated in the back of a vehicle seat and comprises a compressed gas source and further a thorax protecting gas bag and a head protecting gas bag which both are to be inflated by said compressed gas source and which are adapted to deploy on inflation in a space to a side of the seat back, said head protecting gas bag, upon inflation, deploying above said thorax protecting gas bag, said gas bags being held in folded form by a guard cover which jointly covers said gas bags, said guard cover being provided with a rip open seam aligned to extend along a longitudinal axis of said seat back.