Vehicle-occupant restraint system

• US 7,874,581 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoga, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US12/086,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/801.2, 280/801.1, 280/808, 297/482, 297/468, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/733
• 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 22/22 secured to the vehicle floor

Abstract

A vehicle-occupant restraint system includes a base attached to a vehicle part, an anchor attached to the base swingably in a front-back direction of a vehicle, an inflator attached to the base or anchor, and a lap belt attached to the anchor at one end thereof and including an inflatable part connected to the inflator. A first cover is attached to the vehicle part and has an upper opening through which the lap belt passes to be connected to the anchor. A second cover covers the upper opening and a part of the lap belt. The second cover has an upper flange and a lower flange to define a space therebetween so that a marginal part of the upper opening is interposed therebetween. The space increases toward a front side of the second cover so that the second cover is swingable in the front-back direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle-occupant restraint system, comprising:

a base adapted to be attached to a vehicle part,

an anchor attached to the base swingably in a front-back direction of a vehicle,

an inflator attached to the base or anchor,

a lap belt attached to the anchor at one end thereof and including an inflatable part connected to the inflator to receive gas from the inflator when the inflatable part is inflated,

a first cover adapted to be attached to the vehicle part to cover the base, the anchor and the inflator, said first cover having an upper opening through which the lap belt passes to be connected to the anchor, and

a second cover covering the upper opening and a part of the lap belt, said second cover having an upper flange and a lower flange spaced from the upper flange to define a space therebetween so that a marginal part of the upper opening is interposed therebetween, said space increasing toward a front side of the second cover so that the second cover is swingable in the front-back direction integrally with the anchor and the lap belt within a predetermined angular range.

2. The vehicle-occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the lap belt comprises a webbing made of a non-inflatable belt material, and the inflatable part fixed to an end of the webbing to extend further therefrom without substantially overlapping with the webbing and attached to the anchor, said inflatable part having a bag shape and made of a knitted fabric that does not substantially elongate in a longitudinal direction but does elongate in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

3. The vehicle-occupant restraint system according to claim 2, wherein said second cover includes a tear line to open laterally when the lap belt portion is inflated.

4. The vehicle-occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the base is a bracket having a hook part with a crank-shaped section at one end and a projection at the other end, the hook part and the projection being adapted to be engaged with holes of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle-occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein a projection is provided in one of the anchor and the base while an arc-shaped part to be engaged with the projection is provided in the other of the anchor and the base so that the anchor is swingable within a movable range of the projection in the arc-shaped part.

6. The vehicle-occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the base is attached to one of a B pillar, a seat frame, and a vehicle chamber floor of the vehicle body.