Plural Compartment Confinement (e.g., "bag Within A Bag") Patents (Class 280/729)
  • Publication number: 20140284905
    Abstract: When an inner bag is inflated inside an outer bag, impact on an occupant received by an airbag is reduced. An inner bag (30) is inflated with gas supplied from an inflator (3). A gas exhaust port (31) is formed on the inner bag (30) and allows the gas to flow from the inner bag (30) in an occupant direction (E). An outer bag (20) accommodates the inner bag (30) and is inflated with the gas supplied from the gas exhaust port (31). A restriction member restricts the inflation of a portion of the inner bag (30) to change a direction of which the gas flows out from the gas exhaust port (31) to avoid the occupant direction. The restriction member breaks during the inflation of the outer bag (20) to release the restriction of the inflation of the inner bag (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: ASHIMORI INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Yamaji, Kazuto Tokura
  • Publication number: 20140265268
    Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. The airbag assembly may have a restraint member in the form of a forward tether or a first tether secured to the forward tether such that the restraint member exerts outboard force on the second protection zone during deployment to help control deployment of the second protection zone. Portions of the first and second protection zones may be fold-over sewn together to control the angle at which the second protection zone unfolds relative to the first protection zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka
  • Patent number: 8833852
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly having a seat pad, a trim cover, an air bag module, and a pad shield. The air bag module has an air bag, an inflator, and a housing that receives the air bag when the air bag is in a stored condition. The pad shield extends at least partially around the housing. Inflation of the air bag forces the pad shield against the seat pad to inhibit the air bag from contacting at least a portion of the seat pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Festag
  • Patent number: 8820786
    Abstract: It is provided a side airbag in which a bag thickness can be made thicker, without an undue increase in size. In a side airbag, a side panel formed in a belt shape is sewn to peripheral edge portions of a pair of main panels placed facing each other, whereby an airbag body is formed. A tether disposed inside this airbag body is folded in such a way that both lengthwise direction sides of the tether are aligned in a direction in which the pair of main panels face each other. One long-side edge portion of the tether is sewn to the pair of main panels and to a front portion of the side panel, and both lengthwise direction sides of another long-side edge portion of the tether are superimposed on top of each other and sewn together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8820785
    Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shibayama, Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Michiyasu Ito, Masashi Hotta, Masashi Aoki, Daisuke Yamamura
  • Publication number: 20140239617
    Abstract: An airbag includes a rear panel, a front panel, and an extension panel. The rear panel has an inflation aperture for receiving an inflation gas. The front panel has at least one communication aperture, and the front panel is connected to the rear panel at a peripheral seam to define a primary inflatable portion having a central axis. The extension panel has an inner edge that is connected to the front panel at a location that is offset from the central axis of the primary inflatable portion and an outer edge that is connected to at least one of the front panel or the rear panel to define a secondary inflatable portion that is in communication with the primary inflatable portion through the at least one communication aperture. When inflated by the inflation gas, the secondary inflatable portion extends outward with respect to the front panel toward a vehicle occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffery Dix
  • Patent number: 8801029
    Abstract: An airbag includes a high pressure expansion chamber, a low pressure expansion chamber, and a communication passage, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber to each other. A gas supply port, which supplies inflation gas into the airbag, is located inside the low pressure expansion chamber to discharge the inflation gas toward the inside of the communication passage. The communication passage extends from the edge of a communication port, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber, toward the inside of the high pressure expansion chamber. At deployment and inflation of the airbag, the communication passage is located between a seam formed at the outer periphery of the base fabric sheet of the airbag and the gas supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Hotta, Yuji Sato, Kensaku Honda, Yoshiaki Goto, Takashi Iida, Akira Yamashita, Masaaki Okuhara
  • Patent number: 8789849
    Abstract: An airbag module for a vehicle including an inflatable airbag cushion, an inflator configured to inflate the airbag cushion, an inflatable tube having a fixed first end and a second end, and a second inflator configured to inflate the tube. The second end of the tube is configured to be coupled to a portion of the airbag cushion. The tube has a first length when not inflated and a second length when inflated. When in a first mode of operation, the airbag cushion is configured to deploy to a first depth that is restrained by the first length of the tube. When in a second mode of operation, the airbag cushion is configured to deploy to a second depth that is restrained by the second length of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: John Pasquale Puzzonia
