Occupant protection device

• US 7,004,496 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Getz, Robert, Karlbauer, Ulrich, Bossecker, Maximilian
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US10/666,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2074 in head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

An occupant protection device with an airbag for fastening in a vehicle seat. In order, in an occupant protection device of this type, to make it possible for the seat to be produced and installed very simply and cost-effectively and to achieve reliable deployment of the airbag, the invention proposes that the occupant protection device has a receiving container for the airbag, which container is free of closure flaps, and the opening of the receiving container is covered by a seat cover of the vehicle seat. In this case, the seat cover is to be fastened to a side wall of the receiving container in such a manner that, when the airbag is inflated with gas, the seat cover tears open in the region of the opening of the receiving container.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device located in a vehicle seat comprising:

a receiving container for an airbag, wherein the receiving container is free of closure flaps and the opening of the receiving container is covered by a seat cover of the vehicle seat,

wherein the seat cover is fastened to a side wall of the receiving container so that, when the airbag is inflated with gas, the seat cover tears open in the region of the opening of the receiving container, and

wherein an upper end of at least one sidewall of the container is bent away from the container opening such that a hook-shaped sidewall area is formed at the outside of the sidewall, the hook-shaped sidewall area comprises a hook opening that is directed away from the container opening.

2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the seat cover has a predetermined breaking point in the region of the opening of the receiving container.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the seat cover is fastened to the side wall in the region of the predetermined breaking point.

4. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined breaking point is formed by a seam configured to tear.

5. The occupant protection device according to claim 4, wherein the seat cover is folded over into the seat interior in the region of the tearing seam forming two adjacent hems, and wherein the adjacent edge regions of the hems are sewn together.

6. The occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the two hems is fastened to the side wall of the receiving container.

7. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving container is arranged in the vehicle seat in such a manner that the side wall is arranged essentially parallel to the backrest and the opening of the receiving container faces the upper end of the backrest.

8. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the seat cover is fastened to the side wall of the receiving container which faces the vehicle occupant.

9. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein a plastic strip is provided for fastening the seat cover to the side wall of the container.

11. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening of the seat cover to the side wall is brought about by at least two hooks which are attached to the side wall and are hooked into holes in a hem of the seat cover.

12. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening of the seat cover to the side wall is brought about by a snap-in strip into which snap-in hooks fastened to a seat cover snap.

13. The occupant protection device according to claim 12, wherein the snap-in strip is fastened to the side wall.

14. The occupant protection device according to claim 13, wherein the snap-in strip is fastened to the side wall via further snap-in hooks.

15. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the seat cover is fastened to a low region of the side wall.

16. The occupant protection device according claim 1, wherein a seat cushion is provided between the receiving container and the seat cover, and there is at least one predetermined breaking point in the seat cushion.

17. The occupant protection device according to claim 16, wherein at least one hole is provided in the seat cushion as a predetermined breaking point in the seat cushion.

19. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the hook-shaped sidewall area is U-shaped in cross-section, an opening of the U-shape is directed away from the container opening.

10. An occupant protection device located in a vehicle seat comprising:

a receiving container for an airbag, the receiving container is free of closure flaps and the opening of the receiving container is covered by a seat cover of the vehicle seat, and wherein the seat cover is fastened to a side wall of the receiving container so that, when the airbag is inflated with gas, the seat cover tears open in the region of the opening of the receiving container; and

a plastic strip, the plastic strip being provided for fastening the seat cover to the side wall of the container, wherein one end of the strip is sewn to the seat cover and the other end of the strip is hooked to the side wall.

18. An occupant protection device, comprising:

an airbag stored in a container located in a vehicle seat, wherein the container includes an open end covered by a seat cover; and

wherein the seat cover is connected to the container by a plastic strip, and

wherein an upper end of at least one sidewall of the container is bent away from the open end such that a hook-shaped sidewall area is formed at the outside of the sidewall, the hook-shaped sidewall area comprises a hook opening that is directed away from the open end.