Airbag system

• US 20060006631A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Meissner, Dirk, Al-Samarae, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• 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 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an airbag system for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one inflatable airbag for protecting passengers. The aim of the invention is to influence, in different ways, the direction of expansion and depth of an airbag, irrespective of the cut of the airbag and irrespective of the course of the stitches of the airbag. According to the invention, at least one supplementary airbag is associated with a main airbag. Said supplementary airbag has a lower volume in order to increase the depth of deployment and/or to alter the direction of deployment of the main airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a motor vehicle having a steering wheel with at least one inflatable airbag for occupant protection, the airbag system comprising a main airbag assigned at least one additional airbag of lower volume in order to increase the deployment depth and/or to vary the deployment direction of the main airbag, with the at least one additional airbag being arranged on the steering wheel in such a way that, in the inflated state, it lies between the steering wheel and the driver'"'"'s airbag designed as the main airbag.

4. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one additional airbag is assigned a separate gas generator with a sensor for triggering the ignition of the gas generator in the event of a crash.

5. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, including a multistage gas generator and wherein the at least one additional airbag is assigned a proportionate ignition stage of the gas generator.

6. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional airbag is annular.

7. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional airbag comprises two semiannular additional airbags.

8. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional airbag is semiannular and provided on that side of the steering wheel which faces away from the driver'"'"'s door.

14. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, including a gas generator or a proportionate ignition stage of a multistage generator for the additional airbag that can be ignited simultaneously with a gas generator for the main airbag.

15. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, including a gas generator or a proportionate ignition stage of a multistage generator of the additional airbag that can be ignited with a time offset in relation to a gas generator for the main airbag.

16. The airbag system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume of the additional airbag is 5-30 percent of the volume of the main airbag.

2. An airbag system for a motor vehicle having a front-seat passenger'"'"'s side and an instrument panel with at least one inflatable airbag for occupant protection, the airbag system comprising a main airbag assigned at least one additional airbag of lower volume in order to increase the deployment depth and/or to vary the deployment direction of the main airbag, with the at least one additional airbag being arranged on the front-seat passenger'"'"'s side on the instrument panel in such a way that, in the inflated state, it lies between the instrument panel and the front-seat passenger'"'"'s airbag designed as the main airbag.

9. The airbag system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional airbag is arranged in such a way that, in the inflated state, it lies on the front side of the instrument panel.

10. The airbag system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional airbag is arranged in such a way that, in the inflated state, it lies between the instrument panel and the windshield.

11. The airbag system as claimed in claim 2 wherein, in the inflated state, the additional airbag is in the form of an ellipsoid.

12. The airbag system as claimed in claim 2 wherein, in the inflated state, the additional airbag is in the form of a cylinder.

13. The airbag system as claimed in claim 2 wherein, in the inflated state, the additional airbag is in the form of a horizontal ellipsoid or cylinder.

3. An airbag system for a motor vehicle having a door and sidewall with at least one inflatable airbag for occupant protection, the airbag system comprising a main airbag assigned at least one additional airbag of lower volume in order to increase the deployment depth and/or to vary the deployment direction of the main airbag, with the at least one additional airbag being arranged laterally with respect to an occupant in such a way that, in the inflated state, it lies between a door or side wall of the motor vehicle and a main airbag designed as a side airbag.