  • Patent number: 8789845
    Abstract: A vehicle air bag system includes a side air bag that is housed folded up in a vehicle seat and that deploys between an occupant seated in the vehicle seat and a front side door by receiving a supply of gas when a side collision occurs, and a curtain air bag that is housed folded up in an upper edge portion of a door opening and that deploys in a curtain shape downward by receiving a supply of gas when a side collision and a rollover occur. The curtain air bag has a delay chamber that deploys later than a main chamber by receiving a supply of gas from the main chamber via a narrowed passage. The delay chamber deploys with a lower end side below a beltline and in an area that overlaps with a deployment area of a side air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kato, Yosuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140197620
    Abstract: A driver airbag can be deployed from a steering wheel of a vehicle. The airbag can include a first inflatable chamber and a second inflatable chamber that can be deployed adjacent to the first inflatable chamber. The airbag can further include a one-way valve that controls inflation gas movement relative to at least the first inflatable chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick Dee Jamison, Christina Morris
  • Patent number: 8770618
    Abstract: A curtain airbag device that is housed at a top edge portion of a side window glass placement location of a vehicle body, and the curtain airbag device comprising a gas supply passage that receives supplied gas and is deployed along a top portion of the side window glass placement location and towards a vehicle bottom direction; an occupant protection portion that is deployed to a lower side of the gas supply passage by receiving supplied gas through the gas supply passage; a gas release section that releases gas from inside the gas supply passage when an internal pressure of the gas supply passage reaches a specific pressure or higher, the specific pressure being higher than a design deployment pressure; and an internal pressure regulation chamber that accepts gas released by the gas release section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20140183846
    Abstract: A seat back board made from resin is fitted to side frames of a seatback frame from a seat rear side. A seat width direction outer side portion of the seat back board is integrally formed with a case portion that houses a side airbag device that is fixed to an outside face of the side frame. The presence of a side wall portion of the case portion suppresses a side airbag from expanding towards the seatback outside in a ball shape during initial inflation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Fujiwara, Osamu Fukawatase
  • Patent number: 8764056
    Abstract: An airbag module for a motor vehicle includes an inflatable airbag cushion, an inflator, and a flow director. The inflatable airbag cushion includes one or more panels that form an inflatable portion. The inflator is configured to provide inflation gas for inflating the airbag cushion upon deployment. The flow director is configured to direct inflation gas into the inflatable portion. The inflatable portion includes a first inflatable region and a second inflatable region. The flow director is configured to direct the inflation gas directly into the first inflatable region. The first inflatable region and the second inflatable region are in fluidic communication, and a check valve permits the inflation gas to flow from the first inflatable region to the second inflatable region and prevents the inflation gas from flowing from the second inflatable region to the first inflatable region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Pongdet Paul Wipasuramonton, Jonathan Lee Clarke, Jonathan Richard Kibat, Sara Amber Colburn
  • Patent number: 8764053
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a driver airbag and a curtain airbag. The driver airbag has a primary driver airbag portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary driver airbag portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary driver airbag portion. The curtain airbag has a primary curtain portion that defines an occupant-facing surface and a secondary curtain portion that, when inflated, extends outward from the occupant-facing surface of the primary curtain portion, wherein the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are positioned with respect to one another such that, when inflated, the secondary driver airbag portion and the secondary curtain portion are engageable with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffery Dix
  • Patent number: 8764057
    Abstract: A driver airbag can be deployed from a steering wheel of a vehicle. The airbag can include a first inflatable chamber and a second inflatable chamber that can be deployed adjacent to the first inflatable chamber. The airbag can further include a one-way valve that controls inflation gas movement relative to at least the first inflatable chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Dee Jamison, Christina Morris
  • Patent number: 8757656
