Side impact protection airbag system

• US 7,926,838 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Atsushi, Sato, Yuji, Shibayama, Koji, Honda, Kensaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/320,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• 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 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A side impact protection airbag system includes an inflator, a retainer and an airbag. An interior space of the airbag is divided into a pelvis portion protecting chamber and a chest portion protecting chamber by a dividing part. A gas ejecting part of the inflator and an opening in the retainer are provided between a fixing end portion of the airbag and an end portion (a connecting portion) of the dividing part which lies a side facing the fixing end portion. A circumferential portion on a wall part which is separate from the opening is made to constitute an interruption wall which interrupts the passage of an inflation gas to the dividing part side, and the interruption wall is provided between the gas ejecting part and the connecting portion.

Claims

1. A side impact protection airbag system comprising:

an inflator having a substantially cylindrical gas ejecting part and adapted to eject an inflation gas from a plurality of gas ejecting holes on an outer circumferential surface of the gas ejecting part in response to an impact applied to a vehicle from an external direction;

a retainer having a tubular wall part for holding the inflator to cover the inflator from an outside thereof and an opening which is provided in a position on the wall part which lies in a vicinity of the gas ejecting part so as to permit the passage of at least part of the inflation gas from the gas ejecting part; and

an airbag whose interior space is divided into at least a first chamber and a second chamber by a dividing part and which is fixed to the vehicle at one end portion thereof as a fixing end portion;

the gas ejecting part and the opening being provided between the fixing end portion of the airbag and an end portion of the dividing part which lies on a side facing the fixing end portion or in the vicinity thereof, so that the airbag is made to be inflated and deployed towards the vicinity of an outer side of an occupant in a vehicle seat by the inflation gas which is supplied from the retainer into the respective chambers,

wherein a circumferential portion on the wall part which is separate from the portion where the opening is formed is provided between the gas ejecting part and the end portion of the dividing part which lies on the side facing the fixing end portion as an interruption wall for interrupting the passage of the inflation gas ejected from the gas ejecting holes to the dividing part side, and

wherein the opening in the wall part is provided in a location where the gas ejecting part becomes totally invisible from a front side in a direction in which the airbag is deployed but the gas ejecting part becomes completely visible from a rear side in the direction in which the airbag is deployed.

2. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the inflator comprises a main body portion which is formed into a cylindrical shape having a larger diameter than the gas ejecting part and is provided in such a state the gas ejecting part is positioned on a side facing the first chamber and the main body portion is positioned on a side facing the second chamber.

3. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

of both end portions of the wall part, at least an end portion which lies closer to the interruption wall is made to open.

4. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a check valve for restricting a flow of the inflation gas from the first chamber to the second chamber is provided between the fixing end portion and the end portion of the dividing part which lies on the side facing the fixing end portion.

5. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the check valve comprises a valve part adapted to extend when the inflation gas is supplied from the inflator towards the first chamber and to be bent when the supply is stopped.

6. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 5, wherein

the check valve is formed by a piece of fabric into a cylindrical shape which is made to open at both ends, wherein

the check valve is disposed in such a manner that one open end faces the first chamber and the other open end faces the second chamber, and wherein

a portion lying in the vicinity of the one open end constitutes the valve part which is bent by a difference in internal pressure between the two chambers.

7. A side impact protection airbag system comprising:

an inflator having a substantially cylindrical gas ejecting part and adapted to eject an inflation gas from a plurality of gas ejecting holes on an outer circumferential surface of the gas ejecting part in response to an impact applied to a vehicle from an external direction;

a retainer having a tubular wall part for holding the inflator to cover the inflator from an outside thereof and an opening which is provided in a position on the wall part which lies in a vicinity of the gas ejecting part so as to permit the passage of at least part of the inflation gas from the gas ejecting part; and

an airbag whose interior space is divided into at least a first chamber and a second chamber by a dividing part and which is fixed to the vehicle at one end portion thereof as a fixing end portion;

the gas ejecting part and the opening being provided between the fixing end portion of the airbag and an end portion of the dividing part which lies on a side facing the fixing end portion or in the vicinity thereof, so that the airbag is made to be inflated and deployed towards the vicinity of an outer side of an occupant in a vehicle seat by the inflation gas which is supplied from the retainer into the respective chambers, wherein

a circumferential portion on the wall part which is separate from the portion where the opening is formed is provided between the gas ejecting part and the end portion of the dividing part which lies on the side facing the fixing end portion as an interruption wall for interrupting the passage of the inflation gas ejected from the gas ejecting holes to the dividing part side, wherein

the retainer is fixed to the vehicle by a locking member in the vicinity of the outer side of the occupant, and wherein

the opening in the wall part is provided in a location where the gas ejecting part becomes totally invisible from a vehicle'"'"'s front side in a direction which intersects a locking direction of the locking member at right angles but the gas ejecting part becomes completely visible from a vehicle'"'"'s rear side in the same direction.

8. A side impact protection airbag system as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the locking direction of the locking member is a direction which intersects the deploying direction of the airbag at right angles.