Vehicle occupant protection device and vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053045-B2
Application number	US-201515306122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

In a vehicle occupant protection device ( 20 ) comprising an airbag ( 22 ), especially for a passenger, including a fastening portion ( 24 ) as well as an inflatable restraining portion ( 26 ) being especially adjacent to the fastening portion ( 24 ), it is provided that the fastening portion ( 24 ) is arranged beside the sitting position of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ) and the restraining portion ( 26 ) is configured so that in the fully inflated unloaded state the airbag ( 22 ) extends in front of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ). There is further provided a vehicle seat ( 10 ) comprising a vehicle occupant protection device ( 20 ) of this type, wherein the fastening portion ( 24 ) and/or the inflator ( 28 ) are arranged on the side of or within the vehicle seat ( 10 ), especially on or within the seat cushion ( 14 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle occupant protection device ( 20 ) comprising an airbag ( 22 ), for protection in the case of front impact, the airbag comprising a fastening portion ( 24 ) as well as an inflatable restraining portion ( 26 ) being especially adjacent to the fastening portion ( 24 ), wherein the fastening portion ( 24 ) is arranged beside the sitting position of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ) and the restraining portion ( 26 ) is configured so that in the completely inflated unloaded state the airbag ( 22 ) extends in front of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ), wherein a tether ( 40 ) extending from the fastening portion ( 24 ) substantially diagonally in space into the upper corner of the airbag ( 22 ) opposed in the fully inflated state is provided in the airbag ( 22 ).

2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag ( 22 ) is configured to rest, in the inflated state, on the thigh ( 38 ) and/or on the vehicle interior lining ( 36 ) positioned in front of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ) to be protected.

3. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein in the inflated state the airbag ( 22 ) rests on the vehicle door ( 18 ) and/or on the outer wall of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion ( 24 ) is arranged on the side of the vehicle occupant ( 12 ) where the vehicle door ( 18 ) associated with him/her is located.

5. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein a further tether ( 42 ) which extends along the portion of the restraining portion ( 26 ) associated with the vehicle side facing the vehicle occupant from the fastening portion ( 24 ) to the upper front edge in the fully inflated state of the airbag ( 22 ) is provided in the airbag ( 22 ).

6. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , further comprising an inflator ( 28 ) being in fluid communication with the restraining portion ( 26 ) of the airbag ( 22 ), wherein the inflator ( 28 ) is arranged on the vehicle side beside the vehicle occupant ( 12 ).

7. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 6 , wherein the inflator ( 28 ) and/or the fastening portion ( 24 ) are retained on a vehicle seat ( 10 ) or on the vehicle body.

8. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion ( 24 ) is an extension projecting downward vis-à-vis the restraining portion ( 26 ).

9. A vehicle seat ( 10 ) comprising a vehicle occupant protection device ( 20 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the fastening portion ( 24 ) and/or the inflator ( 28 ) are arranged on the side of or within the vehicle seat ( 10 ), especially on or within the seat cushion ( 14 ).

10. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the tether extends from a lower corner of the airbag adjacent to the fastening portion to the upper corner.

11. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 10 , wherein the lower corner is at an intersection of a rear side of the airbag, an outboard side of the airbag, and a bottom of the airbag.

12. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper corner is at an intersection of a front side of the airbag, an inboard side of the airbag, and a top of the airbag.

13. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5 , wherein the tether and the further tether are secured to the upper front edge of the airbag.

14. A vehicle occupant protection device for protection in case of a front impact comprising:
an airbag including a fastening portion and an inflatable restraining portion adjacent to the fastening portion, the fastening portion being arranged beside a sitting position of the vehicle occupant, the restraining portion having an inflated state configured to extend in front of the vehicle occupant; and
a tether extending diagonally within the airbag from the fastening portion to an upper corner of the airbag opposing the vehicle occupant when the airbag is in the inflated state.

15. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 14 , wherein the tether extends from a lower corner of the airbag adjacent to the fastening portion to the upper corner.

16. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 15 , wherein the lower corner is at an intersection of rear side of the airbag, an outboard side of the airbag, and a bottom of the airbag.

17. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 14 , wherein the upper corner is at an intersection of a front side of the airbag, an inboard side of the airbag, and a top of the airbag.

18. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 14 , wherein the tether is secured to a front upper edge of the airbag.

19. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 18 further comprising an additional tether extending within the airbag from the fastening portion to the front upper edge of the airbag.

Assignees

• Trw Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Weiss Jochen
• Zimmermann Lars
• Schmidt Jürgen

Classifications

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R2021/0006

  Lateral collision · CPC title

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R21/23138

  specially adapted for side protection (B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2021/0004

  Frontal collision · CPC title