Airbag

• US 8,267,424 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomitaka, Akihiro, Misawa, Kazumasa, Mochiduki, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US12/677,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20100264631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• 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 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

At the inflation thereof, an airbag (10) has a three-dimensional shape composed of a front face (11), a back face (12), left and right side faces (13L, 13R), a ceiling face (14), and a bottom face (15). The front face (11) and the back face (12) have a trapezoidal shape in which the upper bottom is wider than the lower bottom. The upper edge of the front face (11) is formed to be wider than the upper edge of the back face (12). At a side collision, the airbag (10) inflates between seats (20L, 20R) so that the airbag face opposed to an occupant (P) falls to the occupant side. This can allow, when the occupant (P) moves to the collision side, the shoulder of the occupant to strike the airbag while simultaneously or substantially simultaneously allowing the head to strike the airbag. An airbag can be provided that blocks, at a side collision, the move due to the impact of the side collision of the occupant in the lateral direction.

Claims

1. An airbag to be inflated between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, the airbag comprising:

an upper surface; and

a bottom surface,

wherein in an inflated state, the upper surface is wider than the bottom surface, the upper surface reaches a ceiling, and the bottom surface reaches a console provided between two seat cushions of the seats, and

wherein the upper surface and the bottom surface have a high surface friction coefficient so as to suppress a horizontal movement of the airbag in the inflated state.

3. The airbag according to claim 1 or claim 2, the upper surface and the bottom surface are treated with a surface roughening.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper surface and the bottom surface are made of material which is different from materials of other portions of the airbag.

2. An airbag to be inflated between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction, the airbag comprising:

a front face, a back face, left and right side faces, an upper surface, and a bottom surface, wherein

the front face and the back face form a shape in which an upper edge is wider than a lower edge, and

in an inflated state, the upper surface reaches a ceiling and the bottom surface reaches a console provided between two seat cushions of the seats, and the upper surface and the bottom surface have a high surface friction coefficient so as to suppress a horizontal movement of the airbag in the inflated state.

5. The airbag according to claim 2, wherein the front face and the back face forms a trapezoidal shape in which the upper edge is wider than the lower edge.