Airbag for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870405-B2
Application number	US-201816058350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An airbag for a vehicle is provided. The airbag includes an airbag cushion that has a plurality of chambers and the plurality of chambers are connected to be interlocked with each other by an operation tether. Accordingly, when an occupant presses against a specific chamber due to a vehicle collision, the other chamber is deformed to wrap the occupant, thereby restraining the occupant in a seat and minimizing the occurrence of injury.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airbag for a vehicle, comprising:
an airbag cushion positioned proximate to a seatback, having a plurality of chambers to be deployed in front of the seatback, and having an aperture formed at a rear portion of the airbag cushion; and
an operation tether which is provided to pass through the aperture, and is connected at both end portions thereof to the plurality of chambers, respectively and which, when an occupant pushes against a first chamber of the plurality of chambers due to a vehicle collision, provides a pulling force to a second chamber of the plurality of chambers to cause the second chamber of the plurality of chambers to be bent towards an occupant side.

2. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first chamber is an upper chamber to be disposed proximate the occupant's head and the second chamber is a lower chamber to be disposed proximate to the occupant's body during deployment, and
the operation tether is provided to pass through the aperture, a first end portion of the operation tether is connected to the upper chamber, and a second end portion of the operation tether is connected to the lower chamber.

3. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein, when the operation tether is provided to pass through the aperture, the first end portion of the operation tether is connected to a front portion of the upper chamber and the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to a front portion of the lower chamber.

4. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a restraint tether secured at both ends thereof to the seatback and extending from the occupant side away from the occupant to wrap around the upper chamber.

5. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the first end portion of the operation tether is connected to the front portion of the upper chamber and the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to the restraint tether, wherein the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to an end portion of the restraint tether located at the occupant side.

6. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first chamber is an upper chamber to be disposed proximate to the occupant's shoulder or the occupant's head during deployment; the second chamber is a lower chamber to be disposed proximate to the occupant's body during deployment; and a central chamber of the plurality of chambers is positioned between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, and disposed in front of the occupant's body during deployment, and
the operation tether is provided to pass through the aperture, a first end portion of the operation tether is connected to the upper chamber, and a second end portion of the operation tether is connected to the central chamber.

7. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the aperture is formed in a rear portion of the upper chamber.

8. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the first end portion of the operation tether is connected to a front portion of the upper chamber and the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to a front portion of the central chamber.

9. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a guide part through which the operation tether passes,
wherein the guide part is installed on the seatback and positioned to be spaced apart from the aperture of the airbag cushion to the occupant side.

10. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the guide part is secured to the seatback and includes a guide aperture formed therein to allow the operation tether to pass therethrough.

11. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
the upper chamber is configured to be divided into a plurality of upper chambers to wrap around the occupant's head at a lateral side or in front of the occupant during deployment, and
the operation tether is formed the first end portion divided into a plurality of segments to be connected to the plurality of upper chambers, respectively, and the second end portion connected to the central chamber.

12. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein:
the upper chamber includes a first upper chamber formed to support the occupant's shoulder during deployment and a second upper chamber extending upward from the first upper chamber and formed to wrap around a lateral side and the front of the occupant's head, and
when the operation tether passes through the aperture, the first end portion of the operation tether is divided into the segments to be connected to the first upper chamber and the second upper chamber, respectively and the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to the central chamber.

13. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein:
the airbag cushion includes a pair of airbag cushions that are configured to be deployed at both sides of the seatback, respectively, and
the second upper chambers of the both airbag cushions are formed in a hook shape to be engaged with each other, and both second upper chambers are engaged with each other when the airbag cushions are deployed.

14. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein:
the upper chamber includes a first upper chamber formed to support the occupant's shoulder during deployment and a second upper chamber formed to be bent at and extend from the third upper chamber towards the occupant side to be disposed in front of the occupant's body, and
when the operation tether passes through the aperture, the first end portion of the operation tether is connected to a front portion of the first upper chamber and a front portion of the second upper chamber, and the second end portion of the operation tether is connected to the central chamber.

15. The airbag for a vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein:
the airbag cushion includes a pair of airbag cushions that are configured to be deployed at both sides of the seatback, respectively, and
the second upper chambers of the both airbag cushions are formed in a hook shape to be engaged with each other, and both second upper chambers are engaged with each other when the airbag cushions are deployed.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Hyock In

Classifications

• B60R2021/0006

  Lateral collision · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R21/23138

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

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R21/233 Primary

  comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other (B60R21/232 takes precedence) · CPC title