Passenger restraint system

• US 20060192370A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Masayoshi, Abe, Kazuhiro
• Application Number:
  US11/363,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192370A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A passenger restraint system is provided in which, in one form, an airbag apparatus is activated according to a state of usage of a seat or a seatbelt apparatus, prediction of crash, and a state of accident together with the seatbelt apparatus. An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a vent hole for discharging gas from the airbag, a vent hole cover for covering the vent hole, and a constraining device for releasably constraining the vent hole cover in a state of covering the vent hole. In order to make an EA capability of the airbag apparatus relatively low, constraint of the vent hole cover by the constraining device is continued, and the vent hole is brought into a closed state. On the other hand, in order to make the EA capability of the airbag apparatus relatively high, constraint of the vent hole cover by the constraint device is released to release the vent hole.

Claims

1. A passenger restraint system for a vehicle, the passenger restraint system comprising:

a seat belt apparatus including seat belt webbing for being secured about a vehicle occupant on a seat;

an airbag apparatus including an airbag for being inflated during vehicle emergency conditions; and

a control device that receives inputs relating to vehicle emergency conditions and based on the inputs controls operation of the seat belt apparatus and the airbag apparatus.

2. The passenger restraint system of claim 1 wherein the seat belt apparatus includes an energy absorbing device, and the airbag apparatus includes an energy absorbing device with the control device controlling operation of both of the energy absorbing devices.

3. The passenger restraint system of claim 2 wherein the airbag includes a vent, and the energy absorbing device of the airbag apparatus includes a vent cover with the control device operable to selectively shift the vent cover between open and closed positions relative to the airbag vent.

4. The passenger restraint system of claim 1 wherein the seat belt apparatus includes a pretensioner that applies a tightening force to the seat belt webbing during vehicle emergency conditions, and the control device is operable to control at least one of the pretensioner force, energy absorbing capability of the seat belt apparatus or airbag apparatus, deployment force of the airbag, and size of the inflated airbag.

5. The passenger restraint system of claim 1 wherein the inputs received by the control device are a detection or prediction signal from at least one of a detection device for detecting a state of usage of the seat, a detection device for detecting a state of usage of the seat belt apparatus, a crash prediction device, and a detection device for detecting a state of an accident.

6. The passenger restraint system of claim 5 wherein the seat usage detection device detects at least one of whether the occupant is seated on the seat, weight of the occupant, and posture of the occupant.

7. The passenger restraint system of claim 6 wherein the seat usage detection device detects occupant posture including position of at least one of the occupant'"'"'s head, chest and shoulder.

8. The passenger restraint system of claim 5 wherein the crash prediction device detects information relating to at least one of whether the predetermined crash is a full-wrap or offset crash, type of object with which the vehicle is predicted to collide, size of the object, and relative velocity or acceleration of the predicted crash.

9. The passenger restraint system of claim 5 wherein the accident state detection device detects at least one of whether the accident is a crash or a roll-over, portions of the vehicle involved in the crash, a type of the crash, and a magnitude of a crash impact.

10. A passenger restraint system for a vehicle, the passenger restraint system comprising:

an airbag for being deployed during vehicle emergency conditions;

a vent of the airbag for allowing inflation gas to escape from the airbag during inflation thereof;

a vent cover for selectively closing the vent during airbag inflation;

a constraining device releasably connected to a portion of the vent cover; and

a control device that receives inputs relating to vehicle emergency conditions for operating the constraining device to one of maintain the connection between the vent cover portion and the constraining device to keep the vent cover in covering relation to the vent during airbag inflation, and release the connection between the vent cover portion and the constraining device to allow the vent cover to shift to an open condition relative to the vent.

11. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 including an airbag inflator for generating inflation gas for inflating the airbag, and the constraining device comprises a piston and cylinder device and a small inflator that generates gas for driving the piston in the cylinder to release the connection between the vent cover portion and the constraining device.

12. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 wherein the vent cover has an end portion secured to the airbag generally opposite the vent cover portion releasably connected to the constraining device with the vent cover and airbag sized so that upon airbag inflation the vent cover is drawn tightly against the airbag for keeping the vent closed during airbag inflation.

13. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 wherein the airbag has a portion adjacent the vent that is tucked with the tucked portion expanding during airbag inflation to bring the airbag into tight engagement with the vent cover with the vent cover connected to the constraining device.

14. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 wherein the vent cover portion releasably connected to the constraining device is an end portion of the vent cover, the vent cover having an opposite end portion secured to the airbag on one side of the vent and the airbag having a tucked portion on the other side of the vent intermediate the end portions of the vent cover.

15. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 including a container having an open top and in which the airbag is mounted, and the vent cover extends over the open top of the container.

16. The passenger restraint system of claim 15 wherein the vent cover portion is one end portion of the vent cover, the vent cover includes an opposite end portion secured to the container and an intermediate portion secured to the airbag between the vent and the opposite end portion, and

a frangible portion of the airbag between the intermediate portion and the opposite end portion so that upon airbag deployment the vent cover is separated at the frangible portion to allow the airbag to be inflated out from the open top of the container.

17. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 including an auxiliary cover extending over the vent between the vent cover and the airbag.

18. The passenger restraint system of claim 17 wherein the vent cover has a portion secured to the airbag, and the auxiliary cover has a portion adjacent the vent cover portion secured to the airbag that is not secured to the airbag.

19. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 wherein the airbag includes a nozzle extending inwardly into the airbag from the vent for gas flow therethrough during airbag inflation with the vent cover releasably connected to the constraining device.

20. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 including an inner cover connected in the vent cover and disposed inside the airbag prior to airbag deployment, the inner cover being sized to cover the vent with the vent cover releasably connected to the constraining device, and pushed out through the vent when the connection between the vent cover portion and constraining device is released.

21. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 wherein the vent comprises one of an opening and a slit in the airbag.

22. The passenger restraint system of claim 10 including a detection device for providing detection signals as the inputs to the control device relating to at least one of a state of usage of a vehicle seat, state of usage of a seat belt, crash prediction information, and a state of a vehicle accident.

23. A method for controlling operation of an airbag of a vehicle, the method comprising:

attaching a vent cover at one end portion thereof to the airbag adjacent a vent therein;

holding an opposite end portion of the vent cover at a fixed position adjacent the airbag so that the vent cover extends over the vent between the end portions;

deploying the airbag; and

one of releasing the opposite end portion of the vent cover so that inflation gas freely flows through the vent, and maintaining the hold on the opposite end portion so that airbag inflation causes the vent cover to be tightly engaged against the airbag to cover the vent for limiting inflation gas flow therethrough.

24. The method of claim 23 including determining whether the opposite end portion of the vent cover is to be released or is to continue to be held by detecting information relating to at least one of a state of usage of a vehicle seat or a seat belt, prediction of a crash, and a state of a vehicle accident.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the information is detected relating to the state of usage of the vehicle seat by detecting at least one of whether a passenger is on the vehicle seat, a passenger weight, and a passenger posture.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the information is detected relating to prediction of the crash by determining at least one of whether the predicted crash is a full-wrap or offset crash, the type of object with which the vehicle will collide, the size of the object, and the relative velocity or acceleration of the predicted crash.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the information is detected relating to the state of the vehicle accident by detecting at least one of whether the accident is a crash or a roll-over, portions of the vehicle involved in the crash, a type of the crash, and a magnitude of a crash impact.

28. The method of claim 24 including controlling energy absorption provided by a seat belt apparatus based on the detected information.

29. The method of claim 23 including:

placing the airbag in an open top container in a stowed condition,

installing the container and stowed airbag therein behind an instrument panel so that the panel covers the open top of the container, and

retaining the stowed airbag in the open top container with the vent cover during installation.