Vehicle airbag device with an auxiliary chamber

• US 7,347,445 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Hyeong Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/645,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/729, 280/734, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01225 control of expansion volume
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26058 using a combination of inflators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber that protects a passenger in case of car crash by the auxiliary chamber'"'"'s inflating depending on the passenger seat location and whether the front seat passenger'"'"'s seatbelt is fastened, regardless of a front seat passenger'"'"'s height or age, with the airbag being formed to protect the passenger'"'"'s head, chest and knees, and in which the left and right sides of the auxiliary chamber are first inflated and then the center is inflated by providing gas flow directed to both sides of the auxiliary chamber so as to minimize injuries to the passenger by minimizing unfolding pressure.

Claims

1. A vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber comprising:

an impact sensor that detects an impact applied to a vehicle in the event of an accident;

a seatbelt sensor for sensing whether a front passenger'"'"'s seatbelt is fastened;

a seat position sensor for sensing the position of a front passenger seat along a seat rail;

an inflator unit having a first inflator and a second inflator which supply a gas;

an airbag having a base chamber with at least one inner vent hole formed therein facing a passenger so that the airbag is unfolded and inflated by the gas supplied by the first inflator, and an auxiliary chamber which is installed on the side of the base chamber facing the passenger, and which receives the base chamber at an inner side of the auxiliary chamber and which is configured to receive the gas from the second inflator and to be connected with the inner vent hole; and

a controller that operates the airbag according to a signal detected from the impact sensor, and that controls the operation of the first inflator and the second inflator according to the combination of whether the seatbelt sensor senses that the front passenger'"'"'s seatbelt is fastened and the seat position detected by the seat position sensor,

wherein the auxiliary chamber is provided with a duct for supplying the gas generated from the second inflator so that left and right parts of the airbag are unfolded first and a central part is unfolded last upon inflation of the airbag device.

2. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the first inflator supplies gas at a higher pressure than the second inflator.

3. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the duct is composed of a first tube-shaped chamber part having one end integrally formed and inflated by a gate part of the second inflator and the other end in which a first hole is formed so that gas flow is directed into one side of the auxiliary chamber, and a tube-shaped second chamber part having an end in which a second hole is formed so that gas flow is directed into an opposite side of the auxiliary chamber.

4. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 3, wherein the first and second tube-shaped chamber parts of the duct are the same size to allow both sides of the auxiliary chamber to inflate equally.

5. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the duct is connectively installed in the center of the auxiliary chamber, and thus the gas supplied from the second inflator is supplied.

6. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 3, wherein the first and second holes of the first and second tube-shaped chamber parts are sewn to an inner part of the auxiliary chamber.

7. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 3, wherein a coupling is provided between the first and second tube-shaped chamber parts, and the coupling is sewn to the first and second tube-shaped chamber parts.

8. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 7, wherein the coupling has a concave semicircular part formed on the side facing the passenger, and the concave semicircular part is sewn to the inner part of the auxiliary chamber.

9. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 7, wherein the coupling is sewn to the inner part of the auxiliary chamber.

10. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the duct is tube-shaped.

11. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the base chamber has a larger volume than the auxiliary chamber, and the auxiliary chamber is configured to protect a head, a chest and knees of the passenger.

12. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the base chamber and the auxiliary chamber are each provided with an outer vent hole which is able to vent the gas supplied from the inflators out of the airbag.

13. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary chamber is inflated after the inflation of the base chamber.

14. The vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary chamber is inflated such that it is inclined from an upper side to a lower side in the direction away from the front seat passenger.

15. A vehicle airbag device equipped with an auxiliary chamber comprising:

an impact sensor that detects an impact applied to a vehicle in the event of an accident;

a seatbelt sensor for sensing whether a front passenger'"'"'s seatbelt is fastened;

a seat position sensor for sensing the position of a front passenger seat along a seat rail;

an inflator unit having a first inflator and a second inflator which supply a gas;

an airbag having a base chamber with at least one inner vent hole formed therein facing a passenger so that the airbag is unfolded and inflated by the gas supplied by the first inflator, and an auxiliary chamber which is installed on the side of the base chamber facing the passenger, and which receives the base chamber at an inner side of the auxiliary chamber and which is configured to receive the gas from the second inflator and to be connected with the inner vent hole; and

a controller that operates the airbag according to a signal detected from the impact sensor, and that controls the operation of the first inflator and the second inflator according to the combination of whether the seatbelt sensor senses that the front passenger'"'"'s seatbelt is fastened and the seat position detected by the seat position sensor wherein a diaphragm is installed between the base chamber and the auxiliary chamber, and the diaphragm is installed in a longitudinal direction of the airbag.