Side protection device

• US 7,695,003 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Rasch, Georg, Feller, Jens, Heuschmid, Rainer, Sievers, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US11/459,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/739, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

The disclosed occupant protection device for a vehicle can include at least one airbag that protects a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle. The airbag can have an outflow opening through which the gas can exit the side airbag and/or has an overflow opening located inside the airbag. After the occupant protection device has been tripped, the side airbag can be inflated and be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening and/or the overflow opening is closed, is throttled, or remains open according to the body size of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for a vehicle comprising:

at least one airbag for protecting a vehicle occupant in an event of a collision;

wherein the airbag has an outflow opening from which the gas can flow to outside of the airbag, an overflow opening located inside the airbag, or a combination thereof; and

wherein the airbag is configured to inflate upon deployment and to be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening, the overflow opening, or a combination thereof is configured to be closed or throttled as a function of a body size of the vehicle occupant by direct interaction with the body of the vehicle occupant relative to a wall of the vehicle.

2. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airbag is a side airbag.

3. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outflow opening or the overflow opening is configured to be throttled or closed in the event of the collision when the body size of the vehicle occupant exceeds a predetermined minimum size.

4. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outflow opening or the overflow opening is configured to remain open in the event of the collision when the body size of the vehicle occupant is below the predetermined minimum size.

5. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of outflow openings is arranged in the airbag in such a manner that a multi-stage graduation of intercepting force is achieved as a function of a shoulder height of the occupant.

6. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outflow passage is connected to the at least one outflow opening and is configured to deflect gas emerging through the outflow opening away from the vehicle occupant.

7. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outflow passage is formed by a covering element arranged over the outflow opening.

8. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the airbag has a plurality of outflow openings, and wherein the outflow passage is assigned at least to two outflow openings of the airbag.

9. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the airbag has a plurality of outflow openings, and wherein the outflow passage is assigned to all outflow openings of the airbag.

10. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the airbag has a plurality of outflow openings, and wherein each outflow opening is individually assigned an outflow passage for deflecting gas emerging from their respective outflow openings.

11. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airbag is a side airbag having a thorax chamber, and wherein the outflow opening is arranged in an upper region of the thorax chamber.

12. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airbag is a side airbag configured to be arranged in a door region of the vehicle or on a vehicle seat.

13. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body size is a shoulder height of the vehicle occupant.

14. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the airbag is configured to close or throttle the outflow opening or the overflow opening by means of a shoulder region or an upper arm region of the vehicle occupant.

15. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airbag is configured to inflate upon deployment and to be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening, the overflow opening, or the combination thereof is closed or throttled or remains open by direct interaction with the body of the vehicle occupant relative to the wall of the vehicle such that inflation behavior of the airbag can be set individually to the vehicle occupant.

16. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outflow opening is positioned such that the outflow opening faces toward the vehicle occupant.

17. An occupant protection device for a vehicle comprising:

at least one airbag for protecting a vehicle occupant in an event of a collision;

wherein the airbag has an outflow opening from which the gas can flow to outside of the airbag; and

wherein the airbag is configured to inflate upon deployment and to be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening is configured to be closed or throttled as a function of a body size of the vehicle occupant by direct interaction with the body of the vehicle occupant.

19. The occupant protection device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the airbag is configured to inflate upon deployment and to be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening is closed or throttled or remains open by direct interaction with the body of the vehicle occupant such that inflation behavior of the airbag can be set individually to the vehicle occupant.

18. An occupant protection device for a vehicle comprising:

at least one airbag for protecting a vehicle occupant in an event of a collision;

wherein the airbag has an outflow opening from which the gas can flow to outside of the airbag, an overflow opening located inside the airbag, or a combination thereof; and

wherein the airbag is configured to inflate upon deployment and to be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening, the overflow opening, or a combination thereof is closed or throttled by a motion of a shoulder or an upper arm region of the vehicle occupant relative to a wall of the vehicle when the shoulder is equal to or greater than a predetermined height and is open or unthrottled by the motion of the shoulder or upper arm region of the vehicle occupant relative to the wall of the vehicle when the shoulder is less than a predetermined height.