Vehicular occupant restraint system

• US 8,104,790 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nezaki, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US12/534,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/733, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/027 Four-point seat belt systems, e.g. with the two upper points connected together
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• 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 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A vehicular occupant restraint system including: a four-point seatbelt system having left and right webbings for restraining an occupant, each of the left and right webbings having an upper body restraining portion that restrains the upper body of the occupant; a left first inflating portion which is provided on the upper body restraining portion of the left webbing and which inflates by receiving a gas supply and deploys in front of the upper body of the occupant, and a right first inflating portion which is provided on the upper body restraining portion of the right webbing and which inflates by receiving a gas supply and deploys in front of the upper body of the occupant; and a second inflating portion which inflates by receiving a gas supply when the first inflating portions inflate, and deploys to support the first inflating portions from the outside in the seat width direction.

Claims

1. A vehicular occupant restraint system comprising:

a four-point seatbelt system having a pair of left and right webbings for restraining an occupant;

a pair of right and left first inflating portions which are respectively provided on the pair of right and left webbings at upper body restraining portions thereof for restraining an upper body of the occupant and which inflate by receiving a supply of gas from a gas supplying portion and deploy in front of the upper body of the occupant, so that the right first inflating portion and the left first inflating portion contact and push each other in a seat width direction; and

a pair of right and left second inflating portions which inflate by receiving a supply of gas from the gas supplying portion when the first inflating portions inflate, and deploy so the right second inflating portion contacts the right first inflating portion from outside in the seat width direction and the left second inflating portion contacts the left first inflating portion from outside in the seat width direction and thus support the pair of right and left first inflating portions from the outside in the seat width direction.

2. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the second inflating portions are set to finish deploying before the first inflating portions finish deploying.

3. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second inflating portions is provided in a portion that constitutes a member provided in a vehicle cabin or an inside wall of the vehicle cabin.

4. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second inflating portions is provided in a side door and the other of the second inflating portions is provided in a center console.

5. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second inflating portions is provided in a side portion of a seatback.

6. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second inflating portions is provided in a side portion of a seat cushion.

7. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the second inflating portions function to restrain a pelvic area of the occupant by inflating.

8. The vehicular occupant restraint system according to claim 7, wherein the second inflating portions are provided on the left and right webbings at waist restraining portions thereof that restrain the pelvic area of the occupant.