To provide a control apparatus of a protection apparatus, which, with a simple configuration and excluding side face collisions as well as head-on collisions, favorably detects an offset collision or diagonal collision, and then activates a suitable protection apparatus for protecting the side or head of a passenger at a timing in accordance with the degree of collision, in addition to providing a method for controlling a protection apparatus. The control apparatus (101) includes: an ECU (1); satellite sensors (2, 3) for detecting a first acceleration in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle; and a main sensor (13) for detecting a second acceleration in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a third acceleration in the width direction thereof. The ECU (1) includes: a level calculation part for calculating a level of a front face collision based on the first acceleration and the second acceleration; a V.sub.offset calculation part for making an offset adjustment of V obtained by integrating the third acceleration so as to attenuate V of the third acceleration based on a head-on collision, in order to obtain V.sub.offset; and a determination part for determining an offset collision or diagonal collision based on the level of the front face collision and the V.sub.offset; and activates a side and head protection apparatus (6 or 7) if it is determined using the determination part that an offset collision or diagonal collision has occurred.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle comprises an airbag having a primary chamber and a secondary chamber. The primary chamber has a stored condition and is inflatable to a deployed condition to cover a portion of the vehicle. The secondary chamber has a stored condition and is inflatable to a deployed condition to cover portions of the vehicle left uncovered by the primary chamber. At least one passive vent provides fluid communication between the primary and secondary chambers. At least one active vent is actuatable to provide fluid communication between the primary and secondary chambers. An inflator is actuatable to provide inflation fluid to the primary chamber. The at least one passive vent directs inflation fluid from the primary chamber into the secondary chamber. The at least one active vent is actuatable to direct inflation fluid from the primary chamber to the secondary chamber.

A vehicle body structure deflector system for small overlap frontal impact includes a first shock tower and a second shock tower. A cross member is positioned between each of the first shock tower and the second shock tower. A first deflector is connected to the first shock tower and a second deflector is connected to the second shock tower. If one of the first deflector or the second deflector is contacted by a barrier during forward travel of the vehicle a portion of an energy of impact with the barrier is transferred through one of the first shock tower or the second shock tower, through the cross member and into the other shock tower. The portion of the energy of impact with the barrier generates a vehicle lateral displacement to dissipate the portion of the energy of impact.

A vehicle body structure deflector system for small overlap frontal impact includes a first shock tower and a second shock tower. A cross member is positioned between each of the first shock tower and the second shock tower. A first deflector is connected to the first shock tower and a second deflector is connected to the second shock tower. If one of the first deflector or the second deflector is contacted by a barrier during forward travel of the vehicle a portion of an energy of impact with the barrier is transferred through one of the first shock tower or the second shock tower, through the cross member and into the other shock tower. The portion of the energy of impact with the barrier generates a vehicle lateral displacement to dissipate the portion of the energy of impact.

A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.

A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.

An airbag includes a main inflatable section which includes a front-collision arresting face at the rear plane as deployed, a protruding inflatable section which includes an oblique-collision arresting face, and an arresting recess formed between the front-collision arresting face and oblique-collision arresting face. An outer tether is disposed on the outside of the airbag for preventing the protruding inflatable section from moving away from the main inflatable section at airbag deployment. The outer tether includes a side edge disposed towards the protruding inflatable section and a front edge disposed towards the main inflatable section. The side edge is jointed to an upper edge of the oblique-collision arresting face by a side joint which is formed over a generally entire area in a front and rear direction of the protruding inflatable section. The front edge is jointed to an upper edge of the front-collision arresting face by a front joint.

A vehicle includes a floor and a center console supported by the floor. The center console includes a bottom adjacent to the floor and openings. At least some of the openings have an enlarged portion spaced from the bottom and a slot portion extending from the enlarged portion to the bottom. Fasteners are disposed in the enlarged portion and fixed relative to the floor.

In a collision determination device for determining a type of front collision of a vehicle, a collision determination unit is configured to determine that the collision type is full overlap front collision as collision of the vehicle with an obstacle across substantially the entire width of a front surface of a vehicle body in a case where initial values as values at an early phase of the collision for a first lateral acceleration and a second lateral acceleration are both less than a full overlap determination threshold as a negative value.

An airbag is disclosed, including a main bag section deployable in front of a passenger seat, a center bag section which is deployable in such a manner as to protrude towards an inboard side in a vehicle width direction out of the main bag section to an area beneath the rearview mirror. The center bag section includes, on the upper portion as deployed, a region that faces the rearview mirror in an up and down direction. The center bag section internally includes a regulating tether that is disposed generally along an up and down direction and connects the region of the upper portion of the center bag section facing the rearview mirror at airbag deployment and a region of a lower portion of the center bag section deployed beneath the region facing the rearview mirror in order to prevent contact between the center bag section and the rearview mirror.