GB2283464A - Airbag which inflates towards waist of vehicle occupant - Google Patents

Airbag which inflates towards waist of vehicle occupant Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2283464A
GB2283464A GB9421351A GB9421351A GB2283464A GB 2283464 A GB2283464 A GB 2283464A GB 9421351 A GB9421351 A GB 9421351A GB 9421351 A GB9421351 A GB 9421351A GB 2283464 A GB2283464 A GB 2283464A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
air bag
seat
vehicle
bag device
inflator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9421351A
Other versions
GB2283464B (en
GB9421351D0 (en
Inventor
Ryoichi Yoshida
Noriyuki Kosugi
Eiji Yanagi
Yoshihiko Tanaka
Yoshihiko Minami
Tadayuki Atoh
Akira Kokeguchi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Takata Corp
Original Assignee
Takata Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Takata Corp filed Critical Takata Corp
Publication of GB9421351D0 publication Critical patent/GB9421351D0/en
Publication of GB2283464A publication Critical patent/GB2283464A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2283464B publication Critical patent/GB2283464B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
    • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
    • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
    • B60R21/2334—Expansion control features
    • B60R21/2342—Tear seams

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)

Description

Title of The Invention
Air Bag Device 2283464 Field of The Invention and Related Art Statement
The present invention relates to an air bag device for protecting an occupant when a vehicle comes into collision.
An air bag device comprises an air bag folded and accommodated in a casing and an inflator for deploying an air bag. The air bag device for a passenger seat is mounted in an instrument panel and has the casing of which a front portion is covered by a lid. The lid is pushed by the air bag and opened so that the air bag is deployed into a cabin.
The conventional air bag device is structured to deploy the air bag in front of the upper part of the occupant.
As a result of repeats of various kinds of examinations, it is found that an occupant sitting in the seat is protected enough only by restraining the waist of the occupant by the air bag.
Object and Summary of The Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an air bag device of which an air bag has a reduced volume and which is enough to protect an occupant.
An air bag device of a first aspect is mounted in the 1 front of a seat of a vehicle and comprises an air bag, an inflator for generating gas for deploying the air bag, and a casing in which the air bag and the inflator are accommodated, wherein the air bag extends toward a portion about a corner where a seat cushion and a seat back of the seat cross each other when the air bag is deployed into the cabin of the vehicle by gas from the inflator so as to restrain the waist of an occupant sitting in said seat.
An air bag device of a second aspect is structured so that the air bag extends toward the seat cushion of the seat and then extends toward the portion about the corner where the seat cushion and the seat back cross each other when the air bag is deployed into the cabin of the vehicle by gas from the inflator so as to restrain the waist of the occupant sitting in the seat.
The air bag device of the present invention is preferably structured for a passenger seat or a rear seat.
As a result of various kinds of experiments, it is proved that the air bag which restrains the waist of the occupant can protect enough the occupant as well as a conventional air bag which deploys widely in front of the upper part of the occupant.
The air bag device which protects only the waist of the occupant has a small volume as compared with the conventional air bag which deploys widely in front of the upper part of the occupant. Therefore, it is possible to 2 deploy the air bag promptly. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the inflator.
Brief Description of The Drawings
Fig. 1 is a side view of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a side view showing the air bag device in its operating state according to the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view showing the air bag device in its operating state according to the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an air bag 18; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an air bag 18A; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an air bag 18B; Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the air bag 18B; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an air bag 18C; Fig. 9 is a side view of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an air bag 18D; Fig. 11 is a side view of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 12 is an enlarged section view of a portion XII of Fig. 11.
Detailed Description of The Preferred Embodiment 3
Embodiments will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are each a side view showing the air bag device in its operating state according to the embodiment of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an air bag 18 according to the embodiment.
An air bag device 14 for a passenger seat is mounted in an instrument panel 12 of a vehicle 10. The air bag device 14 for a passenger seat has a casing 16, an air bag 18 folded and accommodated in the casing 16, an inflator 20 generating gas for deploying the air bag 18, and a lid 22 covering the casing 16. The lid 22 has one side connected to the casing 16 to allow the lid to rotate toward the cabin 24 of the vehicle. The other side of the lid 22 opposite to the one side is connected to the casing 16 such that it becomes detached from the casing 16 upon pushing force of the air bag 18 when the inflator 20 operates to deploy the air bag 18.
The air bag 18 is structured to extend toward the portion about the corner 32 where a seat cushion 28 and a seat back 30 of a seat in the vehicle 10 cross each other.
The air bag 18 used for this embodiment is made in a envelope shape by sewing up two sheets of cloths which are a lower panel 34 at the lower side thereof and an upper panel 36 at the upper side thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower panel 34 has an opening 38 for introducing gas from the 4 inflator 20. The periphery of the opening 38 is connected to the casing 16.
