IP Library Granted Patent US 12,434,656
Granted Patent B2
US 12,434,656 · App. 18/839,588 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Restraining device, restraining assembly and seat unit

Inventors: Sylvain Leforestier (Doudeauville, FR); Frederic Charpentier (Le Vauroux, FR); Christophe Fleury (Chars, FR); Marc Marchand (Le Vaumain, FR); Olivier Richez (Rouen, FR); Erle Nedelec (Gournay-en-bray, FR); Julien Halgrin (Doudeauville en Vexin, FR); Laurent Lengaigne (La Chaussée, FR); Jean-Yves Burel (Bully, FR); Laurent Hellot (La Feuillie, FR); Carole Gailhard (Gournay en Bray, FR)
Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
B60R21/23138B60R21/2338B60R2021/0032B60R2021/0048B60R2021/0058B60R2021/23386
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,434,656
App. No.
18/839,588
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A restraining device of a seat unit protecting a person without relying on a supporting surface. The first part extends from its first end in a first direction over the shoulder of a person sitting in the vehicle seat to a backrest-distal second end being located in front of the person's head and/or torso, and in a second direction from a person-outer third end to a person-inner fourth end. The second part extends in a third direction from a fifth end to a sixth end and from a backrest-proximate seventh end to a backrest-distal eighth end, such that a least an upper section of the second part extends laterally of the person's head. The third part extends in the second direction from a person-outer ninth end to a person-inner tenth end, such that at least an upper section of the third part faces the person's face.

Claims (26)

1. A restraining device of a seat unit, which seat unit further comprises a vehicle seat with a seating and a backrest adapted to support a person seated in the vehicle seat, said restraining device comprising:

an airbag cushion being deployable to a deployed state, wherein said airbag cushion comprises a first part having a backrest-proximate first end,

wherein in the deployed state, said first part:

is configured to extend from the backrest-proximate first end thereof in a first direction over a shoulder of the person sitting in the vehicle seat to a backrest-distal second end ( 30 b ) being located in front of the person's head and/or torso, and

extends in a second direction from a person-outer third end to a person-inner fourth end,

wherein the airbag cushion additionally comprises a second part being connected to the first part, and a third part being connected to the first part and to the second part, wherein in the deployed state:

said second part extends in a third direction from a fifth end to a sixth end and from a backrest-proximate seventh end to a backrest-distal eighth end, such that at least an upper section of said second part is configured to extend laterally of the person's head, and

said third part extends in the second direction from a person-outer ninth end to a person-inner tenth end, such that at least an upper section of said third part is configured to face the person's face; and

the restraining device further comprises a first belt for securing the airbag cushion to the vehicle seat, the first belt and the airbag cushion forming a restraining assembly, the first belt secured at a first end to the backrest and at a second end to the seating, and the first belt further configured to extend over an upper surface of the first part and through the third part.

2. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the backrest-distal eighth end of the second part and the person-outer ninth end of the third part are connected to one another at least indirectly and at least in sections.

3. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the second part further comprises a lower section configured to extend laterally of the person's torso.

4. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the first belt extends through a first tunnel in the third part.

5. The restraining device of claim 4 , wherein the restraining device further comprises a second belt extending along a person-remote surface area of the airbag cushion.

6. The restraining device of claim 5 , wherein the second belt extends through a second tunnel in the second part or extends over the sixth end of the second part.

7. The restraining device of claim 5 , wherein the first belt and the second belt are connected to the first part by a load bearing patch.

8. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the first belt is connected to the first part by a load bearing patch.

9. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the person-inner fourth end of the first part comprises a concave surface area.

10. The restraining device of claim 1 , wherein the restraining assembly further comprises an inflator being in fluid communication with the second part of the airbag cushion.

11. The restraining device of claim 10 , wherein the inflator is located inside the second part adjacent to the backrest-proximate seventh end thereof.

12. The restraining device of claim 11 , wherein the second part comprises an outer skin and a flexible shaping element being located inside the outer skin at the backrest-proximate seventh end, said flexible shaping element having an inner first section and said flexible shaping element being attached to the outer skin via at least two connection sections in such a way that at least a section of the inflator is circumferentially encircled by the outer skin and the inner first section of the flexible shaping element, wherein the inflator is encircled by the outer skin in an angle between 20° and 340°.

13. The restraining device of claim 12 , wherein the flexible shaping element is tube-shaped and additionally comprises a second section extending along the outer skin of the second part.

14. The restraining device of claim 13 , wherein the at least two connection sections are parts of a closed connection, wherein the second section of the tube-shaped flexible shaping element is located inside the closed connection.

15. The restraining device of claim 10 , wherein the backrest-proximate seventh end of the second part of the airbag cushion is attached to the backrest of the vehicle seat at least indirectly.

16. The restraining device of claim 15 , wherein said seat unit comprises two restraining assemblies, wherein a first restraining assembly whose first part of said airbag cushion is configured to extend over a left shoulder of the person and a second restraining assembly whose first part of said airbag cushion is configured to extend over a right shoulder of the person.

17. The restraining device of claim 16 , wherein the two restraining assemblies are not mirror-symmetrical with respect to each other.

18. The restraining device of claim 17 , wherein the upper section of the third part of one of the airbag cushions is configured to be located in front of the person's face.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2024
From: LEFORESTIER, SYLVAIN; CHARPENTIER, FREDERIC; FLEURY, CHRISTOPHE; MARCHAND, MARC; RICHEZ, OLIVIER; NEDELEC, ERLE; HALGRIN, JULIEN; LENGAIGNE, LAURENT; BUREL, JEAN-YVES; HELLOT, LAURENT; GAILHARD, CAROLE
To: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
Reel/Frame 068328/0262 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2022 104 440.8 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250162532A1 · May 22, 2025
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