Side airbag apparatus

• US 7,780,191 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/010,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A side airbag apparatus includes an inflator assembly and an airbag. The airbag includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, which communicate with each other via a communication portion. In the side airbag apparatus, gas is discharged from the inflator assembly in response to an impact from the side of a vehicle. The gas causes the lower chamber to be inflated and deployed beside the occupant with the internal pressure higher than that of the upper chamber. The side airbag apparatus further includes an auxiliary inflation section, which is part of the airbag and is inflated by gas around the communication portion. In the inflation process of the airbag, when the auxiliary inflation section starts inflating, the flow passage area of the communication portion is reduced, thereby suppressing the flow of gas in the communication portion.

Claims

1. A side airbag apparatus, which reduces impact from a side of a vehicle to protect an occupant, the apparatus comprising:

an inflator, which discharges gas;

an airbag, which is inflated and deployed between a body side portion of the vehicle and the occupant by gas discharged from the inflator in response to impact from the side of the vehicle;

a pair of chambers formed by partitioning an internal space of the airbag, wherein one of the pair of chambers is deployed and inflated with higher internal pressure than the other one;

a communication portion provided in the airbag, wherein the pair of chambers communicate with each other via the communication portion; and

an auxiliary inflation section, which is part of the airbag and is inflated around the communication portion by the gas,

wherein the auxiliary inflation section is wound around the communication portion.

2. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the inflator is arranged in the communication portion.

3. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a non-inflation section provided in the airbag to extend astride the chambers,

wherein the non-inflation section is formed such that gas does not flow thereinside,

wherein one of the pair of chambers and the communication portion are adjacent to each other with the non-inflation section located in between, and the other one of the chambers and the communication portion are adjacent to each other with the non-inflation section located in between, and

wherein the non-inflation section is further provided with a through hole in which part of the auxiliary inflation section is inserted.

4. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the non-inflation section is formed by sewing a pair of overlapping parts configured by base fabric sheets in an annular shape with sewing thread.

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

an inflator insertion opening provided in the airbag to permit the inflator to be inserted in the communication portion,

wherein the inflator insertion opening is provided at a section in the vicinity of the communication portion and about which section the auxiliary inflation section is wound.

6. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary inflation section communicates with only one of the chambers, the internal pressure of which is higher than that of the other chamber.

7. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary inflation section communicates with only one of the chambers, the internal pressure of which is lower than that of the other chamber.