Airbag apparatus

• US 7,234,727 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Kuriyama, Yuji, Mori, Kenji, Yamamoto, Tadashi, Hashimoto, Masakazu, Koyama, Toru, Tanase, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/589,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/752, 296/70, 296/35.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2173 the module or part thereof being movably mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/18 yieldable or adjustable, e.g. tiltable padded linings associated with the steering column B60R21/05

Abstract

A first airbag apparatus of the present invention has an airbag module, which includes an airbag and an inflator, and a displacement mechanism, which displaces the airbag module. The displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module from an original position to a predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and displaces the airbag module from the predetermined position to the original position when the predicted collision is avoided. A second airbag apparatus of the present invention has the airbag module and the displacement mechanism, which displaces a support member. The support member displaces the airbag from the original position to the predetermined position before the airbag is deployed. The deployed airbag is supported between the support body that is displaced to the predetermined position and an occupant.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus mounted to a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an airbag, which is initially undeployed and which is selectively displaced between an original position and a predetermined position, wherein the airbag is located inside a vehicle passenger compartment below an instrument panel of the vehicle;

an inflator, which supplies gas into the airbag to deploy the airbag in a deployment direction; and

a displacement mechanism, which displaces the undeployed airbag from the original position to the predetermined position when a collision of the vehicle is predicted and which displaces the undeployed airbag from the predetermined position to the original position, wherein a deployment direction of the airbag, when displaced to the predetermined position, is toward the vicinity of an occupant'"'"'s knees.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag and the inflator form one airbag module, and wherein the displacement mechanism displaces the airbag module.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original position is close to the legs of the occupant, and the predetermined position is apart from the legs of the occupant.