Occupant protecting device and air bag device for rear-end collision mounted on vehicle

• US 7,364,185 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Mori, Kenji, Hashimoto, Masakazu, Oguchi, Shinji, Hotta, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US10/627,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/749, 280/751, 280/755, 280/756
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• 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 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23523 Composite coated fabric B60R2021/23514
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A vehicle includes an air bag device for an occupant seated in a rearmost seat. The air bag device includes an air bag, which is accommodated at the rear end portion of the roof of the vehicle in a folded state, and an inflator, which supplies gas to the air bag. The air bag is unfolded downward to be inflated between the rearmost seat and a rear window glass. The air bag device has several functions to effectively protect an occupant seated in the rearmost seat, such as a function to apply a predetermined tension to the inflated air bag, a function to properly restrict the thickness of the air bag, and a function to properly control the unfolding direction of the air bag.

Claims

1. A device for protecting an occupant seated in a rearmost seat of a vehicle, wherein the rearmost seat has a backrest and a seat portion extending from the backrest toward the front of the vehicle, the device comprising:

an impact determining device for determining that an impact has been applied to the vehicle or that there is a possibility that an impact will be applied to the vehicle; and

a movement restricting mechanism, which functions to restrict the rearward movement of the occupant seated in the rearmost seat based on the determination result of the impact determining device, wherein the movement restriction mechanism includes;

an air bag, which is deployed between the backrest and a rear window glass of the vehicle, and the air bag includes a thickness restriction mechanism for restricting the thickness of the air bag; and

a tension applying mechanism, which applies tension to the air bag, the tension being required for restricting the rearward movement of the occupant seated in the rearmost seat.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the non-inflated air bag is accommodated in an upper rear end portion of the vehicle in a folded state, wherein the air bag has tension applying portions on left and right end portions of the air bag, wherein the tension applying portions are coupled to portions of the vehicle in the vicinity of both sides of the rear window glass, and wherein, when the air bag is deployed, the tension applying portions apply a predetermined tension to the air bag.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the air bag is inflated to be unfolded downward from the upper rear end portion and along the entire rear window glass in the lateral direction, wherein the tension applying portions are part of the air bag and we secured to the vehicle at the middle position of the rear window glass in the vertical direction.

4. An air bag device for an occupant seated in a rearmost seat of a vehicle, wherein the rearmost seat has a backrest and a seat portion extending from the backrest toward the front of the vehicle, the air bag device comprising:

an air bag;

an inflator for supplying gas to the air bag to deploy the air bag between the backrest and a rear window glass of the vehicle; and

side rigid portions, which extend in the vertical direction at the left and right sides of the air bag to improve the rigidity of the air bag when the air bag is deployed, wherein each side rigid portion includes a vertical cell, wherein each vertical cell is inflated by gas supplied from the inflator to extend in the vertical direction.

5. An air bag device for an occupant seated in a rearmost seat of a vehicle, wherein the rearmost seat has a backrest and a seat portion extending from the backrest toward the front of the vehicle, the air bag device comprising:

an air bag accommodated in an upper rear end portion of the vehicle in a folded state when the air bag is not deployed;

an inflator;

which supplies gas to the air bag, wherein, when the gas is supplied to the air bag, the air bag is unfolded downward to be inflated between the backrest and a rear window glass of the vehicle; and

an unfolding direction controlling mechanism for controlling the unfolding direction of the air bag such that the air bag is unfolded along the rear window glass, wherein the unfolding direction controlling mechanism includes a guide mechanism, and when the air bag is deployed, the guide mechanism guides opposite sides of the air bag along vertical rims, which are located on opposite sides of the rear window glass.

6. The air bag device according to claim 5, wherein a rolled portion formed by rolling the non-inflated air bag functions as the unfolding direction controlling mechanism, and wherein, when gas is supplied to the air bag, the air bag is deployed as the rolled portion is unrolled along the rear window glass.

7. The air bag device according to claim 6, wherein, when the rolled portion is unrolled, the rolled portion generates a force to cause the air bag to approach the rear window glass.

8. A device for protecting an occupant seated in a rearmost seat of a vehicle, the device comprising:

an impact determining device for determining that an impact has been applied to the vehicle or that there is a possibility that an impact will be applied to the vehicle; and

a movement restricting mechanism, which functions to restrict the rearward movement of the occupant seated in the rearmost seat based on the determination result of the impact determining device, wherein the movement restriction mechanism includes an air bag, which is deployed between the rearmost seat and a rear window glass of the vehicle, the air bag including a thickness restriction mechanism for restricting the thickness of the air bag, wherein the thickness restricting mechanism includes a plurality of closed portions formed by partially joining opposing portions of the air bag, wherein the closed portions extend in the vertical direction.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the air bag has a plurality of cells defined by the closed portions and inflated by gas supplied thereto.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the air bag has a plurality of cells defined by the closed portions, the cells being inflated by gas supplied thereto to extend in the vertical direction.