IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,448,981
Granted Patent B2
US 8,448,981 · App. 13/384,715 · Granted May 28, 2013

Side airbag device for vehicle

Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase (Nishikamo-gun, JP)
Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,448,981
App. No.
13/384,715
Granted
May 28, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object is to be able to more appropriately restrain respective portions of an upper body, including a waist portion, of a passenger by a side airbag at a time of a side collision. At a time of a side collision, a side airbag receives a supply of gas and deploys between a passenger and a vehicle body side portion, and an upper bag portion restrains from a head portion to a shoulder portion, and a lower bag portion restrains a waist portion, and an intermediate portion, that connects a lower edge portion of the upper bag portion and an upper edge portion of the lower bag portion, restrains a chest portion. Load, that is imparted toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side from the upper bag portion to the shoulder portion of the passenger at this time, decreases at a latter stage of restraint of the shoulder portion by the upper bag portion, and therefore, an amount of movement of the shoulder portion toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side is suppressed to an appropriate degree.

Claims (30)

1. A side airbag device for a vehicle comprising:

a side airbag comprising:

an upper bag portion that is positioned at a vehicle upper side, and corresponds to a head portion to a shoulder portion of a passenger seated in a vehicle seat;

a lower bag portion that is positioned at a vehicle lower side of the upper bag portion, and corresponds to a waist portion of the passenger; and

an intermediate portion that is a film-shaped non-inflating portion, and connects a lower edge portion of the upper bag portion and an upper edge portion of the lower bag portion, corresponds to a chest portion of the passenger, wherein:

at a time of a side collision, the side airbag receives a supply of gas for inflation and inflates and deploys between the passenger and a vehicle body side portion,

the side airbag device for a vehicle is configured such that a load, that is imparted toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side from the upper bag portion to the shoulder portion when the shoulder portion is restrained by the upper bag portion, decreases at a latter stage of restraint of the shoulder portion,

a tubular inflated portion is further provided that communicates with a vehicle rear side of the upper bag portion at an end portion at a vehicle upper side, and communicates with a vehicle rear side of the lower bag portion at an end portion at a vehicle lower side, and inflates, before the upper bag portion and the lower bag portion, along a spine direction of the passenger at an initial stage of inflation and deployment of the side airbag, a reinforcing cloth that is tubular and is sewn to the inner surface of the tubular inflated portion, and

the lower bag portion that is configured so as to inflate in a tubular shape toward a vehicle front side and downwardly at an incline, from an end portion at the vehicle lower side of the tubular inflated portion.

2. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein

a tubular inflator, at which gas ejection holes are disposed at a vehicle upper side, is provided within the tubular inflated portion; and

a diffuser which directs a flow of gas that is ejected from the gas ejection holes toward the upper bag portion side and the lower bag portion side, is provided at the inflator.

3. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein

an inflated thickness of the upper bag portion when the side airbag inflates and deploys is set to be thicker than an inflated thickness of the lower bag portion,

an internal pressure of the lower bag portion is set to be higher than an internal pressure of the upper bag portion; and

the lower bag portion is configured such that inflation and deployment thereof are completed before that of the upper bag portion.

4. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 3 , wherein a lower check valve, which permits passage of gas toward the lower bag portion side and restricts passage of gas in a direction opposite thereto, is provided at the end portion at the vehicle lower side of the tubular inflated portion.

5. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 4 , wherein an upper check valve, which permits passage of gas toward the upper bag portion side and restricts passage of gas in a direction opposite thereto, is provided at the end portion at the vehicle upper side of the tubular inflated portion.

6. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 5 , wherein flow path opening surface areas and flow path lengths of the lower check valve and the upper check valve are configured such that gas that is supplied into the tubular inflated portion is distributed in accordance with respective volumes and internal pressure settings of the upper bag portion and the lower bag portion.

7. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

8. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 2 , wherein

an inflated thickness of the upper bag portion when the side airbag inflates and deploys is set to be thicker than an inflated thickness of the lower bag portion,

an internal pressure of the lower bag portion is set to be higher than an internal pressure of the upper bag portion; and

the lower bag portion is configured such that inflation and deployment thereof are completed before that of the upper bag portion.

9. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 2 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

10. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 3 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

11. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 4 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

12. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 5 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

13. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 6 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

14. The side airbag device for a vehicle of claim 8 , wherein an extended bag portion, that extends to a region corresponding to a front portion of the chest portion of the passenger, is provided at a vehicle front side lower end edge of the upper bag portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2012
From: FUKAWATASE, OSAMU
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 027558/0369 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120126518A1 · May 24, 2012