Vehicle seat airbag system and vehicle seat

• US 9,919,671 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Isamu, Kamata, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole T
• Application Number:
  US15/181,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/427 Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0032 Position of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23161 specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

A vehicle seat airbag system includes an airbag which is caused by a vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back. The airbag is disposed between a seat pad and a rear board provided in a rear of the seat back. Inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person, and causes the rear board to be pushed rearwardly to allow the airbag to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to the rear board.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat airbag system, comprising:

an airbag which is caused by a vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back,

wherein the airbag is disposed between a seat pad and a rear board provided in a rear of the seat back,

wherein inflatable and developable airbag is supported by the rear board from a rear part side, and inflates and develops two-dimensionally within a rear board range such that a uniform pressure is applied for an upper body of a seated person on a front seat, and

wherein inflation and development of the airbag in the seat back is configured to allow the airbag to elastically support the upper body of the seated person on the front seat, and causes the rear board to be pushed rearwardly to allow the airbag to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to the rear board.

2. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the rear board is supported on the rear of the seat back swingably in a direction away from the rear of the seat back.

3. The vehicle seat airbag system according td claim 1, wherein the rear board is removed from the rear of the seat back by pushing.

4. The vehicle seat airbag system according claim 1, wherein the rear board is removably fixed to the rear of the seat back and includes:

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to a vehicle; and

a fixing release mechanism that releases fixing based on information of collision occurrence which is predicted by the collision prediction unit.

5. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein an outer layer is interposed between the airbag and the rear board, the outer layer being caused by the inflated and developed airbag to expand rearwardly, and the outer layer being provided with the rear board.

6. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the rear board includes a fragile part.

7. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision detection unit that detects a collision to a vehicle,

wherein the control unit causes the airbag to inflate and develop after a predetermined time delay since the collision detection unit detects a collision.

8. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls the inflation and development of the airbag; and

a collision prediction unit that predicts a collision to a vehicle,

wherein the control unit starts to cause the airbag to inflate and develop at a time which is determined based on a time of collision occurrence predicted by the collision prediction unit.

9. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the airbag inflates and develops in multiple steps within the seat back.

10. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is inflated, a bottom portion of the rear board departs from a lower portion of the seat back in a direction away from the rear of the seat back.

11. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is inflated, a bottom portion of the rear board completely spaces apart from a lower portion of the seat back in a direction away from the rear of the seat back.

12. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is inflated, an upper portion of the rear board remains attached to the rear of the seat back.

13. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is inflated, an upper portion of the rear board rotates away from an upper portion of the rear of the seat back, while the upper portion of the seat pad remains attached to the rear of the seat back.

14. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein, after the airbag is inflated, an uppermost portion of the rear board remains attached to the rear of the seat back.

15. The vehicle seat airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the rear board is arranged such that, after the airbag is inflated, at least a bottom portion of the rear board detaches from the rear of the seat back.