IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,454,236
Granted Patent B2
US 12,454,236 · App. 17/692,404 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Airbag apparatus

Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B60R19/205B60R21/0134B60R21/2165B60R21/36B60R2021/0004B60R2021/01013
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,454,236
App. No.
17/692,404
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An airbag apparatus includes an airbag configured to be deployed forward of a front of a vehicle body of a vehicle, a collision determiner configured to establish a pre-crash determination when a collision probability is a predetermined threshold or higher, an airbag deployment controller configured to, in response to the pre-crash determination, give to an inflator a command to supply deployment gas to the airbag and deploy the airbag, a vent controller configured to open and close a vent passage configured to discharge the deployment gas from the airbag, and an energy absorption state detector configured to detect a state of energy absorption by the airbag. The vent controller is configured to open the vent passage at an early stage of collision with a collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage when the energy absorption state detector detects a completion of energy absorption.

Claims (41)

1. An airbag apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag configured to be deployed forward of a front of a vehicle body of the vehicle;

a collision determiner configured to establish a pre-crash determination in a case where a collision probability is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

an airbag deployment controller configured to, in response to the pre-crash determination, give to an inflator a command to supply deployment gas to the airbag and deploy the airbag;

a vent controller configured to open and close a vent passage configured to discharge the deployment gas from the airbag; and

an energy absorption state detector configured to detect a state of energy absorption by the airbag,

wherein the vent controller is configured to open the vent passage at an early stage of collision with a collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage in a case where the energy absorption state detector detects a completion of predetermined energy absorption.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a relative speed detector configured to detect a relative speed of the collision object and the vehicle body,

wherein the vent controller is configured to increase the opening degree of the vent passage in a case where the relative speed becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, after the vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inflator is configured to additionally supply the deployment gas into the airbag, after the vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inflator is configured to additionally supply the deployment gas into the airbag, after the vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

8. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

9. An airbag apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag configured to be deployed forward of a front of a vehicle body of the vehicle; and

circuitry configured to

establish a pre-crash determination in a case where a collision probability is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold

based on the pre-crash determination, give to an inflator a command to supply deployment gas to the airbag and deploy the airbag

open and close a vent passage configured to discharge the deployment gas from the airbag; and

detect a state of energy absorption by the airbag,

wherein the circuitry is configured to open the vent passage at an early stage of collision with a collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage upon detecting a completion of predetermined energy absorption.

10. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a vent controller is configured to open the vent passage at the early stage of collision with the collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage upon detecting the completion of predetermined energy absorption.

11. The vehicle comprising the airbag apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A computer readable medium including computer instructions executable by a processor for an airbag apparatus to be applied to a vehicle, the airbag apparatus including an airbag configured to be deployed forward of a front of a vehicle body of the vehicle,

the computer readable medium comprising the computer instructions configured to:

establish a pre-crash determination in a case where a collision probability is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

in response to the pre-crash determination, give to an inflator a command to supply deployment gas to the airbag and deploy the airbag;

open and close a vent passage configured to discharge the deployment gas from the airbag; and

detect a state of energy absorption by the airbag,

wherein the computer instructions are configured to open the vent passage at an early stage of collision with a collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage in a case where an energy absorption state detector detects a completion of predetermined energy absorption.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , further comprising a relative speed detector configured to detect a relative speed of the collision object and the vehicle body,

wherein a vent controller is configured to increase the opening degree of the vent passage in a case where the relative speed becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, after the vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the inflator is configured to additionally supply the deployment gas into the airbag, after a vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the inflator is configured to additionally supply the deployment gas into the airbag, after the vent controller reduces the opening degree of the vent passage in response to the completion of the predetermined energy absorption.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein a vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the vent controller is configured to make the opening degree of the vent passage smaller than at the early stage of collision, until the airbag is completely deployed, after establishment of the pre-crash determination.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein a vent controller is configured to open the vent passage at the early stage of collision with the collision object, and subsequently, reduce an opening degree of the vent passage upon detecting the completion of predetermined energy absorption.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: NAGASAWA, ISAMU
To: SUBARU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059253/0743 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-054746 · Mar 29, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220306025A1 · Sep 29, 2022
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