OCCUPANT PROTECTION APPARATUS AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION METHOD

• US 20120217730A1
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Isamu, BABA, Noriyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0039 Body parts of the occupant or pedestrian affected by the accident
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence

Abstract

A side airbag apparatus includes an airbag that can form a plurality of chambers with a single inflator and protects an occupant from an impact on a side door by deploying the airbag between the occupant and the side door. The chambers of the airbag includes a vehicle sidewall chamber that can be deployed around a shoulder region of the occupant and a compartment chamber that is disposed closer to the inner side of an occupant compartment in the vehicle width direction than the vehicle sidewall chamber and can be deployed around a chest region of the occupant.

Claims

1. An occupant protection apparatus comprising:

an airbag in which a plurality of chambers can be formed with a single inflator,

wherein an occupant is protected from a shock of a side impact on a vehicle sidewall by deploying the airbag between the vehicle sidewall and the occupant; and

wherein the plurality of chambers of the airbag comprises;

a vehicle sidewall chamber that can be deployed around a shoulder region of the occupant; and

a compartment chamber that is disposed closer to the inner side of an occupant compartment in the vehicle width direction than the vehicle sidewall chamber and can be deployed around a chest region of the occupant.

2. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle sidewall chamber is configured to be capable of being deployed across from the shoulder region to the buttock region of the occupant.

3. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle sidewall chamber and the compartment chamber have a contact surface where they contact each other upon deployment along a deployment direction.

4. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle sidewall chamber and the compartment chamber have a contact surface where they contact each other upon deployment along a deployment direction.

5. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the inflator is disposed at the vehicle sidewall chamber of the airbag;

wherein the airbag has a communication section that allows supply gas provided to the vehicle sidewall chamber by the inflator flow from the vehicle sidewall chamber to the compartment chamber.

6. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the inflator is disposed at the vehicle sidewall chamber of the airbag;

wherein the airbag has a communication section that allows supply gas provided to the vehicle sidewall chamber by the inflator flow from the vehicle sidewall chamber to the compartment chamber.

7. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the inflator is disposed at the vehicle sidewall chamber of the airbag;

wherein the airbag has a communication section that allows supply gas provided to the vehicle sidewall chamber by the inflator flow from the vehicle sidewall chamber to the compartment chamber.

8. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the inflator is disposed at the vehicle sidewall chamber of the airbag;

wherein the airbag has a communication section that allows supply gas provided to the vehicle sidewall chamber by the inflator flow from the vehicle sidewall chamber to the compartment chamber.

9. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the airbag comprises a pressure valve that releases the communication section when a pressure of the supply gas reaches to a predetermined pressure in the vehicle sidewall chamber.

10. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the airbag comprises a pressure valve that releases the communication section when a pressure of the supply gas reaches to a predetermined pressure in the vehicle sidewall chamber.

11. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the airbag comprises a pressure valve that releases the communication section when a pressure of the supply gas reaches to a predetermined pressure in the vehicle sidewall chamber.

12. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the airbag comprises a pressure valve that releases the communication section when a pressure of the supply gas reaches to a predetermined pressure in the vehicle sidewall chamber.

13. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

14. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

15. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

16. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

17. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

18. The occupant protection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the airbag is equipped with a vent hole for discharging the supply gas to the outside only at the compartment chamber.

19. An occupant protection method that protects an occupant from a shock of a side impact on a vehicle sidewall by deploying an airbag between the vehicle sidewall and the occupant,

wherein the airbag comprises a plurality of chambers that are formed with a single inflator;

wherein at least one of the chambers is deployed across from a shoulder region to a buttock region of the occupant; and

wherein at least another of the chambers is deployed around a chest region of the occupant.