Safety arrangement

• US 8,702,123 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mazanek, Jan, Kjell, Fredrik, Sandinge, Par, Anders, Palo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US13/505,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/729, 280/730.1, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat frame, a first air-bag unit and a second air-bag unit. The seat frame is at least partially covered by a padding material and substantially covered by a cover. The first air-bag unit includes a first air-bag mounted within an outboard side of the seat, and substantially covered by the cover. The second air-bag unit includes a second air-bag mounted within the outboard side of the seat and substantially covered by the cover. The first air-bag is configured to inflate and burst through the cover, when activated, and to bear against an occupant of the seat sitting in a normal position in the seat, thereby exerting a pushing force against the occupant in an inboard direction. The second air-bag is configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated, and to occupy a position between an occupant of the seat and an exterior side wall of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for a vehicle comprising:

a seatback including a seat frame at least partially covered by a padding material and substantially covered by a cover;

a first air-bag unit carried by the seatback and having a first air-bag mounted within an outboard side of the seatback, and substantially covered by the cover, the first air-bag being configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated and to bear against an occupant of the seat sitting in a normal position in the seat, thereby exerting a pushing force against the occupant in an inboard direction;

a second air-bag unit carried by the seatback and having a second air-bag mounted within the outboard side of the seatback, and substantially covered by the cover, the second air-bag being configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated and to occupy a position between an occupant of the seat and an exterior side wall of the vehicle; and

a strap or tether connected between a distal end of the first air-bag and an inboard side of the seat frame;

wherein the first and second air-bags both deploy in a forward direction relative to the seatback such that the first and second air-bags overlap one another upon activation in a lateral direction.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat frame includes substantially upright inboard and outboard members.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the first air-bag is mounted inboard of the outboard upright member.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first and second air-bag units are configured to be activated separately from one another.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first air-bag unit is configured to be activated before the second air-bag unit.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first and second air-bags both lie between a normal position of a seat occupant and an adjacent portion of the vehicle'"'"'s side wall upon activation.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat frame includes first and second upright members and the first air-bag deploys from the seatback between the first and second upright members.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the second air-bag deploys from the seatback from a position rearward of the second upright and is configured to forwardly expand.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the second air-bag deploys laterally relative to the first air-bag.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein upon inflation, the first and second air-bags both include a first portion fixed to the seatback and an opposite, second portion spaced in the forward direction from the first portion.

11. A safety arrangement comprising:

a vehicle seat including;

a seat frame at least partially covered by a padding material and substantially covered by a cover;

a first air-bag unit having a first air-bag mounted within an outboard side of the seat, and substantially covered by the cover, the first air-bag being configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated and to bear against an occupant of the seat sitting in a normal position in the seat, thereby exerting a pushing force against the occupant in an inboard direction;

a second air-bag unit having a second air-bag mounted within the outboard side of the seat, and substantially covered by the cover, the second air-bag being configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated and to occupy a position between an occupant of the seat and an exterior side wall of the vehicle; and

at least one vehicle sensor for activating the first and second air-bag units;

wherein the first and second air-bags are activated in response to different thresholds of a measured parameter being sensed by the at least one vehicle sensor such that only the second air-bag unit will be activated if severity of an impact is determined to be below a predetermined threshold.

12. The safety arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first and second air-bags are activated in response to outputs from one or more different sensors.

13. The safety arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first air-bag is activated at least partly in response to an output from the at least one vehicle sensor that detects position and/or velocity of an object relative to the vehicle before any collision between the vehicle and the object, and the second air-bag is activated at least partly in response to an output from the at least one sensor that detects a collision between the vehicle and an object.

14. The safety arrangement according to claim 11 in combination with the vehicle.