Side airbag apparatus

• US 8,226,113 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US12/659,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20100244412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• 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

Abstract

A side airbag apparatus is provided in a side portion of a vehicle seat back located on the vehicle outer side. The side airbag apparatus includes an airbag unit elongated in the up-down direction and a plate fixed to the airbag unit. The airbag unit has an airbag and an inflator. The plate has a fixing portion and a rear wall portion. The inner side surface of the airbag unit is fixed to the fixing portion. The rear wall portion covers an upper half portion of the airbag unit. The rear wall portion also partly covers the rear surface of the lower half portion of the airbag unit. The plate is made of resin and has flexibility and elasticity.

Claims

1. A side airbag apparatus provided in a side portion of a seat back of a vehicle seat, comprising:

an elongated airbag unit extending in an up-down direction, the airbag unit having a folded airbag and an inflator installed in the airbag;

wherein, at a side collision of a vehicle, the airbag is inflated and deployed outward and forward in relation to the vehicle seat, and

a plate for installing the airbag unit in the side portion of the seat back,

wherein the plate includes;

a fixing portion to which an inner side surface of the airbag unit is fixed; and

a rear wall portion connected to the fixing portion, the rear wall portion covering at least a part of a rear surface of the airbag unit, the part being located above the inflator,

wherein

the plate has flexibility and elasticity,

the inflator is located below an upper half portion of the airbag unit,

the rear wall portion is formed to cover, along the up-down direction, a lower half portion of the airbag unit and at least a part of the upper half portion of the airbag unit,

the rear wall portion has a slit located above the inflator, and

the rear wall portion is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion by the slit.

2. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in accordance with the rear wall portion, the fixing portion is formed to cover the lower half portion of the airbag unit and the at least a part of the upper half portion of the airbag unit, wherein the fixing portion includes an inclined portion and a linear portion, the inclined portion being inclined relative to the airbag unit at a position above the inflator, and the linear portion linearly extending from the inclined portion, and

wherein the slit is formed at a position above the inclined portion.

3. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate is made of a resin material.

4. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag unit has a plurality of surfaces including the inner side surface and the rear surface, and wherein only the inner side surface and the rear surface are covered by the plate.

5. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of the rear wall portion in a lateral direction is less than a width of the airbag unit in the lateral direction.