    Abstract: An airbag includes: a base chamber; a left-half airbag inflated on a front-left side of the passenger, wherein a first opening is formed through the left-half airbag at an upper portion thereof; and a right-half airbag inflated on a front-right side of the passenger, wherein a first opening is formed through the right-half airbag at an upper portion thereof. A recess is formed between the left-half airbag and the right-half airbag so as to face the passenger, when the airbag is inflated in front of the passenger. The first openings are communicated with each other. A first seam joining the left-half airbag and the right-half airbag is formed to surround the first openings. The first openings communicated with each other are formed to extend in a vehicle front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Miyata
  • Patent number: 8746734
    Abstract: An inflatable curtain airbag, or airbag assembly, can include a plurality of inflatable cushion segments that are able to selectively fluidly communicate with an inflation gas delivery channel. The inflatable curtain airbag, or airbag assembly, can further include a valving panel that has a separate valving portion associated with each inflatable cushion segment. Each valving portion can allow fluid communication between the inflatable cushion segment and the inflation gas delivery channel when in an open configuration and can prevent fluid communication between the inflatable cushion segment and the inflation gas delivery channel when in a closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley W. Smith, Francois Peremarty
  • Patent number: 8720940
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes an inflator, which generates inflation gas in response to an impact applied from a side of a seat of a vehicle, an airbag, which is deployed and inflated forward with inflation gas on a side of an occupant seated in the seat, and an accommodating portion, which accommodates the airbag folded into an accommodation state. The airbag in the accommodation state is formed through first and second folding operations in a state where the airbag is deployed but not inflated. In the first folding operation, an upper portion of the airbag is folded downward. In the second folding operation, which is after the first folding operation, the airbag is folded rearward from front.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Masahi Hotta
  • Patent number: 8714588
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus has an inflatable portion, which is deployed and inflated on a side of a seat of a vehicle by inflation gas. The inflatable portion is divided into upstream and downstream sections by a partitioning member including a valve having an opening and a pair of valve body elements. Immediately after the beginning of the supplying of the gas, the valve body elements remain in contact with each other to close the valve. When the upstream section restrains an occupant, a force is exerted to the partitioning member by the occupant, which causes the partitioning member to warp and the valve body elements to be separated from each other to open the valve. The upstream section has a shoulder-protecting portion, which is deployed and inflated on a side of a region of the occupant including a rear end part and a middle part of a shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Masashi Hotta
  • Patent number: 8714584
    Abstract: An airbag includes a check valve in a communication passage connecting a lumbar-region-protecting inflatable portion and a shoulder-protecting inflatable portion. The check valve restricts outflow of inflation gas from the lumbar-region-protecting inflatable portion to the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion. A pressure regulation valve, which has an internal opening and a pair of valve body elements, is provided in a partitioning member between the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion and a thorax-protecting inflatable portion. Before an occupant is restrained by the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion, the valve body elements are pressed and contact with each other by inflation gas in the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion, thereby restricting flow of inflation gas at the internal opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Masashi Hotta
  • Publication number: 20140117650
    Abstract: A gas bag for a vehicle occupant restraint system is provided. The gas bag comprises a first and a second gas bag layer which define an inflatable chamber of the gas bag. The first gas bag layer includes a first portion with an opening for at least partly introducing a gas generator and a second portion which is folded over towards the first portion and is connected with the first portion, so that the first and the second portion of the first gas bag layer form a receiving region for receiving a gas generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: TAKATA AG
    Inventors: Ralf Glaab, Daniel Büttner
  • Patent number: 8708365
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a side curtain airbag assembly for protecting an occupant of a vehicle is provided. The side curtain airbag assembly comprises an inflatable cushion configured to be installed between a roof rail and an upper vehicle trim of the vehicle. The inflatable cushion is deployable from an uninflated state to an inflated state by gas from a gas generator. The inflatable cushion includes a side protection panel having an upper perimeter portion and one or more sub chambers. The sub chambers inflate downward from the upper perimeter portion. An upward deploying chamber is in fluid communication with the side protection panel and inflates upward between the roof rail and the upper vehicle trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Fulmer, Alex S. Damman, Rebecca Ann DeAguiar
  • Patent number: 8702123
