Airbag apparatus

• US 9,694,782 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nagatani, Takashi, Asahi, Ryusuke, Miyajima, Yoichi, Kamimoto, Ichirou, Takeshita, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US15/022,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20160250993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

The present application discloses a control device for an automatic transmission mounted in a vehicle including idling stop means for automatically stopping an engine when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and restarting the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied in an engine automatically stopped state. The control device for the automatic transmission includes a first friction element and a second friction element fastened in a starting stage of the automatic transmission; and hydraulic-pressure controlling means for controlling hydraulic pressure for fastening the first and second friction elements. The first friction element includes a return spring that urges a piston of the first friction element to a release side. The second friction element includes a friction plate, a pressing piston that presses the friction plate, and a clearance adjustment piston that supports the pressing piston so as to allow relative movement of the pressing piston.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising

a bag body which is expanded and deployed by expansion gas supplied when the vehicle receives an external impact,

wherein the bag body includes:

a front section configured to be expanded and deployed rearward in a range from diagonally forward left to diagonally forward right of an occupant'"'"'s head;

a left section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a left edge of the front section; and

a right section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a right edge of the front section,

wherein the bag body is configured to be expanded and deployed to make the occupant'"'"'s head in a pushing state when the vehicle diagonally receives an impact from front so that the occupant'"'"'s head is displaced diagonally forward, a front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the front section and a side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the left or right section,

wherein a normal force and a dynamic friction force cause a first directional moment to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a first direction when the front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives the normal force and the dynamic friction force from the surface of the front section under the pushing state, and

wherein a second directional moment acts to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second directional moment being caused by a normal force and a dynamic friction force which the side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives from the surface of the left or right section,

wherein each of the left and right sections includes a shape retaining tether provided inside each of the left and right sections, the shape retaining tether being configured to keep an expanded and deployed shape of each of the left and right sections.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bag body includes a contact range configured to be in contact with the occupant'"'"'s head when the bag body is expanded and deployed, the contact range being set so that an integral value of a sum of the first directional moment and the second directional moment in the contact range approaches zero.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bag body is configured so that introduction pressure of the expansion gas into the front, left and right sections are equivalent.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the left and right sections form arc shapes protruding leftward and rightward in a front view, respectively, and

wherein the left section includes one end, which is connected to one end of the right section, and another end, which is connected to another end of the right section, so that the left and right sections are continuous to form a ring as a whole.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the bag body is configured so as to be expanded and deployed on a steering wheel.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the left and right sections linearly extend vertically when the left and right sections are expanded and deployed.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the left and right sections have higher internal pressure than the front section when the bag body is expanded and deployed.

8. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling tether situated at a rear side of the bag body when the bag body is expanded and deployed,

wherein the coupling tether couples the left section to the right section.

9. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bag body is configured so as to be expanded and deployed on an instrument panel.

10. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bag body is configured so as to be expanded and deployed on a rear surface side of a seat back.

11. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the front section include a shape retaining tether provided inside the front section to keep an expanded and deployed shape of the front section,

wherein the shape retaining tether in the front section extends forward and rearward to connect inner surfaces of the air bag apparatus,

wherein the shape retaining tether in the left section extends laterally to connect inner surfaces of the left section,

wherein the shape retaining tether in the right section extends laterally to connect inner surfaces of the right section.

12. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising

a bag body which is expanded and deployed by expansion gas supplied when the vehicle receives an external impact,

wherein the bag body includes:

a front section which is configured to be expanded and deployed rearward in a range from diagonally forward left to diagonally forward right of an occupant'"'"'s head;

a left section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a left edge of the front section; and

a right section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a right edge of the front section,

wherein the bag body is configured to be expanded and deployed to make the occupant'"'"'s head in a pushing state when the vehicle diagonally receives an impact from front so that the occupant'"'"'s head is displaced diagonally forward, a front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the front section and a side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the left or right section,

wherein a normal force and a dynamic friction force cause a first directional moment to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a first direction when the front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives the normal force and the dynamic friction force from the surface of the front section under the pushing state,

wherein a second directional moment acts to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second directional moment being caused by a normal force and a dynamic friction force which the side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives from the surface of the left or right section,

wherein the left and right sections form arc shapes protruding leftward and rightward in a front view, respectively,

wherein the left section includes one end, which is connected to one end of the right section, and another end, which is connected to another end of the right section, so that the left and right sections are continuous to form a ring as a whole,

wherein the left section includes outer fabric, which forms an outer circumferential arc of the left section, and inner fabric, which forms an inner circumferential arc of the left section, the outer fabric being partially coupled to the inner fabric on a side of the front section, and

wherein the right section includes outer fabric, which forms an outer circumferential arc of the right section, and inner fabric, which forms an inner circumferential arc of the right section, the outer fabric of the right section being partially coupled to the inner fabric of the right section on a side of the front section.

13. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising

a bag body which is expanded and deployed by expansion gas supplied when the vehicle receives an external impact,

wherein the bag body includes:

a base provided and configured to be in a range from diagonally forward left to diagonally forward right of an occupant'"'"'s head;

a first section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from the base;

a second section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from of the base at a laterally distant position from the first section; and

a coupling tether which is situated at a rear side of the base when the bag body is expanded and deployed, the coupling tether being configured to couple the first section to the second section,

wherein the bag body is configured to be expanded and deployed to make the occupant'"'"'s head in a pushing state when the vehicle diagonally receives an impact from front so that the occupant'"'"'s head is displaced diagonally forward, a front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the coupling tether and a side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head pushing a surface of the first or second section,

wherein a normal force and a dynamic friction force cause a first directional moment to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a first direction when the front surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives the normal force and the dynamic friction force from the surface of the coupling tether under the pushing state, and

wherein a second directional moment acts to turn the occupant'"'"'s head in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second directional moment being caused by a normal force and a dynamic friction force which the side surface of the occupant'"'"'s head receives from the surface of the first or second section.

14. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the bag body and the coupling tether include a contact range configured to be in contact with the occupant'"'"'s head when the bag body is expanded and deployed, the contact range being set so that an integral value of a sum of the first directional moment and the second directional moment in the contact range approaches zero.

15. The airbag apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the first section is a left section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a left edge of the base;

and

wherein the second section is a right section which is expanded and deployed so as to project rearward from a right edge of the base.