A restraint system (10) for helping to protect an occupant (60) of a vehicle (20) having a roof (32) and a cabin (40) with a seat (50) for the occupant (60) includes an airbag (120) having a stored condition within the roof (32) and being inflatable to a deployed condition extending into the cabin (40) aligned with the seat (50). A tether (140) includes a first end (142) connected to the airbag (120) and a second end (144) connected to the vehicle (20). Tear stitching (170) interconnects overlying portions (152, 154) of the tether (140). The tear stitching (170) is rupturable in response to occupant (60) penetration into the deployed airbag (120) to permit the interconnected overlying portions (151, 154) to move relative to one another such that the tether (140) lengthens.

An apparatus for resisting entry of objects through a panel. The apparatus includes a weakened portion that extends laterally across a width dimension of the panel. The apparatus includes a stop structure spaced from the weakened portion that extends laterally across the width dimension of the panel to limit deformation. A bottom edge of the panel is configured to rotate about an axis extending along the weakened portion to abut the stop structure.

An occupant protection apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes a contact detector, a control processor, and a lifting mechanism. The contact detector detects frontal contact of the vehicle. The control processor includes a contact determination unit determining whether the frontal contact of the vehicle is underride contact based on a result of detecting by the contact detector. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting member and a lifting driver. The lifting member is disposed below a rear end part of a hood in a downward direction of the vehicle. The hood is disposed on a frontal part of the vehicle. The lifting driver transmits a driving force to the lifting member. When the contact determination unit determines that the frontal contact is the underride contact, the rear end part of the hood is lifted by the lifting mechanism.

A front head/torso airbag (10) of a vehicle occupant restraint system includes a cover surface (12) and a baffle surface (14) forming a contact face for the vehicle occupant (22) which merges Into the cover surface (12). In the inflated state of the airbag (10) being in the mounted position, the baffle surface (14) includes a central surface portion and laterally adjacent thereto at feast one bulge (20) projecting from the central surface portion for laterally protecting the head (24).

Provided is a vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a submarine bar, an airbag main body, a bag retainer, and a transmission member. The seat cushion is shifted by a tilting mechanism or a lifting mechanism. The submarine bar is suspended across side frames. The airbag main body inflates and deploys inside the seat cushion. The bag retainer is at least partially disposed inside the airbag main body and retains an inflator. The transmission member transmits, to the submarine bar, a load that acts on the bag retainer when the airbag main body inflates and deploys in a state where the seat cushion has been shifted upward.

An occupant protection system has a component in question reduced in size and cost. The occupant protection system includes: a rollover airbag device provided in a vehicle interior; a battery configured to supply power to the rollover airbag device; a controller configured to determine a rollover of a vehicle and, if a rollover of the vehicle is determined, activate the rollover airbag device using power supplied from the battery; and a backup power source configured to charge power to be used if the battery fails. The controller determines a collision of the vehicle and examines the battery for any failure and, if a collision of the vehicle is determined and the battery is examined to have a failure, activates the rollover airbag device using the power charged in the backup power source.

An injury preventing structure located in a vehicle is provided and comprises a lower member and an upper member which distribute impact of a vehicle, and a panel which forms a bottom surface of the vehicle, in which the upper member and the lower member are in contact with the panel to form a dosed cross-section between each member and the panel, and a position at which the panel is in contact with a rear end of the upper member and a position at which the panel is in contact with a front end of the lower member at least partially overlap each other to form a collision transformation support shaft. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent injury of the legs of a first or frontrow occupant even with a reduced cross-section of the upper member. It is additionally possible to further reduce the first row space of the vehicle, thereby also securing the rear seat and cargo loading space.

An apparatus, method, computer program product, and/or system are described that determine an event, actuate a cushioning element in response to the determining the event, the cushioning element including one or more tension-bearing members, and dissipate at least some of an energy associated with a collision based on deforming at least one of the tension-bearing members during the collision, the deforming including substantially inelastically stretching the at least one of the tension-bearing members. Other example embodiments are also provided relating to actuatable cushioning elements.

A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant (60) of a vehicle (20) includes a first inflator (74) for providing inflation fluid at a first fluid pressure and a second inflator (76) for providing inflation fluid at a second fluid pressure greater than the first fluid pressure. An airbag (70) includes a stored condition within a roof (32) and is inflatable to a deployed condition extending into a cabin (40) and aligned with a seat (50) for the occupant (60). The airbag (70) includes a first portion (98) defining a first chamber (100) fluidly connected to the first inflator (74) and a second portion (102) defining a second chamber (104) fluidly connected to the second inflator (76) and fluidly isolated from the first chamber (100). The first portion (98) moves relative to the second portion (102) in response to occupant (60) penetration into the airbag (70).

A vehicle includes a surrounding information detector detecting at least one of a position and a speed of an object around the vehicle including a vehicle ahead and a vehicle behind, a vehicle information sensor detecting at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle, a brake module generating a braking force to decelerate the vehicle, and a controller configured to determine probabilities of a forward collision and a rear-end collision based on output of the surrounding information detector and the vehicle information sensor, determine target forward and rear collision speeds to minimize a sum of injuries to an occupant by the forward collision and injuries to the occupant by the rear-end collision upon determination that there is the probabilities of the forward collision and the rear-end collision, and control the brake module based on the target forward collision speed and the target rear-end collision speed.