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat frame, a first air-bag unit and a second air-bag unit. The seat frame is at least partially covered by a padding material and substantially covered by a cover. The first air-bag unit includes a first air-bag mounted within an outboard side of the seat, and substantially covered by the cover. The second air-bag unit includes a second air-bag mounted within the outboard side of the seat and substantially covered by the cover. The first air-bag is configured to inflate and burst through the cover, when activated, and to bear against an occupant of the seat sitting in a normal position in the seat, thereby exerting a pushing force against the occupant in an inboard direction. The second air-bag is configured to inflate and burst through the cover when activated, and to occupy a position between an occupant of the seat and an exterior side wall of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Jan Mazanek, Par Sandinge, Fredrik Kjell, Palo Anders
  • Patent number: 8696020
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus mountable in front of a seat of a vehicle and including an airbag is disclosed. The airbag is deployable between a member of a vehicle body structure and knees of a vehicle occupant. The airbag includes a bag body formed by connecting peripheral edges of a vehicle body side wall and an occupant side wall, an outer connecting element that is located on an outer face of the vehicle body side wall and connected to the vehicle body side wall by two joints arranged away from each other in an up and down direction at deployment for reducing a length in an up and down direction of the vehicle body side wall, and a plurality of thin regions that are arranged between the two joints of the outer connecting element to the vehicle body side wall on the bag body. The thin regions are arranged generally along a left and right direction in a mutually separate fashion and help bend the airbag at deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8690185
    Abstract: An object is to prevent an airbag from bursting out toward an occupant and to inflate and deploy the airbag in a stable manner. An inner bag (30A) inflates with gas supplied from an inflator (3). An outer bag (20) inflates with the gas supplied through a flow port in the inner bag (30A). A restriction member (40A) restricts the movement of a front surface of the outer bag (20) in the occupant direction. An opening (41) in the restriction member (40A) is engaged with the outer circumference of the inflated inner bag (30A) and moves in the occupant direction along the outer circumference of the inner bag (30A) in accordance with the inflation of the outer bag (20). The restriction member (40A) moves the front surface of the outer bag (20) in accordance with the movement of the opening (41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ashimori Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8684400
    Abstract: A knee airbag (100) which is deployed between the vehicle occupants and a vehicle structure (2) and a gas generator (4) for filling the knee airbag (100) with inflating gas, wherein the knee airbag (100) has a base chamber (10) which is filled first with inflating gas, and at least one further upper chamber (20, 30) which receives the inflating gas conducted through the base chamber (10). A flow obstacle (12, 23) for the inflating gas is arranged between the base chamber (10) and the one or more upper chambers (20, 30). The one or more upper chambers (20, 30) is rolled up or collapsed and is secured in the rolled-up or collapsed state, the securing (21, 22) being designed in such a manner that it fails when a predetermined degree of filling of the base chamber (10) is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Gregor Picard, Thomas Reiter, Ingo Berger
  • Publication number: 20140084571
    Abstract: Inside of an airbag is partitioned by a partitioning member into an upstream inflation portion, which is inflated by a supply of gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is inflated by inflow of the gas from the upstream inflation portion. The partitioning member includes a wide portion where an external force to be applied accompanying an occupant restraint by the airbag becomes largest. In the partitioning member, slits are formed at portions other than the wide portion. The slits cause the gas to flow into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion upon the inflation of the airbag. The slits are opened by the force to increase the flow rate of the gas into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion during the occupant restraint by the airbag compared to the gas flow rate before the occupant restraint by the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Masashi HOTTA, Yuji SATO, Kensaku HONDA, Hitoshi KAWABE, Hiroshi KATO
  • Patent number: 8678429
    Abstract: There is provided an occupant protection device. An airbag device includes an airbag that is stored in a center pad of a steering wheel of a vehicle and is expandable toward an occupant side upon a collision of the vehicle. The center pad is disposed to have a non-rotating structure independent from the steering wheel. The airbag includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion which are disposed at opposing edges of the airbag in a width direction of the vehicle and are expandable to extend toward a rear side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Nagasawa, Noriyoshi Baba, Tetsuya Nakase
  • Patent number: 8672351
