Passenger retaining apparatus

• US 9,469,269 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan GK
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hiruta, Teruhiko, Kawaguchi, Hiroo, Ogawa, Makoto, Kitaguchi, Yoshitake, Koyanagi, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US14/806,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A passenger retaining apparatus includes a driver seat airbag and a curtain airbag. The curtain airbag includes first and second inflation portions and a recess portion. The first inflation portion is inflated at a passenger side with respect to the inflated driver seat airbag in a vehicle body longitudinal direction. The second inflation portion is inflated at a wind shield side with respect to the inflated driver seat airbag in the vehicle body longitudinal direction. The recess portion is formed between the first and second inflation portions to engage with the inflated driver seat airbag. The driver seat airbag retains a front surface of a head of the passenger and the first inflation portion retains a side surface of the head of the passenger.

Claims

1. A passenger retaining apparatus comprising:

a driver seat airbag; and

a curtain airbag that expands toward a side of a passenger;

wherein the curtain airbag includes;

a first inflation portion that is inflated at a passenger side with respect to the driver seat airbag in a vehicle body longitudinal direction;

a second inflation portion that is inflated at a wind shield side with respect to the driver seat airbag in the vehicle body longitudinal direction; and

a recess portion that is formed between the first inflation portion and the second inflation portion and that is configured to engage with the driver seat airbag;

wherein, upon a slight lap crash or an oblique crash of a vehicle, the driver seat airbag is configured for retaining a front surface of a head of the passenger and the first inflation portion is configured for retaining a side surface of the head of the passenger,

wherein the curtain airbag further includes;

a shallowing unit that shallows a depth of the recess portion after starting inflations of the first inflation portion and the second inflation portion.

2. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a distance between a most passenger-side surface of the first inflation portion of the inflated curtain airbag and a center axis of a steering shaft is within a range of 80 mm to 230 mm, in a vehicle body width direction.

3. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a distance between a most door-side end portion of the driver seat airbag and a most passenger-side surface of the second inflation portion of the inflated curtain airbag is within a range of 25 mm to 150 mm, in a vehicle body width direction.

4. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the shallowing unit is an inflation portion which is configured to be inflated in a vehicle interior side of the recess portion.

5. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the inflation portion is connected to a lower side of a main body portion of the curtain airbag and is folded at the lower side of the main body portion to a vehicle interior side of the main body portion.

6. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the inflation portion includes:

a hole that is formed on a panel of a vehicle interior side of the curtain airbag;

a small panel that covers the hole; and

a seam that sews a peripheral edge of the small panel to the panel of the vehicle interior side of the curtain airbag.

7. The passenger retaining apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the shallowing unit includes:

a tether that extends in the vehicle body longitudinal direction on a vehicle exterior side of the curtain airbag across a forming region of the recess portion;

a front seam that sews a front end portion of the tether to a panel of the curtain airbag; and

a rear seam that sews a rear end portion of the tether to the panel of the curtain airbag;

wherein a length of the tether between the front seam and the rear seam is smaller than a length of the panel of the curtain airbag between the front seam and the rear seam.