Airbag for an occupant protection device

• US 7,614,648 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• 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: Heudorfer, Benedikt, Sievers, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US11/275,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20060175813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material

Abstract

The disclosed airbag is for an occupant protection device, which protects a vehicle occupant in the event of an accident. In order for the airbag to provide a vehicle occupant with a great protective effect, an embodiment may comprise at least one supporting chamber, which gives the airbag mechanical stability in the inflated state, and at least one energy absorption chamber, which is designed to be more gas permeable than the supporting chamber. With such a configurations the energy absorption chamber absorbs more energy than the supporting chamber during the first phase of an accident.

Claims

1. An airbag for an occupant protection device of a vehicle, comprising:

at least two supporting chambers for providing mechanical stability in the inflated state, wherein the two supporting chambers are arranged spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle forming a single column of supporting chambers; and

at least one energy absorption chamber associated with the at least two supporting chambers; and

wherein the at least one energy absorption chamber is more gas permeable than the at least two supporting chambers;

wherein the at least one energy absorption chamber is configured to absorb more energy than the at least two supporting chambers during a first phase of an accident,

wherein the at least two supporting chambers form a supporting plane; and

wherein the at least one energy absorption chamber surrounds the single column of the at least two supporting chambers such that a first portion of the energy absorption chamber is arranged on a side of the supporting plane which faces a vehicle occupant to be protected and a second portion of the energy absorption chamber is arranged on an opposite side of the supporting plane at a side which faces away from the vehicle occupant to be protected.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the at least two supporting chambers comprise a gastight gas bag that provides a supporting action for a period of time of at least 2 seconds.

3. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the at least two supporting chambers are deployable upwards at least essentially in parallel in a pillar-shaped manner.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the energy absorption chamber includes at least one intersection strap extending between two supporting chambers.

5. An airbag for an occupant protection device of a vehicle, comprising:

a first material layer; and

a second material layer connected to the first layer;

wherein the two connected material layers are folded along a fold line and are folded onto each other in such a manner that the first material layer lies on the outside of the airbag and the second material layer lies on the inside of the airbag;

wherein an energy absorption chamber is bounded by mutually opposite sections of the second material layer lying on the inside of the airbag,

wherein at least two supporting chambers are bounded by mutually opposite sections of the first and second material layers, and

wherein the mutually opposite sections of the first and second material layers are connected to each other in a region of an outer contour by a gas-permeable seam.

6. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are adhesively bonded to each other at adhesive connections.

7. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are composed of gastight material.

8. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the absorption chamber is more gas permeable than the at least two supporting chambers.

9. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are produced by a Jacquard weaving technique and are subsequently sealed by coating.

10. The airing according to claim 5, wherein the two connected material layers are folded onto each other along an axis of symmetry of one of the two material layers.