Side airbag for installation into a motor vehicle, vehicle seat with such a side airbag and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358943-B2
Application number	US-201113810250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2011
Priority date	Jul 15, 2010
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A side airbag for installation into a motor vehicle, a vehicle seat with such a side airbag and a motor vehicle with such a vehicle seat are described. The side airbag comprises at least one mounting device for mounting the side airbag on the backrest of the vehicle seat, an outer skin with a first side wall extending forwards, when viewed in the vehicle direction, and a second side wall connected to the first side wall. In order to be able, at as low a cost as possible, to protect the passengers to be protected better against a movement towards the middle of the vehicle, the second side wall extends essentially cross-ways to the vehicle direction when the outer skin is fully deployed and free from external forces, so that at least a third side wall connecting the first two side walls is present.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A side airbag for a seat of a motor vehicle, the side airbag comprising:
at least one mounting member for mounting of the side airbag to a lateral side of a backrest of the seat;
an outer skin having a first side wall extending forward in relation of a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle; and
a second side wall connected to the first side wall, the second side wall extending basically perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outer forces, such that at least a third side wall connects the first and the second side walls;
wherein the first and second side walls both have surface normals in a horizontal plane, the first side wall extends essentially forwardly from the at least one mounting member in the longitudinal direction and the second side wall extends essentially in a vehicle transverse direction, and further wherein the first side wall inflates along a lateral side of the seat:
wherein the first side wall directly extends from the second side wall and the second side wall extends from proximate the at least one mounting member, and
wherein the second side wall is greater in length than the first side wall and the first and second side walls are generally planar when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outside forces.

2. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the side walls of the outer skin are part of a lateral surface and wherein at an upper end and at a lower end of this lateral surface a cap made from a separate cutting is provided such that the outer skin enclosing a gas compartment consists of at least three cuttings.

3. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one mounting member is located in a transitional area between the first and the second side walls.

4. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein an inner angle between the first and the second side walls is at least 90° when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outer forces.

5. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the first side wall extends forward in a slanting way such that it slants towards a passenger to be protected.

6. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the second side wall rearwardly extends in a slanted way.

7. The side airbag according to claim 1 in combination with the seat of the motor vehicle, the side airbag mounted to an inboard side of the seat.

8. The side airbag according to claim 1 , in combination with the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including two individual seats, wherein only one individual seat carries the side airbag, the side airbag located on a side of a backrest which is located on an inner side of the motor vehicle.

9. The combination according to claim 8 , wherein the individual seats are adjustable such that the second side wall comes into contact with the backrest of the other individual seat.

10. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one mounting member is located proximate an intersection of the first and second side walls.

11. The side airbag according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas generator disposed within the outer skin, the at least one mounting member extending from the gas generator through the outer skin.

12. The side airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the first side wall is the shortest of the first, second and third side walls.

13. The side airbag according to claim 12 , wherein the outer skin has a first dimension in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle and a second dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, the second dimension being greater than the first dimension.

14. A side airbag for a motor vehicle, the side airbag comprising:
at least one mounting member for mounting of the side airbag to an inboard lateral side of a backrest of a seat; and
an outer skin having first, second and third side walls, the outer skin further having an upper cap and a lower cap both oriented generally perpendicular to each of the first, second and third side walls;
wherein the first and second side walls both have surface normals in a horizontal plane, the first side wall extends essentially forwardly from the at least one mounting member in a longitudinal direction and the second side wall extends essentially in a vehicle transverse direction and further wherein the first side wall inflates along a lateral side of the seat;
wherein the first and second side walls are generally planar and oriented generally vertically
wherein the first side wall directly extends from the second side wall and the second side wall extends from proximate the at least one mounting member, and
wherein the second side wall is greater in length than the first side wall and the first and second side walls are generally planar and generally perpendicular to one another when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outside forces.

15. The side airbag according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one mounting member is located proximate an intersection of the first and second side walls.

16. The side airbag according to claim 15 , wherein the second side wall extends generally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

17. The side airbag according to claim 14 , further comprising a gas generator disposed within the outer skin, the at least one mounting member extending from the gas generator through the outer skin.

18. The side airbag according to claim 14 , wherein the first side wall is the shortest of the first, second and third side walls.

19. The side airbag according to claim 18 , wherein the outer skin has a first dimension in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle and a second dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, the second dimension being greater than the first dimension.

20. A seating arrangement for a motor vehicle, the seating arrangement comprising:
a first vehicle seat;
a side airbag mounted to an inboard lateral side of a backrest of the first vehicle seat, the side airbag including:
at least one mounting member mounting the side airbag to a lateral side of the backrest of the seat; and
an outer skin having first, second and third vertically oriented side walls, the first side wall extending forward from the second side wall in relation to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the second side wall extending directly from the first side wall in a direction basically crossways to the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle,

wherein the second side wall is greater in length than the first side wall and the first and second side walls are generally planar when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outside forces.

21. The seating arrangement according to claim 20 , wherein an inner angle between the first and the second side walls is at least 90° when the outer skin is fully deployed and free of outer forces.

22. The seating arrangement of claim 20 , further comprising a second vehicle seat laterally spaced relative to the first vehicle seat,
wherein when the second seat only is occupied, upon inflation of the outer skin, the first side wall extends to a first backrest of the first vehicle seat and is supported on the first backrest, the second sidewall defining an impact surface for the occupant; and
wherein when the first seat only is occupied, upon inflation of the outer skin, the second side wall extends to a second backrest of the second vehicl

Assignees

• Börjeson Gustav
• Henricsson Peter
• Sandwall Erik
• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Börjeson Gustav
• Henricsson Peter
• Sandwall Erik

Classifications

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60R21/231

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

• B60R21/23 Primary

  Inflatable members (B60R21/18 takes precedence; connection to inflation fluid source retainers B60R21/217) · CPC title

• B60R21/23138 Primary

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

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title