Motor vehicle seat arrangement and method for protecting a vehicle occupant

• US 8,474,862 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata AG (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pursche, Oliver, Sendelbach, Hans-Peter, Breuninger, Martin, Nozu, Hiroshi, Geiselhart, Werner, Miller, Edwin, Sievers, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US12/585,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 297/284.6, 297/284.9, 297/216.13, 297/452.41
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/268 using instantaneous release of stored pressurised gas B60R21/26005 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle. The seat arrangement comprising a vehicle seat, at least one inflatable element, means for inflating the inflatable element which inflate the inflatable element depending on a control signal. The vehicle seat arrangement is arranged in the vehicle and the inflatable element is designed and arranged in or on a side wall of a backrest of the vehicle seat in a way that it exerts a momentum on the upper part of the body of the vehicle occupant while it is inflated in answer to the control signal, so that the whole vehicle occupant is moved away from a collision section of the vehicle that collides or is going to collide with the object or that the thorax region of the upper part of the body of the vehicle occupant performs a tilting movement away from the collision section of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle seat have a seating area and a backrest, the backrest having a given side wall;

two inflatable elements arranged on the vehicle seat and which elements can be inflated in order to protect a vehicle occupant occupying the vehicle seat; and

means for inflating the two inflatable elements, the means for inflating being configured to inflate the two inflatable elements depending on a control signal that signals a collision of the motor vehicle or an impending collision of the motor vehicle with an object,

wherein the vehicle seat arrangement is to be arranged in the vehicle and the two inflatable elements are designed and arranged in a way that the two inflatable elements exert a momentum on an upper part of the body of the vehicle occupant while the two inflatable elements are inflated in answer to the control signal, so that only the upper part of the body is moved such that the thorax region of the upper part of the body of the vehicle occupant performs a tilting movement away from the collision section of the vehicle,

wherein the two inflatable elements are arranged in such a way that the two inflatable elements at least partially overlap one another,

wherein the two overlapping inflatable elements are fastened in a pivotable manner to a pivot point via bands so that upon inflation the two inflatable elements perform a rotation movement towards the vehicle occupant around the pivot point, and

wherein the pivot point to which the bands are connected thereto is located within a material core of an upholstery of the vehicle seat.

2. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two inflatable elements are configured to exert the momentum such that the vehicle occupant is moved towards a longitudinal side of the motor vehicle nearest to the vehicle seat in case the collision section contains a longitudinal side of the motor vehicle facing the longitudinal side of the motor vehicle nearest to the vehicle seat.

3. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the vehicle seat changes due to the inflation of the two inflatable elements and thereby the momentum is exerted on the vehicle occupant.

4. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the means for inflating the two inflatable elements are designed and arranged to quickly inflate the two inflatable elements upon the impending collision in a way that a moving-away of the vehicle occupant starts before incidence of the collision.

5. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the means for inflating the two inflatable elements comprise:

at least one pressure reservoir which is designed and provided to deliver gas to the two inflatable elements in an impulse-like manner, and

at least one pressure storage which is integrated into the vehicle seat or is arranged outside the vehicle seat for filling the pressure reservoir.

6. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising a flow channel running between the pressure reservoir and the two inflatable elements, which flow channel can be set free abruptly in answer to the control signal, so that the two inflatable elements can be inflated abruptly.

7. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the pressure reservoir is a container filled with gas or liquid gas.

8. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two inflatable elements are designed to again resume, after the inflation and emptying, its state before the inflation.

9. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two inflatable elements are arranged such that they are able to exert the momentum on the vehicle occupant in substantially the same direction.

10. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two inflatable elements comprise at least one inflatable chamber being designed non gas-tight.

11. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two inflatable elements are arranged exclusively in or on the side wall of the backrest of the vehicle seat such that no inflatable elements are arranged in the seating area of the vehicle seat.

12. The motor vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the material core is covered by a seat cover.