Passenger restraining device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938887-B2
Application number	US-201816767316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

Problem:To more effectively restrict movement of the airbag in an expanded and deployed state in the event of a vehicle collision, and improve the performance of restraining a passenger using an airbag.Resolution Means:A passenger restraining device of the present invention is provided with an airbag and tensile cloth. The tensile cloth is deployed to the outside of a seat by expansion and deployment of the airbag, and pulled from an upper surface of a seat back portion to a seat cushion portion. When the airbag is viewed in plan view from above during the expansion and deployment, of four regions demarcated by a first imaginary line extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle through a center of a widest portion of the airbag on a straight line parallel to a left-right direction and a second imaginary line orthogonal to the first imaginary line and extending in the left-right direction through a center of the first imaginary line in a front-rear length of the airbag, the tension cloth passes through at least a region on an opposite side of the first imaginary line from the passenger and a vehicle front side of the second imaginary line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A passenger restraining device for restraining a passenger sitting on a seat of a vehicle, comprising:
an airbag at least partially stored in a seat back portion of the seat and expandable and deployable to a side of the passenger sitting on the seat; and
a plurality of tension cloths each extending from a seat back attachment point at a top of the seat back portion to a seat cushion attachment point; wherein:
the plurality of tension cloths is deployable to an outside of the seat by expanding and deploying the airbag and stretchable from an upper surface of the seat back portion to a seat cushion portion,
wherein the airbag when viewed in plan view from above during expansion and deployment, includes four regions demarcated by a first imaginary line extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle through a center of a widest portion of the airbag on a straight line perpendicular to a left-right direction of the airbag and a second imaginary line orthogonal to the first imaginary line and extending in the left-right direction through a center of the first imaginary line in the left-right direction of the airbag, the four regions including a first region on a rear side of the second imaginary line and on a first side of the first imaginary line, the first side of the first imaginary line configured to be closer to the passenger, a second region on a front side of the second imaginary line and on the first side of the first imaginary line, a third region on the front side of the second imaginary line and on a second side of the first imaginary line, the second side opposite to the first side, and a fourth region on the rear side of the second imaginary line and on the second side of the first imaginary line,
wherein the plurality of tension cloths diagonally extends over the airbag and passes through at least the first region to the third region upon deployment of the airbag,
wherein the plurality of tension cloths has a collective width that increases from the first region to the third region upon deployment of the airbag,
wherein the plurality of tension cloths extends over and contacts an upper surface of the airbag upon deployment of the airbag, and
wherein the collective width of the plurality of tension cloths, upon deployment, has a maximum width at an area contacting the airbag; and
wherein an attachment point width at both of a point of the seat back attachment point and the seat cushion attachment point is less than the maximum width.

2. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tension cloths eploys to the outside of the seat when a covering of the seat breaks open during expansion and deployment of the airbag.

3. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of tension cloths is stored in a case provided in a side of the seat, and is deployable from the case to the outside of the seat during expansion and deployment of the airbag.

4. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tension cloths as viewed in plan view from above the airbag during expansion and deployment intersects with a contour line of the airbag in a region on an opposite side of the first imaginary line from the passenger and the front side of the second imaginary line.

5. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag is provided on a first lateral side of the seat and a further airbag is provided on a second lateral side of the seat such that the airbag and the further airbag are configured to expand and deploy on a left side and a right side of the passenger sitting on the seat, respectively.

6. The passenger restraining device according to claim 5 , further comprising a biasing mechanism embedded in the seat back portion, which biases one of the airbag and the further airbag to a passenger side,
the biasing mechanism comprising:
a shaft configured to be disposed at a position corresponding to a shoulder portion of the passenger on a side of one of the airbag and the further airbag in the seat back portion and capable of sliding in the seat back portion in the left-right direction; and
a tether connected to the shaft and the other of the airbag and the further airbag.

7. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tension cloths are connected to the airbag at an intermediate portion of the plurality of tension cloths more forward than a center in a front-rear length when viewed in plan view from above the airbag during expansion and deployment.

8. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism embedded in the seat back portion, which biases the airbag to a passenger side,
the biasing mechanism, comprising a retractor that is connected to one end of the tension cloths of the plurality of tension cloths and winds the plurality of tension cloths,
wherein the plurality of tension cloths are wound by the retractor during expansion and deployment of the airbag, such that the airbag is biased to the passenger side.

9. The passenger restraining device according to claim 8 , the plurality of tension cloths includes: a first tension cloth; and a second tension cloth;
wherein:
the first tension cloth passes through at least a region on a side opposite of the first imaginary line from the passenger, and on a vehicle front side of the second imaginary line above the airbag from an upper portion of a seat back,
the second tension cloth passes above the airbag more rearward than the first tension cloth and is connected to a seat cushion, and
the biasing mechanism further comprises a direction changing part that changes a direction of pulling the first tension cloth and second tension cloth between the retractor and the airbag.

10. The passenger restraining device according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of tension cloths includes a first tension cloth and a second tension cloth which are provided so as to merge between the retractor and the airbag.

11. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism embedded inside the seat back portion, which biases the airbag to a passenger side,
the biasing mechanism comprising:
a direction changing part movable from one end portion of the seat back portion in the left-right direction to a center; and
a pretensioner mechanism that pulls the direction changing part toward the center in the left-right direction during expansion and deployment;
wherein:
the plurality of tension cloths reaches the airbag from the one end portion of the seat back portion in the left-right direction through the direction changing part, and
the pretensioner mechanism pulls the direction changing part during expansion and deployment of the airbag, such that the airbag is biased to the passenger side by the plurality of tension cloths.

12. The passenger restraining device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism embedded inside the seat back portion, which biases the airbag to a passenger side,
the biasing mechanism, comprising:
a first direction changing part movable from a vicinity of a center portion of the seat back portion to one end portion in the left-right direction;
a second direction changing part disposed more on a front side than the first direction changing part at the center portion of the seat back portion in the left-right direction; and
a pushing mechanism that pushes the first direction changing part toward the one end portion of the seat back portion on a left or a right during expansion and deployment of the a

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Saito Hiroyuki
• Matsushita Tetsuya

Classifications

• B60R21/2338 Primary

  Tethers · 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

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title