Vehicle occupant restraint system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570232-B2
Application number	US-202218291969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2022
Priority date	Jul 26, 2021
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

The invention describes a vehicle occupant restraint system ( 10 ) comprising at least one vehicle seat ( 12 ) and at least one inflatable airbag ( 14 ) associated with the vehicle seat ( 12 ), wherein the airbag ( 14 ) is mounted above the associated vehicle seat ( 12 ), and wherein the airbag ( 14 ) when inflated has a base body ( 16 ) whose envelope is wedge-shaped in the vertical direction and which, when inflated, overlaps at least to a certain extent with the vehicle seat ( 12 ) in the vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising at least one vehicle seat and at least one inflatable airbag associated with the vehicle seat, wherein the airbag is mounted above the associated vehicle seat, and wherein the airbag when inflated has a base body whose envelope is wedge-shaped in the vertical direction and which, when inflated, overlaps at least to a certain extent with the vehicle seat in the vertical direction, and wherein the system further comprises a suspension configured to connect the base body to the vehicle roof and to allow the airbag to rotate relative to the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein the base body when inflated extends downwards from the roof.

3 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein the base body is formed by plural fabric tubes which, when the airbag is inflated, form the sides of the base body.

4 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein plural parallel channels are formed in the airbag on the side remote from the vehicle seat.

5 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein an extension chamber which is in fluid communication with the base body and which deploys at the head and/or torso height of a vehicle occupant toward the associated vehicle seat, when the airbag inflates, is arranged on the base body of the airbag.

6 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein an extension chamber which deploys at the head and/or torso height of a vehicle occupant toward the associated vehicle seat, when the airbag inflates, is arranged on the base body of the airbag, wherein the base body is connected to and fillable by a first inflator and the extension chamber is connected to and fillable by a second inflator via a filling channel.

7 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag in the non-inflated state has a rolled folding, the airbag being rolled in the direction away from the associated vehicle seat.

8 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein an extension chamber which is in fluid communication with the base body and which, when the airbag is inflated, forms a spacer from a vehicle structure or a further airbag, that is arranged on a side of the base body directed away from the vehicle seat.

9 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one restraining device which restricts movement of the airbag in the inflated state is fastened to the base body, in particular wherein the restraining device is fastened to a lower end of the base body.

10 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat and the associated airbag are mounted on a joint carrier.

11 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 10 , wherein the carrier is rotatably and/or movably mounted.

12 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 10 , wherein the carrier is rotatably and/or movably mounted on an upper side by the suspension and on a lower side.

13 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 10 , wherein the carrier is mounted on the lower side by a rotatably cylinder or a rotatable plate.

14 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 13 , wherein the carrier is mounted on a rotatably cylinder including a plate-shaped radial projection, a heel stop being formed integrally with the projection.

15 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 10 , wherein the airbag further comprises an extension chamber which is in fluid communication with the base body and which, when the airbag is inflated, forms a spacer that is arranged on a side of the base body directed away from the vehicle seat configured to stabilize the airbag.

16 . A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising at least one vehicle seat and at least one inflatable airbag associated with the vehicle seat, wherein the at least one inflatable airbag comprises:
an inflatable wedge-shaped base body is mounted above the associated vehicle seat, the base body being configured when inflated to overlap at least to a certain extent with the vehicle seat in the vertical direction; a first extension chamber connected to the base body on a side of the base body facing the associated vehicle seat, the first extension chamber being in fluid communication with the base body and being configured to deploy at the head and/or torso height of a vehicle occupant toward the associated vehicle seat; and a second extension chamber connected to the base body on a side of the base body facing away from the associated vehicle seat, the second extension chamber being configured to form a spacer from a vehicle structure or another airbag.

17 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 16 , wherein the base body comprises a tubular wedge-shaped frame comprising a plurality of interconnected tubular segments.

18 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 16 , further comprising a suspension configured to connect the base body to the vehicle roof and to allow the airbag to rotate relative to the vehicle.

19 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 16 , further comprising at least one restraining device fastened to the base body and configured to restrict movement of the airbag in the inflated state.

20 . The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 16 , wherein the vehicle seat and the associated airbag are mounted on a joint carrier that is rotatably and/or movably mounted to the vehicle.

Assignees

• Zf Automotive Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Maier Nico
• Elija Daniel

Classifications

• B60R2021/0048

  Head · CPC title

• B60R2021/0044

  Chest · CPC title

• B60R21/237

  characterised by the way they are folded · CPC title

• B60R21/207

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60R2021/23386

  External tether means · CPC title