Side airbag device

• US 7,549,672 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Yuji, Tanase, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US11/135,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.2, 280/743.1, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take 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 having an airbag and an inflator. The airbag has an airbag body which is unfolded and inflated, by gas supplied from an inflator, between the body side of a vehicle and an occupant'"'"'s chest to head region. A projecting portion is unfolded and inflated from the airbag body in front of the occupant'"'"'s head.

Claims

1. A side airbag device for providing protection in a space between a vehicle occupant and a body side of a vehicle when the occupant is seated on a vehicle seat in a passenger compartment, the side airbag device comprising:

a gas generator; and

an airbag for unfolding and inflating by gas supplied from the gas generator, wherein the airbag unfolds and inflates in a space diagonally in front of the occupant seated on the seat, the airbag including;

an airbag body for unfolding and inflating beside the occupant in the space between the occupant and the vehicle body side, wherein the airbag body includes an upper inflation portion for protecting a head to neck region of the occupant; and

a projecting portion for unfolding and inflating inward of the vehicle from the upper inflation portion

a pair of base cloths sewn together into the shape of a bag to form the airbag, one base cloth being located closer to the occupant and the other cloth being located farther from the occupant when the air bag is unfolded and inflated;

a boundary between the airbag body and the projecting portion;

a bent portion located at the boundary, the projecting portion being bent from the bent portion relative to the airbag body when the airbag is unfolded and inflated, the bent portion defining a distal end of the airbag body, and the airbag body including a basal end located opposite the distal end, in which the base cloth farther from the occupant between the distal and basal ends of the air bag body is longer than the base cloth closer to the occupant between the distal and basal ends of the air bag body, the bent portion defining a basal end of the projecting portion, and the projecting portion including a distal end located opposite the basal end of the projecting portion, in which the base cloth farther from the occupant between the distal and basal ends of the projecting portion is shorter than the base cloth closer to the occupant between the distal and basal ends of the projecting portion; and

a starting seam arranged in the bent portion, the starting seam being formed by sewing together the base cloths so that the base cloths have different lengths at the air bag body and the projecting portion.

2. The side airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a planar tether for connecting an inner side of the airbag body with an inner side of the projecting portion when the airbag is unfolded and inflated, with the inner sides of the airbag body and projecting portion facing into the passenger compartment.

3. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag includes:

a pair of belt-shaped tethers, each including an outer edge and an inner edge, for connecting the base cloths to each other, with the distance between the outer edges of the belt-shaped tethers being greater than the distance between the inner edges of the belt-shaped tethers.

4. The side airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising:

either one of a seam and a belt-shaped tether arranged on the airbag, the airbag being bent at a location where the either one of the seam and belt-shaped tether is arranged when the airbag is unfolded and inflated.

5. The side airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a joint seam arranged in the bent portion and formed by sewing the base cloth closer to the occupant at the distal end of the air bag body together with the base cloth closer to the occupant at the basal end of the projecting portion.