Occupant restraint device and occupant restraint system

• US 7,641,233 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Korechika, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US10/588,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/748, 280/751, 280/753
• US Class Current: 280/753
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0058 Shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/022 mounted on seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839
• 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 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

An occupant restraint system which is activated instantaneously at an vehicle accident to protect an occupant'"'"'s body against a disaster. An occupant restraint system (A) is provided on the back (1a) of a seat (1) with a shoulder top restraint device (4) for restraining the right shoulder portion of the occupant (2). The occupant restraint system (A) is provided on the side portion of the back (1a) of the seat (1) with a shoulder side restraint device (5A), which includes: a motor (12) adapted to be actuated by a sense signal of a motor vehicle accident; an instantaneous turning mechanism unit (13) driven by the motor (12); bifurcated arms (14A) mounted on the instantaneous turning mechanism unit (13); and a shoulder receiving portion (15A) mounted on the other ends of the bifurcated arms (14A) for protecting the shoulder side (3b) of the body of the occupant (2).

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint device mounted on a back of an occupant'"'"'s seat, for restraining a shoulder of an occupant thereby to protect a body of said occupant against a motor vehicle accident comprising:

a drive unit for driving in response to a collision sense signal;

a rotating shaft adapted to be triggered by driving of said drive unit for instantaneously moving from an initial position to a predetermined target position, the rotating shaft including;

an arm portion mounted thereto, the arm portion having a receiving portion for receiving a shoulder side of said occupant softly;

a flat shaft;

a spline shaft and a torsion spring for applying rotation of said flat shaft and said spline shaft;

a cam rotor for locking the applying force of said torsion spring usually engages with said flat shaft and said spline shaft;

a gear lock for transmitting the rotation of said drive unit, the gear lock engages with the cam rotor on a side of said flat shaft; and

a lock plate for locking said shoulder receiving portion at a predetermined position, the lock plate engages with the cam rotor on a side of said spline shaft.

2. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a lock state between said cam rotor and said gear lock on the side of said flat shaft and/or a lock state between said cam rotor and said lock plate on the side of said spline shaft can be easily-released.

3. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive unit is selected from one of a motor and an electromagnetic actuator.

4. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rotating shaft is disposed at or near an upper side end portion of the back of said seat, and said arm portion with curved shape is supported with said rotating shaft having rotate capability.

5. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shoulder receiving portion includes a support pad for receiving the shoulder side of said occupant softly and a support plate for supporting said support pad;

and said support pad is made of an elastic member.

6. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shoulder receiving portion includes a support pad for receiving the shoulder side of said occupant softly and a support plate for supporting said support pad;

and said support pad includes a small airbag.

7. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 6, comprising an air pump or an inflator unit as a supply source for supplying gas to said airbag.

8. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said rotating shaft and said arm portion are provided with gas supply passages for supplying the gas from said air pump or said inflator unit to said airbag.

9. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shoulder receiving portion and/or said rotating shaft are returned to the initial positions so that they can be reused after an action of said vehicle occupant restraint device.

10. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 1, in combination with an occupant restraint system, the occupant restraint system having a shoulder top restraint device for restraining a shoulder top of the occupant mounted on a first side of the back of the occupant'"'"'s seat;

wherein the occupant restraint device is mounted on a second side of said back.

11. A vehicle occupant restraint device mounted on a back of an occupant'"'"'s seat, for restraining a shoulder of an occupant thereby to protect a body of the occupant against a motor vehicle accident comprising:

a drive unit for driving in response to a collision sense signal;

a rotating shaft adapted to be triggered by driving of the drive unit for instantaneously moving from an initial position to a predetermined target position, the rotating shaft provided with a gas supply passage;

an arm portion mounted on the rotating shaft, the arm portion provided with a gas supply passage;

a receiving portion mounted on the other end of the arm portion for receiving a shoulder side of the occupant, the shoulder receiving portion includes a support pad for receiving the shoulder side of the occupant and a support plate for supporting the support pad, and the support pad includes an airbag; and

a supply source for supplying gas to the airbag.

12. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 11, wherein at least one of said spline shaft or said flat shaft are provided with a notch as a portion of said gas supply passages in a circumference of said at least one spline shaft or said flat shaft.

13. A vehicle occupant restraint device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said arm portion is provided with an L-shaped gas passage as a portion of said gas supply passages at a root portion of said arm portion.