    Abstract: A side curtain airbag (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) for use with a linear gas generator or inflator. In one embodiment, the airbag (110, 210, 310, 410) includes a first longitudinal panel (113, 213, 313, 413), a second longitudinal panel (114, 214, 314, 414) adjacent the first panel, and a plurality of seams (116, 220, 320, 420) connecting the adjacent panels to define a plurality of inflation fluid flow passages (117, 217, 317, 417) between the scams. The seams extend along a substantial portion of a lateral extent of the airbag. The seams are also distributed along substantially an entire length of the airbag. In another embodiment, the airbag includes a first panel (513), a second panel (514) adjacent the first panel, and a plurality of substantially straight seams (520) connecting the adjacent panels to define a plurality of inflation fluid flow passages (517) between the seams (520).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce A. Stevens
  • Patent number: 8668224
    Abstract: Provided are a check valve for an airbag and an airbag device that can improve the reproducibility of the flow path blocking function while reducing the resistance upon inflation and deployment of the airbag and that can be applied to a place where a flow path is divided into a plurality of flow paths. A first embodiment of an airbag device according to the present invention has an airbag that is normally folded and that is inflated and deployed in an emergency, and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag. The airbag has a plurality of inflation chambers, a duct portion disposed so as to connect the plurality of inflation chambers, and a check valve for an airbag having a tubular portion sewn to the duct portion, and tongue-shaped portions formed at the tip of the tubular portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Taniguchi, Masahiro Hasebe, Hideaki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8662527
    Abstract: An airbag provided with a pocket. An airbag (21) comprises a main bag body (31), an opening (32) formed in the main bag body (31), a small bag body (33) extending from the opening (32) to the inside of the main bag body, and a joining section (34) at which a part of the small bag body is joined to the main bag body. The joining section (34) is provided in the area which, when the airbag is expanded, extends from both the side surfaces of the airbag or from the top surface (72) of the airbag to the rear surface (73) which comes in contact with and holds the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sato, Kanichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8651522
    Abstract: An airbag for a motor vehicle, comprises a support structure that can be displaced from a storage position to a restraint position, and a covering which surrounds a restraint volume of the airbag formed by the support structure in its restraint position. At least one connecting element, which extends inside the restraint volume, connects together the hollow bodies of the support structure and/or the surface areas of the covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Andreas Hirth, Lutz Quarg, Friedrich Reiter, Clark Ruedebusch
  • Patent number: 8651515
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes an airbag that can form a plurality of chambers with a single inflator and protects an occupant from an impact on a side door by deploying the airbag between the occupant and the side door. The chambers of the airbag includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber that can be deployed above and below a door arm rest in a vehicle vertical direction, and a chest chamber 12c that is disposed closer to the inner side of an occupant compartment in the vehicle width direction than the upper and lower chambers and can be deployed around a chest region of the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Baba, Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 8651523
    Abstract: An airbag includes: a base chamber; a left-half airbag inflated on a front-left side of the passenger, wherein a first opening is formed at an upper portion, and a second opening is formed at a lower portion; and a right-half airbag inflated on a front-right side of the passenger wherein a first opening is formed at an upper portion, and a second opening is formed at a lower portion. A first seam joining the left-half airbag and the right-half airbag is formed to surround the first openings, and a second seam joining the left-half airbag and the right-half airbag is formed to surround the second openings. The first seam is located above an entrance line along which a top of a head of a small passenger enters the airbag and is substantially parallel with the entrance line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Miyata
  • Patent number: 8651517
    Abstract: A side curtain air bag system deploys downward during a crash event into a protection zone overlapping an out-of-position head region. An inflator discharges an inflation gas upon the occurrence of the crash event. The system employs an inflatable bag including first, second, and third chambers. The second chamber has a respective deployed position coinciding with the out-of-position head region. The first chamber has a respective deployed position between the B-pillar and the deployed position of the second chamber. The third chamber has a respective deployed position along a lateral edge of the inflatable bag so that the second chamber is disposed between the first and third chambers. The chambers are configured so that the third chamber substantially fills prior to expansion of the second chamber, whereby the inflatable bag substantially completes its downward movement prior to full expansion of the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Krish E. Aekbote, Marwan A. Elbkaily, Mary A. Mason, Chunyu Wang
  • Publication number: 20140042732
