Passenger protection apparatus of vehicle

• US 8,353,531 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Miyajima, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US13/025,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 280/732, 280/743.1, 280/730.1, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/732
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/006 Type of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4666 characterised by electric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

A passenger protection apparatus comprises an airbag having a concaved receiving portion at its specified position which corresponds to a face of a small-sized passenger seated in a passenger'"'"'s seat when the airbag inflates in a vehicle collision, an inflator supplying gas to the airbag in a collision of a vehicle to inflate the airbag before the passenger'"'"'s seat, a position sensor detecting a longitudinal sitting position of the passenger seated in the passenger'"'"'s seat, and a seatbelt device, an airbag unit for pop-up seat, and a knee airbag unit which adjust a restraint position of the passenger in accordance with the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger so that the face f the small-sized passenger is received at said receiving portion of the airbag in the vehicle collision.

Claims

1. A passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle which restrains and protects a passenger seated in a passenger'"'"'s seat in a vehicle collision, comprising:

an airbag stored in a portion of an instrument panel in front of the passenger'"'"'s seat, the airbag having a concaved receiving portion at a specified position thereof which corresponds to a face of a specified sized passenger seated in the passenger'"'"'s seat when the airbag inflates in the vehicle collision;

an inflator stored in the portion of the instrument panel in front of the passenger'"'"'s seat along with the airbag, the inflator supplying gas to the airbag in the vehicle collision to inflate the airbag before the passenger'"'"'s seat;

a sitting position detecting device detecting a longitudinal sitting position of the passenger seated in the passenger'"'"'s seat; and

a passenger restraint position adjusting device adjusting a restraint position of the passenger in accordance with the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger detected by said sitting position detecting device so that the face of said specified sized passenger is received at said receiving portion of the airbag in the vehicle collision.

2. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said passenger restraint position adjusting device is a seatbelt device which comprises a shoulder belt and a lap belt, the seatbelt device further comprises a retractor which is equipped with a load limiter to generate a specified withdrawal resistance at the shoulder belt in the vehicle collision and a pre-tensioner to apply a tensional force to the lap belt when the vehicle collision is predicted, and the pre-tensioner is configured to apply the tensional force to the lap belt in case the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger is before a specified position.

3. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said passenger restraint position adjusting device is a raising device to raise a front portion of a seat cushion of the passenger'"'"'s seat, and the raising device is configured to raise the front portion of the seat cushion of the passenger'"'"'s seat in case the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger is before a specified position.

4. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said passenger restraint position adjusting device is a knee airbag unit which is arranged at a front portion of the passenger'"'"'s seat and comprises a knee airbag and an inflator to supply gas to the knee airbag, and the knee airbag unit is configured to inflate the knee airbag by operating the inflator thereof in case the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger is before a specified position.

5. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a weight detecting device to detect a weight of the passenger seated in the passenger'"'"'s seat, and said passenger restraint position adjusting device is configured to adjust the restraint position of the passenger in accordance with the longitudinal sitting position of the passenger detected by said sitting position detecting device and the weight of the passenger detected by said weight detecting device.

6. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said receiving portion of the airbag is formed between a pair of projecting portions formed at the airbag which extends vertically.

7. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said sitting position detecting device is a position detecting device to detect a longitudinal slide position of the passenger'"'"'s seat.

8. The passenger protection apparatus of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said specified sized passenger is a small-sized passenger.