Airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant

• US 8,091,917 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: Weyrich, Christian, Schäfer, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US12/662,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant in case of a crash, including at least one region that can be inflated with gas, which in the inflated state forms a gas cushion for a vehicle occupant to be protected in the form of a side airbag, at least a first material layer of the inflatable region extending in front of a lateral vehicle structure of a motor vehicle in the inflated state of the airbag device, and at least a second material layer of the inflatable region of the inflatable region, that opposes the first material layer in the inflated state of the airbag device, wherein at least one fastening flap is provided at the airbag device via which the airbag device can be fastened to a motor vehicle structure.

Claims

1. Airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant in case of a crash, comprising

at least one region inflatable with gas, that forms a gas cushion in an inflated state in the form of a side airbag for the vehicle occupant to be protected,

at least one first material layer of the at least one inflatable region extending in front of a lateral vehicle structure of a motor vehicle in the inflated state of the airbag device, and

at least one second material layer of the inflatable region that opposes the at least one first material layer in the inflated state of the airbag device,

wherein at least one fastening flap is provided at the airbag device via which the airbag device can be fastened to a motor vehicle structure,

wherein the at least one fastening flap is a separate element with respect to the at least one inflatable region, that is formed at least two-layered and fixed with at least each of the two layers to one of the at least one first material layer and the at least one second material layer of the at least one inflatable region via a connection line, respectively, and in that the at least two layers of the fastening flap each comprise a fastening portion,

wherein each of the fastening portions comprises a free end portion folded around the connection line,

wherein each of the fastening portions protrudes from the airbag device and serves for fastening the airbag device to the motor vehicle structure, and

wherein the connection line runs inclined with respect to an upper edge of the inflatable region located adjacent to the at least one fastening flap or runs along a curved path.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one fastening flap respectively comprises at least one fastening opening that can be engaged by a fastening means for fastening to the motor vehicle structure.

3. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one fastening flap is formed out of an integral material layout, which is reversed around at least one folding line for forming the at least two layers.

4. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one fastening flap is fixed to the airbag device via seams.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one fastening flap fixed to the airbag device along the connection line is configured as a seam, which runs, with respect to the inflated state of the airbag device in which the airbag device is built into the motor vehicle, inclined with respect to an upper edge of the inflatable region located adjacent to the at least one fastening flap.

6. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first material layer and the at least one second material layer of the at least one inflatable region of the airbag device respectively form a component of an airbag part formed in one piece, that is folded along at least one folding line, so that the two material layers face each other, and in that the two material layers are connected to each other outside the folding line and define a region that can be inflated to form the gas cushion.

7. The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one folding line forms a symmetry axis of the airbag part in an evenly outspread state of the respective airbag part.

8. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one fastening flap is fixed to the inflatable region in a vicinity of the folding line.

12. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening portion of a respective at least one fastening flap is folded around the connection line via which the respective at least one fastening flap is fixed to the airbag device, so that the fastening portion protrudes beyond an edge of the airbag device.

13. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening flap is fastened to an already folded inflatable region of the airbag device.

14. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening portion of a respective at least one fastening flap is flexible and can move under impact of a force into a different angle position with respect to the connection line.

15. The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one folding line, with respect to a state in which the airbag device is built into the motor vehicle, extends along a lateral roof edge of the motor vehicle.

9. Airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant in case of a crash, comprising:

at least one region inflatable with gas, that forms a gas cushion in an inflated state in the form of a side airbag for the vehicle occupant to be protected;

at least one first material layer of the at least one inflatable region extending in front of a lateral vehicle structure of a motor vehicle in the inflated state of the airbag device; and

at least one second material layer of the inflatable region that opposes the at least one first material layer in the inflated state of the airbag device,

wherein at least one fastening flap is provided at the airbag device via which the airbag device can be fastened to a motor vehicle structure,

wherein the at least one fastening flap is a separate element with respect to the at least one inflatable region, that is formed at least two-layered and fixed with at least each of the two layers to one of the at least one first material layer and the at least one second material layer of the at least one inflatable region via a connection line, respectively, and in that the at least two layers of the fastening flap each comprise a fastening portion, folded around the connection line, that protrudes from the airbag device and serves for fastening the airbag device to the motor vehicle structure,

wherein the connection line runs inclined with respect to an upper edge of the inflatable region located adjacent to the at least one fastening flap or runs along a curved path, and

wherein the at least one connection line is configured as a seam, which runs along a curved path.

10. The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the connection line extends along at least a part of a circular path.

11. The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the connection line essentially extends in a U-shape or a V-shape.

16. The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the connection line essentially extends in a U-shape or a V-shape.

18. The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the connection line extends along at least a part of a circularly shaped path.

17. An airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant in case of a crash, comprising

at least one region inflatable with gas, that forms a gas cushion in an inflated state in the form of a side airbag for the vehicle occupant to be protected;

at least one first material layer of the at least one inflatable region extending in front of a lateral vehicle structure of a motor vehicle in the inflated state of the airbag device; and

at least one second material layer of the inflatable region that opposes the at least one first material layer in the inflated state of the airbag device;

wherein at least one fastening flap is provided at the airbag device via which the airbag device can be fastened to a motor vehicle structure;

wherein the at least one fastening flap is a separate element with respect to the at least one inflatable region, that is formed at least two-layered and fixed with at least each of the two layers to one of the at least one first material layer and the at least one second material layer of the at least one inflatable region via a connection line, respectively, and in that the at least two layers of the fastening flap each comprise a fastening portion folded around the connection line, that protrudes from the airbag device and serves for fastening the airbag device to the motor vehicle structure; and

wherein a seam is provided along the connection line which runs along a curved path.