Passenger protection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906500-B2
Application number	US-201816202774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A passenger protection apparatus includes an inflator and an airbag. The inflator configured to supply gas and the airbag is configured to deploy to surround a sitting position, of a passenger by the gas supplied from the inflator. One end of the airbag is supported on an upper portion of a vehicle. The airbag includes a main airbag configured to deploy around the sitting position of the passenger, and a sub-airbag configured to deploy on an inner wall surface of the main airbag.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A passenger protection apparatus comprising:
an inflator configured to supply gas; and
an airbag configured to deploy to surround a sitting position of a passenger by the gas supplied from the inflator, one end of the airbag being supported on an upper portion of a vehicle,
the airbag comprising:
a main airbag configured to deploy around the sitting position of the passenger and down to below a seat level of the sitting passenger; and
at least one sub-airbag configured to deploy on an inner wall surface of the main airbag.

2. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein there are a plurality of sub-airbags.

3. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a lock bag configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys.

4. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a lock bag configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys.

5. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first and a second lock bag, with the first lock bag being configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys and under a first side of a passenger seat and the second lock bag being configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys and under a second side of the passenger seat.

6. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the main airbag is configured as a conical pouch shaped body which diverges downward and outward from a tapered mounting location supported by the upper portion of the vehicle.

7. A passenger protection apparatus comprising:
an inflator configured to supply gas; and
an airbag configured to deploy to surround a sitting position of a passenger by the gas supplied from the inflator, one end of the airbag being supported on an upper portion of a vehicle,
the airbag comprising:
a main airbag configured to deploy around the sitting position of the passenger; and
a plurality of sub-airbags configured to deploy on an inner wall surface of the main airbag, and

the passenger protection apparatus further comprising:
a passenger detector configured to detect a position of the passenger; and

a gas supply selector configured to select at least one of the plurality of sub-airbags to be supplied with the gas from the inflator, on a basis of the detection by the passenger detector.

8. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a lock bag configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys.

9. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the main airbag is configured as a conical pouch shaped body which diverges downward and outward from a tapered mounting location supported by the upper portion of the vehicle.

10. A passenger protection apparatus comprising:
an inflator configured to supply gas; and
an airbag configured to deploy to surround a sitting position of a passenger by the gas supplied from the inflator, one end of the airbag being supported on an upper portion of a vehicle,
the airbag comprising:
a main airbag configured to have a front wall region positioned between the passenger and a front of the vehicle, a first side wall region configured to extend between a first side wall of the vehicle and a first side shoulder region of the passenger, and a second side wall region configured to extend between a second side wall of the vehicle and a second side shoulder region of the passenger; and
a plurality of sub-airbags configured for deployment on inner wall surfaces of the main airbag in each of the front wall region, first side wall region and second side wall region; and

the passenger protection apparatus further comprising:
a passenger detector configured to detect a position of the passenger; and
a gas supply selector configured to select any one or more of the plurality of sub-airbags to be supplied with the gas from the inflator, on a basis of the detection by the passenger detector.

11. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the main airbag is configured to deploy down to a level below the seat of the sitting passenger.

12. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a first and a second lock bag, with the first lock bag being configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys and under a first side of a passenger seat and the second lock bag being configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag after the main airbag deploys and under a second side the passenger seat.

13. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a lock bag configured to deploy inward from a lower portion of the main airbag and after the main airbag deploys down to a level below the seat of the sitting passenger.

14. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the inflator is further configured to include a main inflator and a sub-inflator with the main inflator feeding both the main bag and the lock bag, and the sub-inflator feeding the any one or more of the plurality of sub-airbags on the basis of the gas supply selector selection.

15. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 10 wherein there is a row of the sub-airbags made up of sub-air bags that are positioned on each of the front wall region, first side wall region and second side wall region, and the sub-air bags that are positioned on each of the first side wall region and the second side wall region are configured to each extend downwardly to a maximum lower level that is aligned with an anticipated side shoulder and arm region of the passenger.

16. The passenger protection apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the main airbag is configured as a conical pouch shaped body which diverges downward and outward from a tapered mounting location supported by the upper portion of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kanegae Shota
• Yamashita Toru

Classifications

• B60R21/239

  characterised by their venting means · CPC title

• B60R21/231

  characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration · CPC title

• B60R21/23138 Primary

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

• B60R2021/23308

  the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag · 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