Side airbag device

• US 7,500,694 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata - Petri AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schäfer, Stefan, Kraft, Michael, Heudorfer, Benedikt, Weyrich, Christian, Rist, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US11/330,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A side airbag device for a vehicle includes an airbag which is deployed in the event of an accident and, in the deployed state, covers a side wall section of the vehicle. In order for the airbag to reliably deploy, provision is made according to embodiments of the invention for the side airbag device to have a deployment control mechanism which deflect the airbag during its deployment around an obstacle situated in a region of a side wall section.

Claims

1. A side airbag device for a vehicle comprising:

an airbag which is deployed in event of an accident and, in the deployed state, covers a side wall section of the vehicle, the airbag including at least one usable chamber covering the side wall section and first and second positioning chambers which form first and second deployment control mechanisms, the first positioning chamber is deployed on a side of the airbag facing away from a vehicle occupant and the second positioning chamber is deployed on a side of the airbag facing the vehicle occupant,

wherein the airbag is fitted above a vehicle pillar trim and the first deployment control mechanism is configured to deflect the airbag past an obstacle during deployment in a downwards direction, the obstacle being a vehicle pillar trim, and

wherein the second deployment control mechanism is configured to press the airbag in a region outside the obstacle in a direction of the side wall section.

2. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first or second deployment control mechanism is formed by the deployed airbag being shaped in a curved manner in a Y-direction of the vehicle.

3. The side airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the deployed airbag is curved away from the obstacle and outside the obstacle the deployed airbag is curved towards the side wall section to be covered.

4. The side airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the first or second deployment control mechanism is formed by a gas bag material blank of the airbag being of asymmetrical design.

5. The side airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the airbag includes a first material layer facing a vehicle occupant and a second material layer facing away from the vehicle occupant, and the first and second material layers have different contours and/or are connected asymmetrically.

6. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is gathered on one side.

7. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is shortened by inserting a material fold.

8. The side airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the material fold is inserted by sewing or gluing.

9. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers is folded over.

10. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second material layers includes an additional airbag material.

11. The side airbag device according to claim 10, wherein the additional airbag material is lentil-shaped.

12. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second positioning chamber rotates or tilts the usable chamber.

13. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein airbag material of the first and/or second positioning chamber and airbag material of the usable chamber lie on different sides of an imaginary line formed by fastening points of the airbag.

14. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second positioning chamber forms an additional protective region configured to protect a head of a vehicle occupant from a roof frame of the vehicle.

15. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein material layers of the usable chamber are folded together and/or folded in zig-zag form by rollers.

16. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is accommodated in the side airbag device in such a manner that material layers of the first and/or second positioning chamber are folded in together with material layers of the usable chamber.

17. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is accommodated in the side airbag device in such a manner that material layers of the first and/or second positioning chamber are entirely or partially wound around the folded-together material layers of the usable chamber.