    Abstract: A vehicle curtain airbag device is provided including: a curtain airbag including a main chamber that inflates and deploys to a vehicle width direction inside of a driving-seat-side side window due to being supplied with gas from an inflator installed to a vehicle, a delay chamber that is provided at a vehicle front-rear direction front side of the main chamber, and that completes inflation and deployment later than the main chamber upon receipt of the gas supply, and a sub chamber that is disposed on the vehicle width direction inside of the main chamber and that inflates and deploys so as to block off a gap formed between the main chamber and a driver's seat airbag that is inflated and deployed from a steering wheel; and a controller that inflates and deploys the driver's seat airbag and actuates the inflator in the event of a small overlap collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Osamu Fukawatase
  • Patent number: 8641090
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system comprising a seat belt webbing having a first end and a second end, the webbing configured to restrain the occupant; a member for anchoring the second end of the webbing; and an inflatable pretensioner having an inflator and an inflatable cushion that includes a first inflatable chamber and a second inflatable chamber, wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first and second chambers of the cushion; wherein the first inflatable chamber is configured to deploy upon inflation to provide pretensioning of the webbing to restrain the secured occupant; wherein the second inflatable chamber is configured to deploy upon inflation to restrain the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Pongdet P. Wipasuramonton, Jonathan R. Kibat
  • Patent number: 8641085
    Abstract: A motor vehicle passenger restraint airbag with a first side wall and a second side wall which encloses a gas-filled compartment and at least one catch strap which extends through the gas-filled compartment from the first side wall to the second side wall. In order to facilitate production, each side wall has at least two sections connected to each other, whereby each of the sections is part of a one-piece blank each of which has two sections of which a first section is a section of the first wall and a second section is a section of the second side wall. At least one of the blanks has a third section which connects the first and second section to each other and which forms the catch strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Lukasz Przybysz, Jacek Wozniczek, Dominika Babalska, Marzena Adamska
  • Patent number: 8628111
    Abstract: Provided is a side airbag device such that locally high stress is prevented from being generated at the sewn portion between panels by high temperature and pressure gas. An inner panel is folded in half, and the upper edges thereof are sewn together by a seam so as to form an inner bag. This inner bag is placed on an outer panel, the outer panel is folded in half, and the periphery thereof is sewn by a seam. An inflator equipped with a distributor is inserted into the inner bag through openings and, and a gas jetting portion is disposed in the immediate vicinity of a communication opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Sugimoto, Daisuke Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8622417
    Abstract: A frontal airbag has a first section, a second section, and a third section, the second section being in fluid communication with both the first and the third section. The first, second and third sections form a triangular structure upon inflation of the airbag. A gas generator is attached to the first section and in fluid communication with the first section. An end portion on the third section remote from the second sections attached to the first section in an area between the gas generator and the second section. Two side tethers attached to the first section and to one of the second and third sections or near transitional bend between the second and third section provide resistance against flattening of the airbag after inflation. The first section and the third section are directly attached to each other by a seam, by an adhesive, or by lamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, Chandler Macocha
  • Patent number: 8616579
    Abstract: A side airbag capable of fully absorbing impact directed to a chest region while keeping an arm from being pressed against the chest region due to inflation is provided. A side airbag 30, an arm facing section 38 which faces an arm H2 of the occupant H in an inflated state has a dented shape and serves to push up the arm H2 to a position where the arm H2 does not overlap a chest H3 region of the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jodosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Naoki Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8613466
    Abstract: A side curtain air bag module includes an inflatable cushion and an inflator. The inflatable cushion includes a first panel coupled to a second panel. The inflator is configured to inflate the inflatable cushion. The first panel and the second panel are joined generally continuously at a peripheral edge to form a first inflatable chamber. The first panel and the second panel are joined at a central location to form a second inflatable chamber that is in fluidic communication with the first inflatable chamber. In a stored configuration, the first inflatable chamber is rolled in an outboard direction, and the second inflatable chamber is rolled in an inboard direction generally around the first inflatable chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Andrew Wiik, Andrew Jack Pitonyak
  • Patent number: 8613465
