Vehicular passive safety device

• US 6,805,380 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Namiki, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.1, 280/808, 280/730.2, 280/733, 297/468
• US Class Current: 280/801.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/021 Means for holding the tongue or buckle in a non-use position, e.g. for easy access by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/027 Four-point seat belt systems, e.g. with the two upper points connected together
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/086 Frame mounted hoods specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/10 Safety belts specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

To enable effectively binding the front, the head and the neck of an occupant in a vehicular passive safety device that binds the occupant by inflating the webbing. As an upper portion of an inflated portion of webbing of an air belt system is located in a position in which each side of the head H and the neck N of an occupant can be protected, it is needless to say that the front B of the occupant can be softly bound with the inflated portion in a head-on collision. The head H and the neck N of the occupant are softly bound in a side impact and the air belt system can also function as a side air bag system and an air curtain system. In addition, as the thickness of the portion to be inflated becomes thinner downwardly from the upper portion, the required capacity of an inflator can be reduced by reducing the volume of a lower portion of the inflated portion in which required binding force can be easily acquired even if the lower portion is thinned.

Claims

1. A vehicular passive safety device for inflating a portion of a webbing diagonally arranged to be in front (B) of an occupant so as to bind the occupant on a seat with a high pressure gas generated by an inflator when a vehicle collides comprising:

an upper portion of the webbing to be inflated is located in a position wherein a side of a head (H) and a neck (N) of an occupant can be protected,

wherein the inflator is mounted on a cross member adjacent to the upper portion of the webbing to be inflated, the cross member being a tubular member connecting to struts on both sides of the seat.

2. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness when the portion of the webbing to be inflated is inflated becomes thinner from the upper portion to a lower part.

3. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 2, wherein the portions to be inflated of two webbings are diagonally crossed to be arranged in front (B) of an occupant.

4. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 1, wherein the webbing includes a folded bag constructed of urethane rubber and silicone rubber with an elastic cover disposed therearound.

5. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 1, and further including an inflator bracket for mounting the inflator and a web mounting bracket, said web mounting bracket includes a body for mating with an upper end of the webbing to enable high pressure gas to be in communication with said webbing for inflating the same.

6. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 5, wherein the portion of the webbing being disposed directly adjacent to a head and neck of an occupant inflates to a greater degree relative to a portion of the webbing displaced downwardly for ensuring protection to a head and a neck of an occupant during a collision.

7. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 5, and further including a nozzle protruding from said body for mating with the upper end of the webbing for supplying high pressure gas directly into an interior portion of said webbing.

8. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 3, wherein the two webbings are bilaterally symmetrical with the inflated portion being thickest at an upper end of the webbing for protecting a head and a neck of an occupant.

17. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 1, wherein the inflator has a tubular structure, and is mounted on the cross member in a position outward of the webbing.

18. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 2, wherein the inflator has a tubular structure, and is mounted on the cross member in a position outward of the webbing.

9. A vehicular passive safety device comprising:

a webbing adapted for restraining a passenger relative to a vehicle, said webbing including a portion adapted to be selectively inflated with a gas generated by an inflator based on a predetermined condition; and

an upper portion of the webbing to be inflated being located adjacent to a side of a head (H) and a neck (N) of an occupant for protecting a head (H) and a neck (N) upon the occurrence of said predetermined condition,

wherein the inflator is mounted on a forward side of a cross member and is rigidly connected by a high pressure gas pipe to the upper portion of the webbing to be inflated, the upper portion of the webbing being inward of the inflator.

10. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 9, wherein the thickness when the portion of the webbing to be inflated is inflated becomes thinner from the upper portion to a lower part.

11. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 10, wherein the portions to be inflated of two webbings are diagonally crossed to be arranged in front (B) of an occupant.

12. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 9, wherein the webbing includes a folded bag constructed of urethane rubber and silicone rubber with an elastic cover disposed therearound.

13. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 9, and further including an inflator bracket for mounting the inflator and a web mounting bracket, said web mounting bracket includes a body for mating with an upper end of the webbing to enable gas to be in communication with said webbing for inflating the same.

14. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 13, wherein the portion of the webbing being disposed directly adjacent to a head and neck of an occupant inflates to a greater degree relative to a portion of the webbing displaced downwardly for ensuring protection to a head and a neck of an occupant during a collision.

15. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 13, and further including a nozzle protruding from said body for mating with the upper end of the webbing for supplying gas directly into an interior portion of said webbing.

16. The vehicular passive safety device according to claim 11, wherein the two webbings are bilaterally symmetrical with the inflated portion being thickest at an upper end of the webbing for protecting a head and a neck of an occupant.