Air bag system in scooter type vehicle

• US 6,932,379 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Iijima, Satoshi, Yamazaki, Takeshi, Kuroe, Takeshi, Yanagibashi, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US10/417,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: B62/J02.7/00, 280/730.1, 280/728.1, 296/68.1, 180/219, 180/220, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

To effectively restrain a rider on a seat provided at a rear portion of a vehicle body with an inflated air bag in a scooter type vehicle having a footrest for supporting the feet of the rider. An air bag that can be inflated so as to restrain a rider on a seat from the front side of the rider is accommodated in a folded condition inside a front end portion of the seat.

Claims

1. A saddle-ridden vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a straddle seat provided at a rear portion of said vehicle body;

a footrest for supporting the feet of a rider on said seat;

an air bag housing, said air bag housing being located inside a front end portion of said seat; and

an air bag system, said air bag system including an air bag accommodated in a folded condition inside said air bag housing, said air bag being capable of inflating so as to restrain the rider on said seat from a front side of the rider.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being formed as a part of a bottom plate of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said air bag system further comprises an auxiliary air bag accommodated in a folded condition inside an instrument panel provided at a front portion of said vehicle body, said auxiliary air bag being capable of inflating to support said air bag in the inflated condition from a front side of said air bag.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being embedded in said front end portion of said seat at a level higher than a level of a seating surface of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said front end portion of said seat has an upper surface formed as a raised portion higher in level than said seating surface.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a scooter.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in the front end portion of said seat and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in said airbag housing and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

9. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in said airbag housing and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

10. An air bag system for a saddle-ridden vehicle, the vehicle including a vehicle body;

a straddle seat provided at a rear portion of the vehicle body; and

a footrest for feet of a rider on the seat, said air bag system comprising;

said straddle seat;

an air bag housing, said air bag housing being located inside a front end portion of said seat; and

an air bag, said air bag being accommodated in a folded condition inside said air bag housing, said air bag being capable of inflating so as to restrain the rider on said seat from a front side of the rider.

11. The air bag system according to claim 10, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being formed as a part of a bottom plate of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

12. The air bag system according to claim 10, wherein said air bag system further comprises an auxiliary air bag, said auxiliary air bag being capable of accommodation in a folded condition inside an instrument panel provided at a front portion of the vehicle body, said auxiliary air bag being capable of inflating to support said air bag in the inflated condition from a front side of said air bag.

13. The air bag system according to claim 10, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being embedded in said front end portion of said seat at a level higher than a level of a seating surface of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

14. The air bag system according to claim 13, wherein said front end portion of said seat has an upper surface formed as a raised portion higher in level than said seating surface.

15. The air bag system according to claim 10, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in the front end portion of said seat and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

16. The air bag system according to claim 11, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in said airbag housing and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

17. The air bag system according to claim 13, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in said airbag housing and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.

18. An air bag system for a saddle-ridden vehicle, comprising:

a straddle seat;

an air bag housing, said air bag housing being embedded inside a front end portion of said seat; and

an air bag, said air bag being accommodated in a folded condition inside said air bag housing, said air bag being capable of inflating so as to restrain a rider on said seat from a front side of the rider.

19. The air bag system according to claim 18, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being formed as a part of a bottom plate of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

20. The air bag system according to claim 18, wherein said air bag system further comprises an auxiliary air bag, said auxiliary air bag being capable of accommodation in a folded condition inside an instrument panel provided at a front portion of the vehicle body, said auxiliary air bag being capable of inflating to support said air bag in the inflated condition from a front side of said air bag.

21. The air bag system according to claim 18, wherein said air bag housing has an opening for accommodating said air bag in the folded condition and a lid portion for normally closing said opening of said air bag housing, said lid portion being embedded in said front end portion of said seat at a level higher than a level of a seating surface of said seat so that said lid portion can be opened in response to inflation of said air bag.

22. The air bag system according to claim 21, wherein said front end portion of said seat has an upper surface formed as a raised portion higher in level than said seating surface.

23. The air bag system according to claim 18, wherein said air bag system further comprises an inflator, said inflator being located in the front end portion of said seat and in communication with said air bag to inflate said air bag.