Occupant protection device

• US 7,481,452 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoga, Yasuo, Yoshikawa, Hiromichi, Kumagai, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/067,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/741, 280/742, 280/728.2, 297/216.1, 180/268
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42718 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

An occupant protection device is provided which protects an occupant by inflating a seat bag and a lap bag. When a vehicle collision is detected, gas generators are activated and discharge gas. The gas from one of the gas generators inflates a tube. As a result, a front portion of a cushion pad of a seat cushion is pushed upward or hardened and the hips of the occupant are prevented from moving forward. A lap bag also inflates and restrains the hips of the occupant. In one form, a lap anchor inflates so that pretension is applied to a lap portion and the hips of the occupant are pushed downward. Therefore, the thighs and hips of the occupant are pushed between the lap portion and the front portion of the cushion pad which is pushed upward or hardened and are strongly restrained in the seat.

Claims

1. An occupant protection system comprising:

a vehicle seat having a base frame and a back frame extending upwardly from the base frame, a seat cushion and belt webbing for restraining an occupant on the seat;

a seat airbag disposed below the seat cushion;

opposite, side frame members of the base frame with the seat airbag extending therebetween;

a tongue that generally divides the belt webbing into lap and shoulder portions;

an inflatable lap belt airbag including a main portion that is disposed to extend along the belt lap portion that is not inflatable;

first and second gas generators that are distinct from each other with one of the first and second gas generators operable to inflate the seat airbag and the other of the first and second gas generators operable to inflate the lap belt airbag;

a lower anchor member connected to the belt lap portion at one of the side frame members of the seat base frame;

a single retractor for both the lap and shoulder portions of the belt webbing with the single retractor being spaced from the lower anchor at the one side frame member of the seat base frame;

a base plate member that is distinct from the lower anchor member, and being mounted to the one side frame member of the seat base frame and carrying both the other gas generator for inflating the lap belt airbag and the lower anchor member in side-by-side relation thereon so that the other gas generator is laterally offset from the lower anchor member and the belt lap portion connected thereto;

a lower portion of the lap belt airbag that extends generally laterally from the lap belt airbag main portion to a free end of the lap belt airbag with the free end being disposed adjacent to and off of the belt webbing lap portion, extending down beyond the laterally extending, lap belt airbag lower portion, and being connected to the other gas generator;

a gas supply path in the lap belt airbag lower portion extending generally laterally between the other gas generator carried on the base plate and the lap belt airbag main portion so that inflation gas flows from the other gas generator into the laterally offset lap belt airbag main portion;

a buckle device mounted to the other side frame member so that with the tongue attached thereto, the belt webbing lap portion extends across the seat cushion and has a center approximately midway between the tongue and the lower anchor member; and

a belt connecting end portion of the lap belt airbag opposite the free end thereof and directly connected to the belt webbing lap portion so that upon inflation of the lap belt airbag, the lap belt airbag expands transversely to the length of the belt webbing lap portion and contracts along the length of the belt webbing lap portion with the belt connecting end portion shifting to be at the same side of the center of the belt webbing lap portion as the free end thereof adjacent the one side frame member for pulling the belt webbing lap portion tightly against the seat occupant and also for providing the seat occupant with side impact protection.

2. The occupant protection system of claim 1 including gas flow paths, that include the gas supply path, between the generators and airbags separate from the buckle and tongue connection.

3. The occupant protection system of claim 1 wherein the base plate is pivotally mounted to the one side frame member of the seat base frame to allow the lower anchor member and the lap belt airbag gas generator to pivot together as the base plate pivots.

4. The occupant protection system of claim 1 wherein the lower anchor member is connected to a pretensioner.

5. The occupant protection system of claim 4 wherein the pretensioner is mounted to the base plate.

6. The occupant protection system of claim 1 wherein the buckle device for releasably receiving the tongue forms another anchor location for the belt webbing at the opposite side frame member of the seat base frame with the one gas generator being at mounted to the opposite side frame member of the seat base frame so that the first and second gas generators are on either side of the seat adjacent to or at the anchor locations.

7. An occupant protection device for a vehicle seat having opposite sides and a seat cushion, the occupant protection device comprising:

a seat belt including only a single run of belt webbing for extending about the occupant;

a buckle and tongue that have a releasable connection therebetween adjacent one of the opposite sides of the vehicle seat so that with the buckle and tongue in a releasably connected condition, the single run of belt webbing restrains an occupant on the seat, the tongue generally dividing the single run of belt webbing into shoulder and lap belt portions;

a seat airbag for being inflated to push the seat cushion upwardly;

a belt airbag mounted to the lap belt portion for being inflated to engage the occupant and push the occupant toward the seat;

first and second gas generators that are operable to inflate the respective seat and belt airbags regardless of whether the buckle and tongue are in the connected condition thereof, with the first gas generator actuating only the seat airbag and no other occupant safety device, and the second gas generator actuating only the belt airbag and no other occupant safety device;

a lap anchor member fixedly connected to the lap belt portion of the single run of belt webbing;

a plate mounting member for being attached at the other one of the opposite sides of the vehicle seat; and

a pretensioner secured to and carried on the plate mounting member below the lap anchor member and connected to the lap anchor member thereabove, the pretensioner having a body with an elongate configuration that extends in alignment with the lap anchor member and lap belt portion connected thereto, the elongate pretensioner body and the plate mounting member being sized so that the pretensioner body does not extend beyond the plate mounting member, and the pretensioner lacking a gas generator extending laterally to the elongate pretensioner body and beyond the plate mounting member so that the pretensioner does not require a force redirecting mechanism for redirecting pretensioning force generated by a laterally extending gas generator, with actuation of the pretensioner causing the lap anchor member to be pulled downwardly to apply tension to the lap belt portion to tightly engage the occupant with both the single run of belt webbing and the inflated belt airbag mounted thereto without the need for multiple runs of a lap belt.

8. The occupant protection device of claim 7 including a first gas flow path between the first gas generator and the seat airbag and a second gas flow path between the second gas generator and the belt airbag with both flow paths being separate and distinct from each other.

9. The occupant protection device of claim 7 wherein the buckle and tongue connection defines a first anchor at the one side of the vehicle seat, and

the lap anchor member is a second anchor for the lap belt portion on the other side of the vehicle seat with the second gas generator mounted adjacent the second anchor.

10. The occupant protection system of claim 7 wherein the mounting member is a common mounting member to which both the second gas generator and the pretensioner are mounted.

11. The occupant protection system of claim 10 wherein the common mounting member is pivotally mounted to the other vehicle seat side.

12. The occupant protection system of claim 7 in combination with the vehicle seat having a base frame with the opposite sides of the vehicle seat including opposite side members of the base frame, and the first gas generator is mounted to one of the base frame side members and the second gas generator is mounted to the other of the base frame side members.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the buckle and tongue connection is mounted to the one base frame side member.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the mounting member is a common mounting member secured to the other side member of the base frame and to which both the pretensioner and the second gas generator are attached.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the common mounting member and the other side member have a pivot connection therebetween to allow for pivoting of the common mounting member and the lap anchor member, the pretensioner and the second gas generator attached thereto.