Safety device for a motor vehicle with a multi-chamber airbag

• US 6,308,983 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Sinnhuber, Ruprecht
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/673,075
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/732, 280/736, 280/739, 280/742, 280/743.2, 280/735, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2313 comprising sensitive compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01504 detecting bag displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01508 detecting forces or pressure in bags or modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01528 mounted on the bag
• 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams

Abstract

A safety device for a motor vehicle includes a multi-chamber airbag, which is inflatable by at least one gas generator activatable when a vehicle is impacted. The airbag includes at least one feeler, or tactile, airbag, which may be quickly inflated using only a small quantity of energy and which is provided with a touch, or tactile, function. The feeler airbag may be inflated and introduced into an inflation area of at least one second airbag chamber and identifies, by touch, an obstacle in the inflation area, such as an out-of-position occupant. A touch recognition device is connected to the feeler airbag and emits a control signal, which is utilized at least during the inflation phase. The gas generator includes a control device for the inflowing amount of gas, the control device being connected to the touch recognition device and preventing, or at least reducing, a further inflation function of the gas generator when receiving the control signal.

Claims

1. A safety device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one gas generator that is activatable in response to a vehicle collision;

a multi-chamber airbag that is inflatable by the gas generator;

a tactile recognition device connected to the multi-chamber airbag, the tactile recognition device emitting a control signal in response to contact of the multi-chamber airbag with an obstacle, the control signal being analyzable at least during an airbag inflation phase; and

a control device configured to control a gas volume flow into the multi-chamber airbag, the control device being associated with the gas generator and connected to the tactile recognition system, the control device at least one of suppressing and reducing a further inflation function of the gas generator for the multi-chamber airbag in response to receiving the control signal;

wherein the multi-chamber airbag includes at least one finger-like feeler airbag having a relatively low volume and being rapidly inflatable with little energy and at least one second, larger-volume airbag chamber having a support function, each feeler airbag having a tactile function, each feeler airbag being at least one of inflatable and movable into an inflation region of the second airbag chamber, each feeler airbag being configured to sense the obstacle present in the inflation region.

2. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle is an out-of-position occupant.

3. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein each feeler airbag is a separate chamber of the multi-chamber airbag and is inflatable earlier in time than the second airbag chamber.

4. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the feeler airbags is formed on an impact surface of at least one second airbag chamber, the feeler airbags extending approximately in an inflation direction, the feeler airbags being inflated together and by corresponding geometry substantially at a beginning of an inflation phase.

5. The safety device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of feeler airbags are formed on the impact surface.

6. The safety device according to claim 5, further comprising one of a perforated film and a net connecting free ends of the feeler airbags.

7. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the second airbag chamber includes a thorax airbag chamber adjacent to a top of a front region of the feeler airbag and a head airbag chamber adjacent to the thorax airbag chamber, the feeler airbag chamber being disposed relatively lower in a direction of a normal position of an occupant, the thorax airbag chamber being inflatable through the feeler airbag.

8. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile recognition device includes an apparatus for measuring at least one of a velocity and an acceleration of a propagation of the feeler airbag and a threshold value device, the threshold value device emitting the control signal when the at least one of a velocity and an acceleration falls below a predefined setpoint.