Vehicle gas bag providing lateral protection

• US 6,176,513 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Neidert, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/936,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection device incorporated into a vehicle with an A-pillar and a B-pillar, comprises an inflatable head-side gas bag extending from the A-pillar up to at least the B-pillar of the vehicle and a gas generator. The gas bag has a front section which covers the A-pillar at least to a major extent in the inflated condition of the gas bag and in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front-end collision prevents head contact with the A-pillar.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection means incorporated into a vehicle with an A-pillar and a B-pillar and a front side window, said protection means comprising an inflatable head-side gas bag having a deflated condition and an inflated condition and extending from said A-pillar up to at least said B-pillar of said vehicle and at least one gas generator, said gas bag comprising a front section which covers said A-pillar at least to a major extent in the inflated condition of said gas bag and in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front-end collision prevents head contact with said A-pillar, said head-side gas bag taking a spacious, cushion-shaped configuration in its inflated condition, covering said front side window to a major extent and having several chambers, one of said chambers extending over said front side window of said vehicle and one of said chambers for covering said A-pillar, said chamber for covering said A-pillar forming said front section and being separated from said chamber extending over said front side window, a separate gas generator being provided for inflating said chamber for covering said A-pillar, and said head-side gas bag, in its inflated condition, being attached to pillars of said vehicle.

2. The protection means as set forth in claim 1, wherein in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front-end collision only said chamber for covering said A-pillar is inflated.

3. The protection means as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle additionally has a C-pillar, and wherein said inflated head-side gas bag extends up to said C-pillar of said vehicle.

4. The protection means as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a side roof pillar and a C-pillar, and wherein said head-side gas bag has a front lower end and a rear lower end, extends from said A-pillar to said C-pillar, and is connected in the region of its front and rear lower ends with said A-pillar and said C-pillar, respectively.

5. The protection means as set forth in claim 1 for incorporation into a vehicle with a longitudinal axis, wherein said chamber for covering said A-pillar and said chamber extending over said front side window are inflated in case of a collision at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to said vehicle longitudinal axis.

6. A vehicle occupant protection means incorporated into a vehicle with an A-pillar and a B-pillar and a front side window, said protection means comprising a head-side gas bag having a deflated condition and an inflated condition, said gas bag in the inflated condition extending along the side of said vehicle over said A-pillar and over said B-pillar and over said front side window, at least one inflator for inflating said gas bag, said gas bag comprising an inflatable front section which covers said A-pillar at least to a major extent and blocks head contact with said A-pillar in the inflated condition of said gas bag, said gas bag also having a single inflatable chamber connected to said front section and in the inflated condition of the gas bag extending over said B-pillar and extending over a major portion of said front side window between the portion of the A-pillar which is extended over by said front section and the portion of the B-pillar extended over by said single inflatable chamber, said single inflatable chamber blocking head contact with said B-pillar and said front side window in the inflated condition of said gas bag.

7. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein said front section blocks head contact with said A-pillar in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front end collision.

8. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein said single inflatable chamber blocks head contact with said B-pillar and said front side window in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front end collision.

9. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein said front section is separated from said single inflatable chamber and wherein a separate gas generator is provided for inflating said front section.

10. The protection means as set forth in claim 9, wherein in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front-end collision, said separate gas generator inflates said front section.

11. The protection means as set forth in claim 10, wherein in the case of an offset head-on collision and a skew front-end collision, only said front section is inflated.

12. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein said front section is flowingly connected to said single inflatable chamber.

13. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein said inflator is a multi-stage gas generator.

14. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein the vehicle further includes a C-pillar, and wherein said inflated head-side gas bag extends over said C-pillar of said vehicle.

15. The protection means as set forth in claim 6, wherein the vehicle has a side roof pillar and a C-pillar, and wherein said head-side gas bag has a front lower end and a rear lower end, said head-side gas bag extending along the side of the vehicle and over said A-pillar and said C-pillar, said head-side gas bag being connected in the region of its front and rear lower ends to said A-pillar and said C-pillar, respectively.

16. The protection means as set forth in claim 6 for incorporation into a vehicle with a longitudinal axis, wherein said front section and said single inflatable chamber are inflated in case of a collision at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to said vehicle longitudinal axis.