    Abstract: A side airbag device for a side collision is provided in which a first bag half body (20) on an occupant side and a second bag half body (21) on a door side are formed by sandwiching a third base fabric (19) between a first base fabric (17) on the occupant side and a second base fabric (18) on the door side, and gas supplied from an inflator (22) to the second bag half body (21) is supplied to the first bag half body (20) via a through hole (19a) formed in an end part of the third base fabric (19) that is on the side distant from the inflator (22), and therefore, after the second bag half body (21) is firstly deployed to ensure that there is the minimum necessary occupant restraint performance, the first airbag half body (20) is deployed, thereby sufficiently enhancing occupant restraint performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nozaki, Makoto Nagai
  • Patent number: 8608198
    Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shibayama, Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Michiyasu Ito, Masashi Hotta, Masashi Aoki, Daisuke Yamamura
  • Publication number: 20130328293
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an air bag having a mechanical characteristic durable against the gas of high output and high temperature generated from an inflator which has been compacted in recent years while reducing amount of the gas leaked from sewn part of the air bag. The air bag according to the present invention is an air bag for vehicles comprising a main body part consisting of a base fabric and a sewn part being formed by sewing, with a sewing thread, the above main body part into a bag, characterized in that, the difference between the elongation of the sewing thread upon applying the tension of 31.3/a (N/thread) to the sewing thread and the elongation of the base fabric upon applying the tension of 62.5/a to the base fabric (N/stitch) [wherein “a” (stitch(es)/cm) is a sewing pitch in the sewn part] is within a range of 0 to 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOBO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 8596678
    Abstract: An inflatable side airbag has an inflatable duct for the delivery of inflation gas. The inflatable duct of the inflatable side airbag provides for rapid deployment of a multi-chamber air bag while controlling the rate of inflation and the relative pressure of the chambers. The inflatable duct allows a single inflator to inflate a high pressure pelvis chamber and a lower pressure thorax chamber while preventing fluid communication between the two chambers upon completion of inflation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike Ravenberg, Balaskandan Shankar, Patrick Jamison, Arthur Yakumo, Larry F. Lunt
  • Patent number: 8596675
    Abstract: A dual chamber side air bag apparatus may include an inflator mounted to a side of a seat back frame in an outdoor direction, an air bag cushion fluid-connected to the inflator and including a first chamber and a second chamber mounted at a side of the seat back frame in the outdoor direction and fluid-connected to the inflator and the first chamber to protrude and develop toward a front of the seat back frame when the inflator may be activated, for protecting side surface of the upper body of the passenger, and a tether having one end thereof fixed to the scat back frame, a raid portion thereof wrapping the first chamber, and the other end thereof sewing-coupled to the air bag cushion in a boundary of the first and second chambers to provide a directivity so that the first chamber develops toward the upper body of the passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hyock In Kwon, Hyeong Ho Choi, Dae Young Kwak, Tae Ik Gwon, Soon Bok Lee
  • Publication number: 20130313809
    Abstract: An object is to prevent an airbag from bursting out toward an occupant and to inflate and deploy the airbag in a stable manner. An inner bag (30A) inflates with gas supplied from an inflator (3). An outer bag (20) inflates with the gas supplied through a flow port (31) in the inner bag (30A). A connecting member (7) is disposed in the inner bag (30A) and connects an inner surface of the inner bag (30A) and a front surface of the outer bag (20). As the outer bag (20) inflates, the connecting member (7) is drawn out of the inflated inner bag (30A), moving the front surface of the outer bag (20) in the occupant direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: ASHIMORI INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Yamaji
  • Patent number: 8590924
    Abstract: An airbag system of a saddle-ride type vehicle can include an airbag which is configured to be inflated and deployed in front of a rider. The airbag includes a plurality of expansion chambers, with the expansion chambers configured to be different in internal pressure during inflation and deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuto Yamada, Satoshi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8590928
    Abstract: A knee airbag installed in a lower portion of an instrument panel has a deployed condition wherein it extends rearward and upward. The airbag has a left lobe, a right lobe, and a central portion between and joined to the left and right lobes. A vent is formed in the reaction surface of each of the lobes to allow inflation gasses to escape from the airbag when, during a crash event, an occupant force applied forwardly against the lobes is below a threshold level. When the occupant force reaches or exceeds the threshold level, the vents are urged against the instrument panel to substantially block the escape of inflation gasses. The threshold level is selected such that a child-sized occupant standing forward of a desired passenger seating position exerts less than the threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Robert Spahn, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Ian Brewster Hall