Far side airbag device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9598044-B2
Application number	US-201514925434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A far side airbag device includes: a side airbag that is configured to receive a gas supply and, while being supported at a seatback of a seat, expand and inflate at a vehicle width direction middle side relative to a range at least from the chest to the head of an occupant of the seat; and a limiting structure that limits a thickness in the vehicle width direction of the side airbag in an inflated and expanded state such that a region that inflates and expands at the vehicle width direction middle side relative to the head of a small occupant is thinner than a region that inflates and expands at the vehicle width direction middle side relative to the head of a large occupant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A far side airbag device comprising:
a side airbag that is configured to receive a gas supply and, while being supported at a seatback of a seat, expand and inflate at a vehicle width direction middle side relative to a range at least from a chest to a head of an occupant of the seat; and
a limiting structure that is configured to limit a thickness in the vehicle width direction of the side airbag in an inflated and expanded state such that a region that inflates and expands at the vehicle width direction middle side relative to a head of a small occupant is thinner than a region that inflates and expands at the vehicle width direction middle side relative to a head of a large occupant, wherein the limiting structure comprises
a first side wall joining portion that extends in a vehicle up-down direction in the inflated and expanded state of the side airbag and joins vehicle width direction side walls of the side airbag to one another;
a second side wall joining portion that connects with a lower end of the first side wall joining portion and joins the side walls to one another over a larger range in a vehicle front-rear direction than the first side wall joining portion; and
a third side wall joining portion that joins the side walls to one another at a location that is distant from the first side wall joining portion and the second side wall joining portion, the third side wall joining portion arranged to divide a rear volume from a front volume, the rear volume receiving the gas supply so as to expand and inflate at a higher pressure than the front volume, the first and second side wall joining portions arranged in the front volume.

2. The far side airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the limiting structure comprises a tether that extends in a vehicle front-rear direction and joins vehicle width direction side walls of the side airbag to one another in a region that is configured to inflate and expands at the vehicle width direction middle side relative to the head of a small occupant.

3. The far side airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein a central position of the second side wall joining portion in a side view is configured to be disposed at a position in an up-down direction that corresponds with a center of gravity of the head of a small occupant.

4. The far side airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the third side wall joining portion is formed by a seam between the side walls.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujiwara Yusuke

Classifications

• B60R2021/23161

  specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other · CPC title

• B60R2021/23316

  Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means · CPC title

• B60R2021/23146

  seat mounted · CPC title

• B60R2021/23308

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

• B60R21/207

  in vehicle seats · CPC title