Seat with a side airbag

• US 7,341,275 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyake, Atsushi, Aoki, Jun, Kobayashi, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US11/245,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 297/216.1, 297/216.13
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A seat 10 with a side airbag has front and side reinforcement fabrics 21a and 21b covering a front and a side of an airbag unit 22, respectively. These reinforcement fabrics are joined to each other so as to be deployed at an inflating position of an airbag 20 by virtue of an inflating force. The front reinforcement fabric 21a and a front skin 13a are joined to each other so as not to be broken at the inflating position P by virtue of the inflating force. A side skin 13b is provided on an outside of a shape retaining member 23 that is provided on an outside of the side reinforcement fabric 21b, and the side reinforcement fabric 21a and the side skin 13b are joined to each other so as not to be broken at the inflating position P by virtue of the inflating force.

Claims

1. A seat with a side airbag comprising:

a seat back having;

a seat back frame provided in an interior portion of the seat back;

a side frame mounted on a side of the seat back frame;

an airbag unit that is coupled to the side frame, the airbag unit comprising;

an interior wall that is located proximate to the side frame;

an exterior wall;

a front wall that is oriented toward a front portion of the seat back;

a back wall; and

an airbag that is provided in an interior of the airbag unit, the airbag being adapted to inflate in a forward direction of a vehicle so as to extend between a vehicle body and an occupant positioned on the seat;

a front pad member provided to cushion the seat back frame and the front wall of the airbag unit;

a front seat skin provided to cover the front pad member;

a front reinforcement fabric provided in the interior portion of the seat back, the front reinforcing fabric comprising;

a first end that is secured proximate to the back wall of the airbag unit;

a central portion that is adapted to pass along the interior wall of the air bag unit, the front wall of the air bag unit, and the front pad member; and

a second end that is secured to an edge of the front seat skin at a location proximate to the front pad member;

a retaining member that forms a side portion of the seat back at a location proximate to the airbag unit;

a side seat skin provided to cover the non-padded shape retaining member;

a side reinforcement fabric provided in the interior portion of the seat back, the side reinforcing fabric comprising;

a distal end that is secured proximate to the back wall of the airbag unit;

a middle portion that is adapted to pass along the back wall of the air bag unit, the exterior wall of the air bag unit, and along part of the central portion of the front reinforcing fabric; and

a near end that is secured to an edge of the side seat skin, and

a securing device that couples together the front seat skin and the side seat skin to form an airbag exit seam on the seat back, wherein the front seat skin provided between the securing device and the edge of the front seat skin contacts the side seat skin provided between the securing device and the edge of the side seat skin, and

wherein the front reinforcement fabric and the side reinforcement fabric are joined to each other in such a manner as to be deployed at an inflating position of the airbag by an inflating force of the airbag.

2. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, wherein an edge of the retaining member overlaps an external facing side of the front pad member.

3. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second end of the front reinforcement fabric and the edge of the front seat skin are adapted not to separate due to the inflating force of the airbag,

the near end of the side reinforcement fabric and the edge of the side seat skin are adapted not to separate due to the inflating force of the airbag, and

wherein the securing device includes stitching that couples the front seat skin and the side seat skin to form the airbag exit seam on the seat back, wherein the stitching is adapted to break due to the inflating force of the airbag.

4. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, wherein the securing devices couples the front seat skin and the side seat skin to each other, together with the front and side reinforcement fabrics, at the airbag exit seam and is adapted to break due to the inflating force of the airbag.

5. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a back pad member provided on a back side of the seat back frame; and

a back seat skin that covers the back pad member.

6. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shape retaining member is formed of a hard plastic.

7. The seat with the side airbag as set forth in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement fabric is made of a material that is relatively non-elongatable compared with the side seat skin.