The lower panel 34 is provided with vent holes 40 for allowing the gas to flow out therethrough when the occupant plunges into the air bag 18. As shown in Fig. 4, the panels 34 and 36 are formed in a shape extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. The opening 38 in the air bag is positioned near the front of the vehicle.
As the vehicle mounted with the air bag device 14 as structured above comes into collision, the inflator 20 spouts out gas to deploy the air bag 18. The lid 22 is pushed by the air bag 18 deploying and opens toward the cabin 24 of the vehicle. The air bag 18 then extends into the cabin 24 of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2. The air bag 18 extends toward the portion about the corner 32 where the seat cushion 28 and the seat back 30 of the seat in the vehicle 10 cross each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The air bag 18 finally touches the waist 42 of the occupant to restrain the waist 42 of the occupant.
As a result of various kinds of experiments, it is proved that the air bag 18 restraining the waist 42 can protect enough the occupant as well as a conventional air bag deployed widely in front of the upper part, such as a part from the chest to the head, of the occupant. The air bag device 14 has an effect of restricting a forward movement of the lower part of the occupant without a seat belt when 5 the vehicle comes into collision.
The air bag 18 of the air bag device 14 has a small volume as compared with a conventional air bag which deploys widely in front of the upper part of the occupant. Therefore, it takes a short time to deploy the air bag 18 completely. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the inflator.
The air bag 18 made by sewing up two panels 34 and 36 is employed in the above embodiment, but the invention is not limited thereto. An air bag 18A comprising three panels which are a center panel 44 for a cylindrical body and end panels 46 and 48 for covering both ends of the cylindrical body may be employed as shown in Fig. S. The numeral 50 designates an opening disposed in the center panel 44 for introducing gas from the inflator.
Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, an air bag 18B made by sewing up two panels 52 and 54 each of which is formed in a U-shape may be employed in the present invention. The numeral 56 designates an opening for introducing gas and the numeral 57 designates vent holes.
In addition, as shown in Fig. 8, an air bag 18C comprising three panels in which side panels 60 and 62 are sewed on a ring-shaped center panel 58 at the both sides of the center panel 58 may be employed in the present invention. The numeral 64 designates an opening for introducing gas and the numeral 65 designates vent holes. 6 Fig. 9 is a side view Of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to another embodiment of the present invention and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an air bag used for the embodiment.
As shown in Fig. 10, an air bag 18D of which a tip portion extends downwardly is employed in this embodiment. The air bag 18D has three panels in which side panels 68 and 70 are sewed on a ring-shaped center panel 66 at the both ends of the center panel 66. The numeral 72 designates an opening for introducing gas and the numeral 73 designates vent holes.
Fig. 11 is a side view of the inside of a vehicle mounted with an air bag device according to a further embodiment of the present invention and Fig. 12 is an enlarged section view of a portion XII of Fig. 11.
An air bag 18E of which a part of the lower surface is lapped up once or more and sewed with a thread 74 is used in this embodiment. The thread 74 has characteristics to snap when a tensile force applied to the thread 74 exceeds a predetermined value due to an inner pressure of the air bag 18E exceeding a predetermined value.
In this embodiment, side portions with vent holes 76 in between are superposed and sewed up with the thread 74. That is, the vent hole 76 is in a closed state.
In the air bag device as structured above, the air bag 18E is deployed by an operation of the inflator. The thread 7 74 does not snap until the air bag 19E becomes in an intermediate deployed state as shown in Fig. 11. After the intermediate deployed state, the inner pressure in the air bag 18 is increased so that the tensile force applied to the thread 74 exceeds the strength of the thread 74, thereby the thread 74 snaps. The tip portion of the air bag 18E extends toward the seat cushion 28 first and, by snapping of the thread 74, the air bag then extends toward the portion about the corner 32 where the seat cushion 28 and the seat back 30 cross each other as shown by the arrow 100. The vent holes 76 are opened by snapping of the thread 74. the vent hole 76 is closed until the thread 74 prevent gas leakage through the vent holes 76.
In the case where the air bag device of the present invention is mounted in the upper part of the instrument panel and the lid is mounted on the upper surface of the instrument panel, when the air bag device operates, the air bag 18 is first deployed upwardly a little and then extends continuously toward the portion about the corner 32 where the seat cushion 28 and the seat back 30 cross each other.
Although the air bag device is mounted in the instrument panel 12 in each of the above mentioned embodiments, the air bag device may be mounted on the seat back 30 for protecting an occupant sitting in a rear seat.
As mentioned above, the air bag device of the present invention is structured for protecting an occupant by 8 In this embodiment, snaps so as to restraining the waist of the occupant so that a small volume is enough for the air bag as compared with a conventional air bag device for a passenger seat. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the deployment time of the air bag and to reduce the capacity of the inflator. The air bag device can restrict a forward movement of the lower part of the occupant not wearing a seat belt when the vehicle comes into collision.
9

