Vehicle occupant restraint system and vehicle occupant restraint method

• US 7,163,236 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Oota, Kouichi, Tobata, Hideo, Masuda, Daisuke, Maki, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/294,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/730.1, 280/801.1, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0044 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint system of the present invention has: a seat belt restraint device (13) including a shoulder belt (11) which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant (C) diagonally from one of the shoulders (Cs) to the chest (Cc), and a lap belt (12) which restrains the waist (Cw) of the vehicle occupant (C); an upper air bag (30) supported by an upper support point (32) provided on the shoulder belt (11); a lower air bag (31) supported by a lower support point (33) provided on the lap belt (12) and coming into contact with the upper air bag (30) in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and an air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1–H9). The air bag movement inhibiting structure (H1–H9) applies, to at least one of the upper support point (32) and the lower support point (33), a moment (M1–M13) in a direction of canceling movements of contact surfaces of the upper and lower air bags (30, 31) toward a side in the vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt (11) is located above the shoulder (Cs) of the vehicle occupant (C), when the upper air bag (30) and the lower air bag (31) receive inertial force of the vehicle occupant (C) toward a front of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

a seat belt restraint device including a shoulder belt which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant diagonally from one of the shoulders to the chest, and a lap belt which restrains the waist of the vehicle occupant;

an upper air bag supported by an upper support point provided on the shoulder belt;

a lower air bag supported by a lower support point provided on the lap belt and coming into contact with the upper air bag in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and

an air bag movement inhibiting structure which applies, to at least one of the upper support point and the lower support point, a moment in a direction of canceling movements of contact surfaces of the upper and lower air bags toward a side in the vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt is located above the shoulder of the vehicle occupant, when the upper air bag and the lower air bag receive inertial force of the vehicle occupant toward a front of a vehicle.

2. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure applies the moment to the upper support point.

3. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure applies the moment to the lower support point.

4. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure applies the moment to the upper support point and the lower support point.

5. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a structure in which the upper air bag and the lower air bag are offset from a center of the vehicle occupant to a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

6. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a structure in which the upper air bag is offset from a center of the vehicle occupant to a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

7. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is an extended portion formed on a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other, and formed by extending a part of the upper air bag.

8. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is an upper protruding portion provided in the upper air bag and formed on a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other, and

the upper protruding portion is engaged with a side surface of the lower air bag on the side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

9. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 3,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a lower protruding portion provided in the lower air bag and formed on a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other, and

the lower protruding portion is engaged with a side surface of the upper air bag on the side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

10. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 2,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a structure in which the upper support point is offset from a center of the vehicle occupant to a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

11. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 3,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a structure in which the lower support point is offset from a center of the vehicle occupant to a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other.

12. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 4,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a structure in which a height of the contact surfaces of the upper air bag and the lower air bag on a side in the vehicle width direction, where the shoulder belt and the lap belt are continuous with each other, is set higher than a height on the side in the vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt is located above the shoulder of the vehicle occupant.

13. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 4,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a coupling structure which couples the upper and lower air bags to each other when the upper and lower air bags are inflated and extended to contact each other, the coupling structure being provided between a lower surface of the upper air bag and an upper surface of the lower air bag.

14. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 4,

wherein the air bag movement inhibiting structure is a side air bag which supports the upper and lower air bags from side surfaces thereof on the side in the vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt is located above the shoulder of the vehicle occupant, by being inflated and extended in synchronization with the upper and lower air bags, the side air bag being provided between the side surfaces and a vehicle body.

15. A vehicle occupant restraint method, comprising:

preparing;

a seat belt restraint device including a shoulder belt which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant diagonally from one of the shoulders to the chest and a lap belt which restrains the waist of the vehicle occupant;

an upper air bag supported by an upper support point provided on the shoulder belt; and

a lower air bag supported by a lower support point provided on the lap belt; and

allowing the upper support point and/or the lower support point to generate a moment in a direction of canceling movements of contact surfaces of the upper and lower air bags toward a side in a vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt is located above the shoulder of the vehicle occupant, when the upper air bag and the lower air bag receive inertial force of the vehicle occupant toward a front of a vehicle.

16. A vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

a seat belt restraint device including a shoulder belt which restrains the body of a vehicle occupant diagonally from one of the shoulders to the chest, and a lap belt which restrains the waist of the vehicle occupant;

an upper air bag supported by an upper support point provided on the shoulder belt;

a lower air bag supported by a lower support point provided on the lap belt and coming into contact with the upper air bag in a vertical direction when being inflated and extended; and

air bag movement inhibiting means for applying, to at least one of the upper support point and the lower support point, a moment in a direction of canceling movements of contact surfaces of the upper and lower air bags toward a side in a vehicle width direction, where a part of the shoulder belt is located above the shoulder of the vehicle occupant, when the upper air bag and the lower air bag receive inertial force of the vehicle occupant toward a front of a vehicle.