Occupant protection device

• US 7,819,419 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hattori, Tatsuya, Murasato, Hideyuki, Nagano, Makoto, Sekizuka, Makoto, Hayashi, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US10/542,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal 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 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An occupant protection device includes an airbag 10 that is inflated with gas from an inflator 20 at a side of an occupant B to protect the body of the occupant B from the shoulder Ba to the lumbar Bd, the airbag 10 having substantially the same vertical dimension as that of a seat back Aa. In this occupant protection device, uninflatable sections 12 and 13 are formed in a vertical center portion 10c of the airbag 10, that is, at a position corresponding to the chest Bb and the abdomen Bc of the occupant B. Accordingly, a region which is thinner than an upper portion 10a and a lower portion 10b of the airbag 10 in a vehicle width direction when the airbag 10 is inflated and that extends substantially parallel to the seat back Aa is formed substantially at the center of the airbag 10.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device comprising:

an airbag that is inflated with gas from an inflator at a side of an occupant to protect the body of the occupant from the shoulder to the lumbar, the airbag having substantially the same vertical dimension as that of a seat back, wherein;

the airbag has a first region that is thinner than other regions in a vehicle width direction in the inflated state, the first region being disposed substantially at the center of the airbag in the vertical direction and extending substantially parallel to the seat back,

the first region that is thin in the vehicle width direction in the inflated state is divided into sections in the vertical direction, and a gas passage is provided between the sections.

2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag also has a second region that is thin in the vehicle width direction in the inflated state, the second region being disposed in front of and above the first region at a position corresponding to the upper arm of the occupant.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the first region that is thin in the vehicle width direction in the inflated state is substantially oval in side view.

4. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag includes an inflatable body at the bottom of the airbag, the inflatable body being inflated at the side of the thigh of the occupant.

5. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is folded such that an upper portion and a lower portion are placed on a center portion and is then rolled or accordion-folded in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.