Claims (9)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An air bag device mounted in front of a seat of a vehicle comprising an air bag, an inflator for generating gas for deploying said air bag, and a casing in which said air bag and said inflator are accommodated, wherein said air bag extends toward a portion about a corner where a seat cushion and a seat back of said seat cross each other when said air bag is deployed into the cabin of the vehicle by gas from said inflator so as to restrain the waist of an occupant seated on said seat.
2. An air bag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air bag extends toward said seat cushion of said seat and then extends toward the portion about the corner where said seat cushion and said seat back cross each other when said air bag is deployed into the cabin of the vehicle by the gas from said inflator so as to restrain the waist of the occupant seated on said seat.
3. An air bag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air bag device is structured for a passenger seat.
4. An air bag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air bag is made by that two sheets of panels are lapped 1 0 Y and peripheral portions of said panels are connected.
5. An air bag device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said panels are a lower panel and an upper panel, said lower panel is provided with an opening for introducing gas from said inflator and a vent hole, said panels are formed in a shape extending longer in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the width direction of the vehicle, and said vent hole in said lower panel is positioned near the front of the vehicle.
6. An air bag device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said panels are made by folding back a long panel.
7. An air bag device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lower panel has a part superposed and sewed up with a thread to shorten the length of said lower panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said thread has a strength to snap after said lower panel is deployed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby said air bag extends toward said seat cushion of said seat and then extends toward the portion about said corner where said seat cushion and said seat back cross each other when said air bag is deployed into the cabin of the vehicle by gas from said inflator so as to restrain the waist of the occupant seated on 1 1 said seat.
8. An air bag device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said thread sews up side portions with said vent hole in between to close said vent hole, whereby said thread snaps after said air bag extends toward said seat cushion so that the air bag extends toward the portion about said corner where said seat cushion and said seat back cross each other.
9. An air bag device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and Figures 1 to 4; or Figure 5; or Figures 6 and 7; or Figure 8; or Figures 9 and 10; or Figures 11 and 1-1 of the drawings.
It 1 2
GB9421351A 1993-11-05 1994-10-24 Air bag device Expired - Lifetime GB2283464B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP5276810A JPH07125591A (en) 1993-11-05 1993-11-05 Air bag unit

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9421351D0 GB9421351D0 (en) 1994-12-07
GB2283464A true GB2283464A (en) 1995-05-10
GB2283464B GB2283464B (en) 1997-09-10

Family

ID=17574707

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9421351A Expired - Lifetime GB2283464B (en) 1993-11-05 1994-10-24 Air bag device

Country Status (4)

