Occupant restraint system

• US 7,997,615 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jang, Jinsoo
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US12/441,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An occupant restraint system according to one form of the present invention includes a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from an inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment, and a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that is housed in a support section formed in a rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, and, in a side collision, receives gas supply from the inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section, and inflates to deploy toward seating surfaces of rear seats.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system for a vehicle having a rear seat including a rear seat back and a seating surface, and a rear tray extending rearwardly from an upper portion of the seat back, the occupant restraint system comprising:

a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from a first inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment; and

a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that when inflated has an upside-down L-shaped configuration in profile with the second airbag being housed in a support section formed in the rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, such that in the side collision, the second airbag receives gas supply from a second inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section, and inflates so that an upper short leg portion of the L-shaped second airbag inflates to project forwardly from the rear tray from behind the rear seat back and is sized to project forwardly beyond the rear seat back, and so that a long leg portion of the second airbag is inflated downwardly from the upper short leg portion toward the seating surface.

2. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the support section comprises a first recessed portion formed in the rear tray.

3. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the support section is formed in the rear tray such that the second airbag inflates to deploy in a breadthwise direction of a vehicle so as to be able to restrain a rear seat occupant from an internal side of the vehicle.

4. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the second airbag has height above the seating surfaces of the rear seats so that a head of the rear seat occupant may be restrained at the time of inflation and deployment thereof.

9. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the side airbag device comprises the first airbag folded and housed in an upper side portion of the passenger compartment so as to deploy in a curtain-like form along the inner side of the passenger compartment.

11. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the rear seat airbag device comprises the second airbag folded and housed in a casing together with the second inflator, the casing having an upper opening covered with the lid and being secured to the support section.

5. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from a first inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment; and

a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that is housed in a support section formed in a rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, in the side collision, receives gas supply from a second inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section, and inflates to develop toward seating surfaces of rear seats,

wherein the support section is formed in the rear tray such that the second airbag inflates to deploy in a breadthwise direction of a vehicle so as to be able to restrain a rear seat occupant from an internal side of the vehicle, and the second airbag comprises an external airbag that, at the time of inflation and deployment, is formed in a L-shape and has an opening through which the gas is discharged by pressing force exerted by the rear seat occupant, and an air tight internal cylindrical airbag being formed in an L-shape inside the external airbag at the time of inflation and deployment thereof.

6. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from a first inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment; and

a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that is housed in a support section formed in a rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, in the side collision, receives gas supply from a second inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section and inflates to develop toward seating surfaces of rear seats,

wherein the support section is formed in the rear tray such that the second airbag inflates to deploy in a breadthwise direction of a vehicle so as to be able to restrain a rear seat occupant from an internal side of the vehicle, and the second airbag comprises a first and second bags, each being formed in an L-shape, having a second recessed portion formed on a side surface being in contact with the rear seat occupant at the time of inflation and deployment thereof, and being joined to each other so as to be symmetrical relative to a joining surface between the first and second bags.

7. The occupant restraint system according to claim 6, wherein the first and second airbags are joined to each other by being bundled with a belt-like member.

8. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from a first inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment; and

a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that is housed in a support section formed in a rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, in the side collision, receives gas supply from a second inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section, and inflates to develop toward seating surfaces of rear seats,

wherein the support section is formed in the rear tray such that the second airbag inflates to deploy in a breadthwise direction of a vehicle so as to be able to restrain a rear seat occupant from an internal side of the vehicle, and the second airbag comprises two first chambers each being formed in an L-shape at the time of inflation and deployment thereof, and having an opening through which the gas is discharged by pressing force exerted by the rear seat occupant at the time of restraint, and an airtight second chamber provided between the two first chambers.

10. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

a side airbag device having a first airbag for, in a side collision, receiving gas supply from a first inflator and inflating to deploy such that the first airbag covers a side internal surface of a passenger compartment; and

a rear seat airbag device having a second airbag that is housed in a support section formed in a rear tray, the support section being covered with a lid, in the side collision, receives gas supply from a second inflator, presses to open the lid, projects out of the support section, and inflates to develop toward seating surfaces of rear seats,

wherein the side airbag device comprises the first airbag folded and housed in a substantially square U-shaped third recessed portion formed flat in a part of a ceiling liner member directing toward and opened to a rear side of the vehicle so as to deploy such that a wall-like unit combining a front wall and both of side walls surrounds the rear seats.

12. An occupant restraint system for a vehicle having a rear seat including a seat back and a seating surface, the occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag configured and arranged to be deployed along one side of the vehicle rear seat;

an airbag support behind the rear seat in which the airbag is stored prior to deployment thereof;

an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag for inflation thereof;

an upper portion of the airbag configured to be inflated forwardly from the airbag support when the airbag is deployed;

a main passenger restraint portion of the airbag configured to be inflated downwardly from the upper portion toward the rear seating surface; and

an intermediate region of the main passenger restraint portion structurally delineated from upper, lower, forward and rearward regions of the main passenger restraint portion such that with the airbag inflated, the intermediate region is spaced forwardly from the seat back and higher than the seating surface of the vehicle rear seat.

13. The occupant restraint system of claim 12 wherein the intermediate region has a closed loop perimeter extending thereabout delineating the intermediate region from adjacent upper, lower, forward and rearward regions of the main passenger restraint portion.