Vehicle occupant protection device

• US 9,296,360 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Komamura, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US14/463,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20150054267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/735, 280/742
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0023 Offset collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection device includes a frontal collision airbag that is provided in front of a front seat, and inflates and deploys by gas being supplied into the airbag, and in which vent holes are provided in both a right side and a left side thereof; a frontal collision inflator that supplies the gas into the airbag by being activated; a discharge limiting portion capable of limiting a discharge of the gas from at least one vent hole, from among the left vent hole and the right vent hole; and a controller that activates the frontal collision inflator when a frontal collision is detected or predicted, and that controls the discharge limiting portion such that the discharge limiting portion limits the discharge of the gas from the one vent hole when a configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision on a side with the one vent hole.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:

a frontal collision airbag that is provided in front of a front seat, and inflates and deploys by gas being supplied into the frontal collision airbag, and in which vent holes are provided in both a right side and a left side thereof;

a frontal collision inflator that supplies the gas into the frontal collision airbag by being activated;

a discharge limiting portion capable of limiting a discharge of the gas from one vent hole, from among the left vent hole and the right vent hole; and

a controller that activates the frontal collision inflator when a frontal collision is detected or predicted, and that controls the discharge limiting portion such that the discharge limiting portion more limits the discharge of the gas from the one vent hole than the discharge of the other vent hole when a configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision on a side with the one vent hole.

2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge limiting portion includes a side collision curtain airbag that inflates and deploys to a vehicle width direction outside of an inflation and deployment region of the frontal collision airbag by gas being supplied into the side collision curtain airbag, and that is formed so as to contact a portion of the frontal collision airbag where the one vent hole on a vehicle width direction outside is formed when inflated and deployed when the frontal collision airbag is inflated and deployed, and a side collision inflator that supplies gas into the side curtain airbag by being activated;

and

the controller activates the side collision inflator when one of an asymmetric collision and a side collision on a side with the side collision curtain airbag is detected or predicted.

3. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein

the controller activates the side collision inflator later than the frontal collision inflator when the asymmetric collision on the side with the side collision curtain airbag is detected or predicted.

4. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein

the side collision curtain airbag extends at an angle toward a vehicle front side and a vehicle width direction inside when inflated and deployed.

5. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge limiting portion is left and right opening and closing mechanisms capable of individually opening and closing the left and right vent holes;

and

the controller controls the left and right opening and closing mechanisms such that the left and right vent holes open when the configuration of the frontal collision is a symmetrical collision, and controls the left and right opening and closing mechanisms such that the right or left vent hole on a side opposite the collision opens and the one vent hole on a collision side closes when the configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision.

6. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller is provided with a seat belt fastening detecting portion for detecting a seat belt fastening state of an occupant seated in the front seat, and a collision detecting portion that includes a longitudinal acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle.

7. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein

the opening and closing mechanisms each include a closing member that closes the corresponding vent hole, and a micro gas generator that is connected to the corresponding closing member and is fixed to a vehicle side;

a portion of each closing member is sewn to the corresponding vent hole by a sewn portion;

a length dimension of each closing member from the corresponding micro gas generator is set such that the sewn portion will tear when the frontal collision airbag is deployed;

when the configuration of the frontal collision is the symmetrical collision, the right or left vent hole is opened by the controller not activating the micro gas generator; and

when the configuration of the frontal collision is the asymmetric collision, the right or left vent hole on the side opposite the collision is opened by the controller not activating the micro gas generator that is connected to the closing member on the side opposite the collision, and the right or left vent hole on the collision side is closed by the controller activating the micro gas generator that is connected to the closing member on the collision side and cutting the connection with the closing member.

8. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the frontal collision inflator has a first gas generating portion and a second gas generating portion, each of which generates gas individually by being activated;

and

the controller activates the second gas generating portion later than the first gas generating portion when the configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision.

9. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge limiting portion includes a roof airbag that inflates and deploys to a vehicle width direction inside of an inflation and deployment region of the frontal collision airbag by gas being supplied into the roof airbag, and that is formed so as to contact a portion of the frontal collision airbag where the one vent hole on a vehicle width direction inside is formed when inflated and deployed when the frontal collision airbag is inflated and deployed, and a roof inflator that supplies gas into the roof airbag by being activated;

and

the controller activates the roof inflator when one of an asymmetric collision and side collision on a side opposite the front seat is detected or predicted.

10. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein

the discharge limiting portion only limits the one vent hole.

11. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the discharge limiting portion such that the discharge limiting portion discharges the gas from the vent holes when a configuration of the frontal collision is a symmetric collision.

12. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:

a frontal collision airbag that inflates and deploys toward a front of a front seat by gas being supplied into the frontal collision airbag, and that is provided with a only one vent hole, the vent hole is positioned on an interior side of the frontal collision airbag in the vehicle width direction;

a frontal collision inflator capable of supplying the gas into the frontal collision airbag;

a discharge limiting portion capable of limiting a discharge of the gas from the vent hole; and

a controller that activates the frontal collision inflator when a frontal collision is detected or predicted, and that limits the discharge of the gas from the vent hole by the discharge limiting portion when a configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision, wherein

the discharge limiting portion is an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the vent hole;

the opening and closing mechanism includes a closing member that has a closing portion that closes the vent hole, and a micro gas generator to which the closing member is connected and that is fixed to a vehicle side;

the closing portion is sewn to the vent hole by a sewn portion, and a small diameter vent hole formed with a smaller diameter than the vent hole is formed;

a length dimension of the closing member from the micro gas generator is set such that the sewn portion will tear when the frontal collision airbag is deployed; and

when the configuration of the frontal collision is an asymmetric collision, the discharge of the gas from the vent hole is limited by the controller activating the micro gas generator and cutting the connection with the closing member.