Occupant protection device

• US 8,910,974 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Isamu, Baba, Noriyoshi, Nakase, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US13/524,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20130001935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/731, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

There is provided an occupant protection device. An air bag device according to the present invention protects an occupant against an impact caused by a collision of a vehicle by inflating and expanding a head protection air bag body and a chest protection air bag body upon the impact which are housed in a center pad of a steering wheel, the occupant protection device including an inflation and expansion mode control unit configured to inflate and expand the head protection air bag body and the chest protection air bag body mutually independently in accordance with a collision mode of the vehicle, and to control inflation and expansion modes of the head protection air bag body and the chest protection air bag body when inflated and expanded.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant against an impact caused by a collision of a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of air bag bodies housed in a center pad of a steering wheel, the air bag bodies including at least a first air bag body configured to protect the occupant'"'"'s head and a second air bag body configured to protect the occupant'"'"'s chest; and

an expansion mode control unit configured to expand the air bag bodies mutually independently in accordance with a collision mode of the vehicle, and to control expansion modes of the air bag bodies when being expanded, wherein

the expansion mode control unit is configured to determine the collision mode of the vehicle based on a collision detection unit that detects an impact upon the vehicle experiencing the impact,

the expansion mode control unit is configured to control the expansion modes of the first and second air bag bodies in accordance with whether or not a seat belt of the occupant is fastened,

the expansion mode control unit is configured to, in a scenario where the expansion mode control unit determines that the vehicle is experiencing a front collision and the occupant is wearing the seat belt, control the second air bag body to be expanded before the first air bag body is expanded,

the expansion mode control unit is configured to, in a scenario where the expansion mode control unit determines that the vehicle is experiencing a front collision and the occupant is not wearing the seat belt, control the first air bag body to be expanded before the second air bag body is expanded, and

the expansion mode control unit is configured to, in a scenario where the expansion mode control unit determines that the vehicle is experiencing a rear collision or a side collision, control the first air bay body to be expanded and control the second air bag body to not be expanded.

2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1,

wherein the expansion mode control unit is configured to, in a scenario where the expansion mode control unit determines that the vehicle rolls over, control the first air bag body to be expanded and control the second air bag body to not be expanded.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 1,

wherein the expansion mode control unit is configured to, in a scenario where the expansion mode control unit determines that the occupant is not wearing the seat belt, control the first air bag body to be expanded before the second air bag body is expanded with the first air bag body being expanded with a stroke shorter than that of the second air bag body.

4. An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant against an impact caused by a collision of a vehicle comprising

a plurality of air bag bodies that includes at least a first air bag body configured to protect the occupant'"'"'s head and a second air bag body configured to protect the occupant'"'"'s chest;

and

an expansion mode control unit configured to control expansion modes of the air bag bodies in accordance with modes of collision experienced by the vehicle, the expansion mode control unit being configured to receive data indicative as to whether or not a collision experienced by the vehicle has a front collision component and whether or not the occupant is wearing a seat belt, wherein

the expansion mode control unit is configured to;

if a front collision component is sensed and a seat belt worn status is determined by the expansion mode control unit, set the first and second air bag bodies under a first expansion mode,

if a front collision component is sensed and a seat belt not worn status is determined by the expansion mode control unit, set the first and second air bag bodies in a second expansion mode different than the first expansion mode, and

if the expansion mode control unit receives data that a front collision component is not involved, set the first and second air bag bodies in a third expansion mode that is different than the first and second expansion modes,

in the first expansion mode, the first air bag body is expanded with a stroke longer than that of the second air bag body, and to form an area smaller than that of the second air bag body,

in the second expansion mode, the second air bag body is expanded with a stroke shorter than that of the first air bag body, and to form an area larger than that of the first air bag body, and

in the third expansion mode, the first air bag body is expanded and the second air bag body is not expanded.