Airbag system designed for two persons

• US 7,093,846 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reiter, Thomas, Sommer, Karl-Heinz, Albert, Jörg
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US10/630,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards

Abstract

An airbag system for jointly supporting at least two vehicle occupants inside a motor vehicle in case of an accident with at least two separate airbags inflatable with a gas supplied by a gas generator. The airbag system has at least two airbags (14, 15) folded into a common housing (10) to be arranged in the dashboard of the motor vehicle. The airbags are connected to a common gas generator (11) having at least two outflow areas (13, 18, 19) assigned to the at least two airbags (14, 15). Each airbag (14, 15) is sealed by a deflector (16, 17) inserted therein against the respectively other airbag (14, 15), and the airbags are fixed inside the housing (10).

Claims

1. An airbag system for jointly supporting at least two vehicle occupants inside a motor vehicle in case of an accident comprising:

at least two separate airbags;

a common gas generator connected to the at least two airbags having outflow areas associated with the at least two airbags such that the airbags are inflatable with a gas supplied by the gas generator;

at least two separate deflectors, wherein each airbag is sealed against the other airbag by means of at least one deflector inserted therein; and

a common housing arranged in the dashboard of the motor vehicle, wherein the at least two airbags are folded into the common housing and wherein the at least two airbags are deployed from the common housing in the same direction.

2. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an additional airbag folded into the common housing and connected to an additional outflow area of the gas generator and sealed by means of an associated additional deflector.

3. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gas generator is designed for a symmetrical outflow capacity at the outflow areas provided.

4. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outflow areas of the gas generator associated with the at least two airbags have different outflow capacities.

5. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gas generator is a biaxial gas generator and has a central combustion system with adjusted gas distribution to its outflow areas.

6. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gas generator is a biaxial gas generator and has separate combustion systems assigned respectively to its outflow areas.

7. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that two gas generators are provided in the common housing, each having associated outflow areas, wherein the gas generators operate as a two-stage system, and each airbag is connected to the associated outflow areas of the two gas generators.

8. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the deflectors arranged in the airbags can be interconnected and jointly mounted as a unit in the common housing, together with the connected airbags.

9. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the airbags are folded into the common housing with a substantially identical folding pattern.

10. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the airbags are folded into the common housing with a different folding pattern.

11. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the airbags are made of the same material.

12. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the airbags are made of different materials.

13. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gas generator is designed for a symmetrical outflow capacity at the outflow areas provided.

14. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outflow areas of the gas generator associated with the at least two airbags have different outflow capacities.

15. The airbag system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the gas generator is a biaxial gas generator and has a central combustion system with adjusted gas distribution to its outflow areas.

16. The airbag system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the gas generator is a biaxial gas generator and has separate combustion systems assigned respectively to its outflow areas.

17. The airbag system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that two gas generators are provided in the common housing, each having associated outflow areas, wherein the gas generators operate as a two-stage system, and each airbag is connected to the associated outflow areas of the two gas generators.

18. The airbag system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the deflectors arranged in the airbags can be interconnected and jointly mounted as a unit in the common housing, together with the connected airbags.

19. The airbag system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the deflectors arranged in the airbags can be interconnected and jointly mounted as a unit in the common housing, together with the connected airbags.