Side air bag device

• US 7,168,736 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koyama, Toru, Mizuno, Yoshio, Tanase, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/281,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20060076759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/728.2, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• 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 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A side air bag device (10) includes an inflator (11) arranged in a backrest (15a) of a seat (15) to discharge gas, an air bag (12) having an upper chamber (12a) and a lower chamber (12b), which are each inflated by discharging gas, and an impact reducing means (19) for reducing impact that is applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger during inflation of the air bag.

Claims

1. An air bag device installed in a backrest of a seat for passenger safety, the air bag device comprising:

a gas discharging means arranged in the backrest for discharging gas;

an air bag connected to the gas discharging means and including an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each being inflated by discharging gas;

an impact reducing means for reducing impact applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger in the seat during inflation of the air bag, wherein the impact reducing means is arranged in the air bag and includes a communication means for communicating the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and wherein the communication means includes a first communication means arranged in a rear portion of the air bag near the backrest.

2. The air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the lower chamber is inflated downward from the backrest and located adjacent to a lumbar region of the passenger in the seat.

3. The air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the upper chamber is inflated in an upward direction from the backrest and located adjacent to a thorax region of the passenger in the seat.

4. The air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the gas discharging means is an inflator for discharging gas toward the lower chamber.

5. The air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the impact reducing means is a tube connected to the inflator.

6. The air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the impact reducing means is a tether arranged in the lower chamber of the air bag opposing a direction of gas discharge.

7. The air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the impact reducing means is a variable vent mechanism arranged in the lower chamber of the air bag.

8. The air bag device according to claim 1, including a second communication means arranged in a front portion of the air bag and separated from the backrest.

9. The air bag device according to claim 8, wherein the first and the second communication means have first and second gas communication passages, respectively, and the second gas communication passage has a width that is less than a width of the first gas communication passage.

10. An air bag device installed in a backrest of a seat comprising:

a gas discharging means arranged in the backrest for discharging gas;

an air bag including an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each being inflated by discharging gas;

an impact reducing means for reducing impact applied to a passenger when the air bag contacts the passenger in the seat during inflation of the air bag, wherein the impact reducing means is arranged in the air bag and includes a communication means for communicating the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and wherein the air bag includes a first defining means extending in a vertical direction of the air bag and defining the communication means.

11. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the lower chamber is inflated downward from the backrest and located adjacent to a lumbar region of the passenger in the seat.

12. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the upper chamber is inflated in an upward direction from the backrest and located adjacent to a thorax region of the passenger in the seat.

13. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the gas discharging means is an inflator for discharging gas toward the lower chamber.

14. The air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the impact reducing means is a tube connected to the inflator.

15. The air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the impact reducing means is a tether arranged in the lower chamber of the air bag opposing a direction of gas discharge.

16. The air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the impact reducing means is a variable vent mechanism arranged in the lower chamber of the air bag.

17. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the first defining means is formed by joining or connecting parts of opposing inner surfaces of the air bag.

18. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the first defining means guides gas, which is discharged from the inflator toward the lower chamber, to the upper chamber.

19. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein the communication means is arranged in the front portion of the air bag and is separated from the backrest.