A side airbag apparatus which allows a reduced amount of base fabric and, enables gas to flow efficiently inside the cushion. An inflator (110) supplies gas, a cushion (104) in which base fabrics are formed into a bag shape and inflates and deploys to protect an occupant (118) during a vehicle emergency, a base fabric joint portion (120) which is provided to join main panels 108a and 108b of the cushion (104) in a linear manner and partitions the cushion (104) into a rear chamber (114), a front chamber (116), and an opening (123) provided midway along the base fabric joint portion (120). The base fabric joint portion (120) includes vent forming portions 125a and 125b arranged in two rows which extend from both ends of the opening (123) towards the front chamber (116) or rear chamber (114) and form a projecting vent (124). The projecting vent (124) permits flow of gas between the rear chamber (114) and the front chamber (116).

A device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of a medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, having a control module that includes a valve body having a stepped through-opening, and a control piston guided axially in the through-opening of the valve body, and a control valve that influences the movement of the control piston, the valve body having at a first end a closable medium inlet opening having a valve chamber. The control valve and the control module are situated in a common housing sleeve, the valve body of the control module being pressed into a first end of the housing sleeve until it comes to a stop on a housing shoulder, and the control valve being introduced into and fixed in a second end of the housing sleeve.

A device for controlling a volumetric flow rate of a medium stored under pressure in order to activate an impact protection device, having a control module that includes a valve body having a stepped through-opening, and a control piston guided axially in the through-opening of the valve body, and a control valve that influences the movement of the control piston, the valve body having at a first end a closable medium inlet opening having a valve chamber. The control valve and the control module are situated in a common housing sleeve, the valve body of the control module being pressed into a first end of the housing sleeve until it comes to a stop on a housing shoulder, and the control valve being introduced into and fixed in a second end of the housing sleeve.

An airbag assembly may include an airbag and an inflator that provides inflation gas to inflate the airbag. A filter module may be positioned such that inflation gas exiting the inflator must first pass through the filter module. The filter module may be formed of a sheet of metal that is wrapped into a generally spiraling tubular shape. The filter module may have an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer. The intermediate layer generally encircles the inner layer, and the outer layer generally encircles the inner layer and the intermediate layer in a spiraling fashion. The inner layer, the intermediate layer, and the outer layer each may have a pattern of holes and dimples that are separate from and/or displaced from each other. The dimples may protrude toward an adjacent layer to maintain spacing to enable relatively unrestricted gas flow from the holes of the inner layer through unaligned holes of the intermediate layer and the outer layer. The resulting tortuous gas flow path may help to slow, cool, and/or purify the gas before it exits the inflator.

An airbag assembly may include an airbag and an inflator that provides inflation gas to inflate the airbag. A filter module may be positioned such that inflation gas exiting the inflator must first pass through the filter module. The filter module may be formed of a sheet of metal that is wrapped into a generally spiraling tubular shape. The filter module may have an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer. The intermediate layer generally encircles the inner layer, and the outer layer generally encircles the inner layer and the intermediate layer in a spiraling fashion. The inner layer, the intermediate layer, and the outer layer each may have a pattern of holes and dimples that are separate from and/or displaced from each other. The dimples may protrude toward an adjacent layer to maintain spacing to enable relatively unrestricted gas flow from the holes of the inner layer through unaligned holes of the intermediate layer and the outer layer. The resulting tortuous gas flow path may help to slow, cool, and/or purify the gas before it exits the inflator.

A collision protection system for a vehicle, the collision protection system including a seat having a seat back and at least one lateral support coupled to the seat back, where the at least one lateral support deploys based on one or more collision policies. The collision protection system further includes a side airbag, where the side airbag deploys based on the one or more collision policies, and where the at least one lateral support deploys between the seat and the side airbag to protect a user occupying the seat during a collision.

A collision protection system for a vehicle, the collision protection system including a seat having a seat back and at least one lateral support coupled to the seat back, where the at least one lateral support deploys based on one or more collision policies. The collision protection system further includes a side airbag, where the side airbag deploys based on the one or more collision policies, and where the at least one lateral support deploys between the seat and the side airbag to protect a user occupying the seat during a collision.

The present invention provides an inflator including a rupturable plate closing between the ignition device chamber having a gas discharge port and the pressurized gas chamber filled with a pressurized gas; a partition wall provided with a rod axially separating an interior of an ignition device unit housing, corresponding to the ignition device chamber, into two chambers; a combustion chamber provided on the side of a first end of the ignition device unit housing and provided with an igniter, and a diffuser chamber having the gas discharge port and provided on the side of a second end, which is an opposite end to the first end, the rupturable plate being circular and having, a circumferential edge fixing portion and a circular non-fixing portion on an inner portion other than the circumferential edge fixing portion, a fragile portion formed by not less than three grooves provided on a first surface facing the bottle, the grooves extending from a circumference of the circular non-fixing portion or from positions in the vicinity thereof, as a start point, toward a center of the circular non-fixing portion such that each of end points of the grooves does not reach the center of the circular non-fixing portion, the rod fixed to the partition wall and extending toward the rupturable plate, and the rod colliding with the rupturable plate due to a gas pressure generated by activation of the igniter, coming into contact with all of the end points in the fragile portion and rupturing the rupturable plate.

The present invention provides an inflator including a rupturable plate closing between the ignition device chamber having a gas discharge port and the pressurized gas chamber filled with a pressurized gas; a partition wall provided with a rod axially separating an interior of an ignition device unit housing, corresponding to the ignition device chamber, into two chambers; a combustion chamber provided on the side of a first end of the ignition device unit housing and provided with an igniter, and a diffuser chamber having the gas discharge port and provided on the side of a second end, which is an opposite end to the first end, the rupturable plate being circular and having, a circumferential edge fixing portion and a circular non-fixing portion on an inner portion other than the circumferential edge fixing portion, a fragile portion formed by not less than three grooves provided on a first surface facing the bottle, the grooves extending from a circumference of the circular non-fixing portion or from positions in the vicinity thereof, as a start point, toward a center of the circular non-fixing portion such that each of end points of the grooves does not reach the center of the circular non-fixing portion, the rod fixed to the partition wall and extending toward the rupturable plate, and the rod colliding with the rupturable plate due to a gas pressure generated by activation of the igniter, coming into contact with all of the end points in the fragile portion and rupturing the rupturable plate.

A steering column system of a vehicle includes: a rotatable, hollow steering shaft that has a proximal end attached to a steering wheel and is configured to transfer rotational input at the steering wheel to a steering rack of the vehicle; a stationary driver-side airbag (DAB) shaft that is surrounded by the steering shaft and extends along the steering shaft; and a DAB module that contains an airbag and is fixedly mounted to a proximal end of the DAB shaft within a region of the steering wheel. The airbag contained in the DAB module is formed to have a substantially circular center chamber and a pair of side extension chambers, one of the side extension chambers disposed on a right side of the center chamber, and the other of the side extension chambers disposed on a left side of the center chamber.