Country Link
JP (1) JPH07125591A (en)
CN (1) CN1119607A (en)
DE (1) DE4439259A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2283464B (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1996038324A1 (en) * 1995-05-29 1996-12-05 Petri Ag Air bag module
EP0800959A2 (en) * 1996-04-08 1997-10-15 Takata Corporation Air bag device
WO2000015472A1 (en) * 1998-09-14 2000-03-23 Sungwoo Corporation Deploying direction controllable airbag structure

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4003241B2 (en) * 1995-12-27 2007-11-07 トヨタ自動車株式会社 Vehicle occupant posture assist device
DE19732069C2 (en) * 1997-07-25 2001-02-15 Daimler Chrysler Ag Airbag module
DE102004002341A1 (en) * 2004-01-16 2005-08-11 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag Restraint device for a motor vehicle occupant has airbag on instrument panel that inflates to protect the pelvic region
JP4492451B2 (en) * 2005-06-16 2010-06-30 トヨタ自動車株式会社 Vehicle airbag system
JP4994620B2 (en) * 2005-08-22 2012-08-08 日本プラスト株式会社 Air bag and air bag device
JP4875512B2 (en) * 2007-02-19 2012-02-15 ダイハツ工業株式会社 Airbag device for passenger seat
CN105300031B (en) * 2015-11-11 2017-07-11 巴彦淖尔市飞尚铜业有限公司 A kind of startup method for quickly going out oxygen
CN105857242B (en) * 2016-04-19 2018-06-22 芜湖金鹏汽车部件有限公司 A kind of automobile waist wrapping property air bag installs module
JP6860395B2 (en) * 2017-03-27 2021-04-14 株式会社Ｓｕｂａｒｕ Crew protection device
JP6601804B2 (en) * 2017-03-27 2019-11-06 株式会社Ｓｕｂａｒｕ Crew protection device
DE102019134522A1 (en) 2019-12-16 2021-06-17 Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh Passenger airbag, vehicle occupant restraint system and method for adapting a passenger airbag

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1168164A (en) * 1966-07-01 1969-10-22 Eaton Yale & Towne Inflatable Safety Device
GB1293480A (en) * 1970-10-16 1972-10-18 Gen Motors Corp Motor vehicle having an occupant restraint system
GB1326671A (en) * 1970-02-13 1973-08-15 Gen Motors Corp Vehicle occupant restraint system
GB1351150A (en) * 1970-11-19 1974-04-24 Renault Inflatable safety devices for protecting an occupant of a motor vehicle
GB1396158A (en) * 1971-06-10 1975-06-04 Eaton Corp Safety apparatus for vehicles
GB2237248A (en) * 1989-09-06 1991-05-01 Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd Vehicle air bag construction

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1168164A (en) * 1966-07-01 1969-10-22 Eaton Yale & Towne Inflatable Safety Device
GB1326671A (en) * 1970-02-13 1973-08-15 Gen Motors Corp Vehicle occupant restraint system
GB1293480A (en) * 1970-10-16 1972-10-18 Gen Motors Corp Motor vehicle having an occupant restraint system
GB1351150A (en) * 1970-11-19 1974-04-24 Renault Inflatable safety devices for protecting an occupant of a motor vehicle
GB1396158A (en) * 1971-06-10 1975-06-04 Eaton Corp Safety apparatus for vehicles
GB2237248A (en) * 1989-09-06 1991-05-01 Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd Vehicle air bag construction

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1996038324A1 (en) * 1995-05-29 1996-12-05 Petri Ag Air bag module
US6227568B1 (en) 1995-05-29 2001-05-08 Petri Ag Air bag module
EP0800959A2 (en) * 1996-04-08 1997-10-15 Takata Corporation Air bag device
EP0800959A3 (en) * 1996-04-08 1998-09-16 Takata Corporation Air bag device
WO2000015472A1 (en) * 1998-09-14 2000-03-23 Sungwoo Corporation Deploying direction controllable airbag structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE4439259A1 (en) 1995-05-11
GB2283464B (en) 1997-09-10
GB9421351D0 (en) 1994-12-07
JPH07125591A (en) 1995-05-16
CN1119607A (en) 1996-04-03

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Date Code Title Description
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Expiry date: 20141023