Occupant protection device

• US 8,262,129 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukawatase, Osamu, Yamada, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US12/551,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 102/530, 102/531, 280/735, 280/736, 280/738, 280/741, 280/742, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/739, 701/45
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/287 of torsion rods or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/3413 operating between belt reel and retractor frame B60R22/4676 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4628 characterised by fluid actuators, e.g. pyrotechnic gas generators actuating a cable B60R22/4619

Abstract

An occupant protection device includes a plurality of gas generators that actuate respective mechanisms, and a control portion that actuates the gas generators. If a condition for actuating at least one of the gas generators is fulfilled and a condition for actuating the other gas generators are unfulfilled, the other gas generators are controlled by the control portion at a timing that is uninfluential on an actuation state of one of the mechanism actuated by the one of the gas generators and that is different from a preset timing for actuating the other mechanisms actuated by the other gas generators.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device comprising:

an airbag bag body for protecting the occupant, the airbag bag body having a vent hole formed in the airbag bag body;

a ventilation mechanism for adjusting an internal pressure of the airbag bag body, the ventilation mechanism having a lid member and a strap, the lid member covers the vent hole;

a first gas generator that generates gas for deploying the airbag bag body;

a second gas generator that generates gas for actuating the ventilation mechanism, the second gas generator is connected to the lid member by the strap, the actuation of the second gas generator actuates the ventilation mechanism such that the vent hole is opened by pulling the strap connected to the lid member so as to uncover the vent hole due to the gas generated by the second gas generator; and

a control portion that performs control such that the first gas generator is actuated if a condition for actuating only the airbag bag body is fulfilled, and the control portion performs control such that the second gas generator is actuated at a timing after a lapse of a predetermined time from a timing when the first gas generator is actuated such that the actuation of the second gas generator is uninfluential on deployment of the airbag bag body, and wherein the predetermined time is different from a preset timing for actuating the ventilation mechanism.

2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the condition for actuating the first gas generator is a condition regarding crash information, and

the condition for actuating the second gas generator is a condition having at least one of information on whether the occupant wears a seat belt, information on an intensity of a crash, information on a build of the occupant, and information on a posture of the occupant as a parameter.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a detection portion that detects at least one parameter selected from information on whether an occupant wears a seat belt, information on an intensity of a crash, information on a build of the occupant, and information on a posture of the occupant.

4. The occupant protection device according to claim 3, further comprising

a vehicle speed detection portion that detects a vehicle speed,

wherein only the condition for deploying the airbag bag body is fulfilled if the detection portion detects that the occupant wears the seat belt and the vehicle speed detection portion detects that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed.