Airbag device and passenger protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269408-B2
Application number	US-202318367646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Oct 14, 2022
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

An airbag device includes an airbag that is supplied with gas generated by an inflator during a vehicle collision and that inflates and deploys from a rear side of a vehicle seat toward a front side via an upper side. In an inflated and deployed state, the airbag includes a pair of front-rear chambers extending in a seat front-rear direction via left and right sides of a head of a passenger, an airbag body that is in communication with the pair of front-rear chambers and that is disposed at a front side of the passenger between the pair of front-rear chambers, and a pair of rear tethers including one-end portions attached to the airbag body and other-end portions attached to a seatback of the vehicle seat. At least a rear tether on a side door side is configured so as to be releasable after a collision of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airbag device comprising:
an inflator that generates gas during a vehicle collision; and
an airbag that is supplied with the gas generated by the inflator, and that inflates and deploys from a seat rear side of a vehicle seat toward a seat front side via a seat upper side,
wherein, in an inflated and deployed state, the airbag includes:
a front-rear chamber that includes a pair of front-rear chambers extending in a seat front-rear direction via left and right sides of a head of a passenger seated in the vehicle seat and a coupling portion that connects front end portions of the pair of front-rear chambers;
an airbag body that is in communication with the pair of front-rear chambers and the coupling portion, and that the airbag body is disposed at a seat front side of the passenger between the pair of front-rear chambers and at a rear side of the coupling portion; and
a pair of rear tethers including one-end portions attached to the airbag body or seat front side portions of the pair of front-rear chambers, and other-end portions attached to a seatback of the vehicle seat or a vehicle body, and

wherein at least a rear tether, of the pair of rear tethers, on a side door side is configured so as to be releasable after a collision of the vehicle.

2. The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein a tongue is provided at the other-end portion of the at least the rear tether on the side door side, with the tongue detachably attached to a buckle device attached to the seatback of the vehicle seat or the vehicle body.

3. The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein the at least the rear tether on the side door side is configured such that the other-end portion is removed from the seatback of the vehicle seat or the vehicle body by the other-end portion being pulled toward the seat front side after a tensional load toward the seat front side arising from restraint of the passenger has acted.

4. The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein the at least the rear tether on the side door side is configured such that the other-end portion is removable from the seatback of the vehicle seat or the vehicle body after a specific period of time has elapsed from a collision of the vehicle occurring.

5. The airbag device of claim 4 , wherein the other-end portion of the at least the rear tether on the side door side is configured so as to be released by actuation of a squib or a micro gas generator.

6. The airbag device of claim 4 , wherein after the specific period of time has elapsed is a time after a movement amount of the passenger toward the seat front side is a maximum movement amount of the passenger toward the seat front side.

7. A passenger protection device comprising:
a vehicle seat for a passenger to sit on; and
the airbag device of claim 1 installed to a location on the seat rear side of the vehicle seat.

8. The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein each of one-end portions of the pair of rear tethers is attached to respective wall faces on left and right sides at a front side of a lower portion of the airbag body inflated and deployed further downward than the front-rear chamber, and each of the other-end portions of the pair of rear tethers is attached to respective side portions of the seatback or a vehicle body.

9. The airbag device of claim 8 , wherein each of the other-end portions of the pair of rear tethers is attached to the respective side portions of the vehicle body, the vehicle body is at a rear side of the passenger.

10. The airbag device of claim 8 , wherein in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag, the pair of rear tethers extend obliquely rearward and downward at a lower side of the pair of front-rear chambers.

11. The airbag device of claim 8 , wherein a fabric forming the pair of rear tethers is less extensible than base cloths forming the front-rear chamber and a base cloth forming the airbag body.

12. A passenger protection device comprising:
an inflator that generates gas during a vehicle collision;
an airbag that is supplied with the gas generated by the inflator, and that inflates and deploys from a seat rear side of a vehicle seat toward a seat front side via a seat upper side; and
a three-point seatbelt device provided at the vehicle seat to restrain a passenger,
wherein, in an inflated and deployed state, the airbag includes:
a pair of front-rear chambers extending in a seat front-rear direction via left and right sides of a head of a passenger seated in the vehicle seat;
an airbag body that is in communication with the pair of front-rear chambers, and that the airbag body is disposed at a seat front side of the passenger between the pair of front-rear chambers; and
a rear tether including a one-end portion attached to the airbag body or a seat front side portion of one of the pair of front-rear chambers, and an other-end portion attached to a seatback of the vehicle seat or a vehicle body, and

wherein the rear tether is only provided on a non-shoulder belt side of the seatbelt device.

13. An airbag device comprising:
an inflator that generates gas during a vehicle collision; and
an airbag that is supplied with the gas generated by the inflator, and that inflates and deploys from a seat rear side of a vehicle seat toward a seat front side via a seat upper side,
wherein, in an inflated and deployed state, the airbag includes:
a pair of front-rear chambers extending in a seat front-rear direction via left and right sides of a head of a passenger seated in the vehicle seat;
an airbag body that is in communication with the pair of front-rear chambers, and that is disposed at a seat front side of the passenger between the pair of front-rear chambers; and
a pair of rear tethers including one-end portions attached to the airbag body or seat front side portions of the pair of front-rear chambers, and other-end portions attached to a seatback of the vehicle seat or a vehicle body, and

wherein at least a rear tether, of the pair of rear tethers, on a side door side is configured so as to be releasable after a collision of the vehicle,
wherein at least the rear tether on the side door side is configured such that the other-end portion is removable from the seatback of the vehicle seat or the vehicle body after a specific period of time has elapsed from a collision of the vehicle occurring, and
wherein the other-end portion of at least the rear tether on the side door side is configured so as to be released by actuation of a squib or a micro gas generator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Mitsuyoshi
• Yamamoto Takeshi
• Iwama Toshiki
• Kusuhara Yoshito
• Ishii Tsutomu

Classifications

• B60R2021/006

  Type of passenger · CPC title

• B60R2021/23308

  the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag · CPC title

• B60R2021/2076

  Removable covers with tear seams · CPC title

• B60R2021/2078

  in rear seats · CPC title

• B60R21/013

  including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over · CPC title