Airbag device and vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337784-B2
Application number	US-202017753932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2020
Priority date	Sep 23, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

The present invention is an airbag device installed in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming the seat surface and a seatback forming the backrest, a pair of inflators stowed in the left and right side portions of said seatback and generating expansion gas, and an airbag stowed in said seatback in a rolled or folded state and deployed by the expansion gas released from said inflators. The airbag is configured to include a pair of left and right side chambers that deploy from the side of the seatback toward the front and restrain movement of at least the waist to the shoulders of an occupant, and a connection part that connects the pair of side chambers and is positioned above the head of the occupant when the airbag is deployed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airbag device in combination with a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming a seat surface and a seatback forming a backrest, the airbag device comprising:
first and second inflators stowed in left and right sides of the seatback, respectively, for generating expansion gas; and
an airbag for stowage in the seatback in a rolled or folded state and deployable by the expansion gas generated by the first and second inflators, the airbag including:
left and right side chambers for deployment from the left and right sides of the seatback, respectively, in a forward direction; and
a connection part connecting the left and right side chambers, the connection part configured for positioning above a head of an occupant when the airbag is inflated and deployed;
wherein the airbag device further includes a plurality of seatback connecting members connecting the airbag to the seatback of the vehicle seat and a plurality of seat cushion connecting members connecting the airbag to the seat cushion during stowage of the airbag and through inflation and deployment of the airbag, the plurality of seatback connecting members including at least a first and second seatback connecting members connecting the left and right side chambers of the airbag, respectively, to the seatback and the plurality of seat cushion connecting members including first and second seat cushion connecting members connecting the airbag to first and second laterally opposite sides of the seat cushion, respectively;
wherein the first and second seat cushion connecting members are both in a shape of an elongated strip with a first proximal end portion directly connected to a lower end area of the left and right side chambers of the airbag in a stowed state and a second distal end portion provided on both left and right sides of the seat cushion;
a rigid plate extending along a vehicle width direction inside or at a bottom of the seat cushion and having opposite ends connected directly to the second distal end portions of a respective one of the first and second seat cushion connecting members, wherein the rigid plate is forward of a center of the seat cushion in a front-back direction, wherein the rigid plate is configured to push the seat cushion upward due to a tension created in the seat cushion connecting members when the airbag is deployed.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein
the connection part of the airbag includes an expandable upper chamber connected to the left and right side chambers, and
the upper chamber is configured for deployment from near an upper edge of the seatback.

3. The airbag device according to claim 2 , wherein the upper chamber is configured for deployment from near a rear edge of an upper end of the seatback.

4. The airbag device according to claim 2 , wherein the airbag is configured such that expansion gas released from the first and second inflators flows from the left and right side chambers to the upper chamber.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second seatback connecting members are provided above the first and second inflators, respectively, and the plurality of seatback connecting members further includes third and fourth seatback connecting members connecting the left and right side chambers of the airbag, respectively, to the seatback below the first and second inflators, respectively.

6. The airbag device according to claim 5 , wherein the left side chamber of the airbag includes a first inlet for the first inflator between the first and third seatback connecting members and the right side chamber of the airbag includes a second inlet for the second inflator between the second and fourth seatback connecting members.

7. The airbag device according to claim 6 , wherein the airbag in an unfolded state prior to attachment to the vehicle seat is elongated in a first direction and both of the first and second seat cushion connecting members extend from the airbag in the first direction, and further wherein the first and second inlets for the first and second inflators, respectively, are askew to the first direction.

8. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the first proximal end portions of the first and second seat cushion connecting members are connected near a front end portion of the left and right side chambers in a deployed state.

9. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag includes a length and a width such that when the airbag is stowed, the length extends from a lower portion of the right side of the seatback, upwardly around an outer perimeter of the backrest, and downwardly to a lower portion of the left side of the seatback, the width extending in a front to rear direction upon deployment of the airbag.

10. The airbag device according to claim 9 , wherein the seat cushion connecting members are attached to the airbag and extend from the airbag in a direction of the length of the airbag.

11. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag in an unfolded state prior to attachment to the vehicle seat is elongated in a first direction and both of the first and second seat cushion connecting members extend from the airbag in the first direction.

12. The airbag device according to claim 11 , wherein first and second seatback connecting members extend in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Shimizu Takayuki
• Nakashima Atsushi

Classifications

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60N2/42718

  with anti-submarining systems · CPC title

• B60N2/42763

  with anti-submarining systems · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title