A vehicle seat and an airbag system, the seat having a backrest and a squab, extending from the backrest in a longitudinal direction, the backrest extending in height from the squab at a first lower position to a second upper position arranged proximal to shoulders of an occupant in a seated position, the airbag system having an airbag to receive inflating gas from an inflator to inflate the airbag, in which the airbag includes an upper region that extends over a head of the occupant in the seated position and a lower region that extends between a first and second side of the backrest and around a mid-section of the seated occupant, the airbag system having a tether system interconnecting the seat at the second upper position of the backrest and airbag to restrain the lower region of the airbag in the inflated configuration in the longitudinal direction.

An occupant protection device includes an airbag which is deployed and inflated with an amount of protrusion from a storage position to a rear side in an inflation completed state in a large protrusion amount mode and a small protrusion amount mode, and the airbag includes a bag body and a tether. The tether is connected to a length adjustment unit. The bag body has a tubular inflation portion curved in a substantially U shape from the storage position toward the tether connection portion. A shape of the bag body in the large protrusion amount mode is defined such that the tether connection portion is further moved rearward with respect to the inlet port on the inner peripheral surface side, as compared with the case of the small protrusion amount mode.

An adaptive deployable restraint element (10) for a vehicle safety system comprising at least two leg elements (11, 12) at least in portions arranged in V-shape relative to each other between which at least one cross brace (13, 14, 15) connecting the leg elements (11, 12) is arranged, wherein the leg elements and/or the cross brace (13, 14, 15) are/is inflatable. The invention further relates to an airbag module and an occupant safety system comprising such restraint element as well as to the use of the fin ray effect in an adaptive restraint element.

An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of vehicle (12) having a seat (16 or 22) for receiving the occupant (20) includes an inflatable protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition in the vehicle (12) adjacent a reaction surface (19, 23, 36) to a deployed condition between the reaction surface and the vehicle occupant (20). The protection device (14) includes a front portion (62) presented toward the seat (22) and an inflatable volume for receiving a penetrating occupant (20) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. A rear portion (64) connected to the front portion (62) has an inflatable volume spaced from the front portion (62) by a space (110). The front portion (62) is positioned between the vehicle occupant (20) and the rear portion (64) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. The inflated front portion (62) is movable in a fore-aft direction relative to the rear portion (64) to engage the occupant (20) regardless of the distance between the reaction surface (19, 23, 36) and the occupant (20).

A side airbag device comprising a bag-like cushion that is provided to a side section of a seat back of a vehicle seat and inflates and expands toward the side of a passenger in the vehicle seat using a gas. The cushion includes: a first part having four sides and including a first chamber; a second part that has four sides, is adjacent to the first part, and includes a second chamber; and a third part that has four sides, is adjacent to the first part and the second part, and does not inflate. When inflated and expanded, the cushion is a triangular column that is a columnar shape having a space E open on both the top and bottom and surrounded by the first part in which the first chamber is inflated and expanded, the second part in which the second chamber is inflated and expanded, and the non-inflated third part.

A vehicle airbag device comprises an airbag that receives gas supplied from an inflator and that is adapted to be inflated and deployed in front of an upper body and above thighs of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. The airbag includes, in the event that the gas has been supplied inside the airbag and the airbag inflates and deploys, an inflation section having an endless annular shape as viewed along a vehicle width direction, and a hollow section formed in a central portion of the inflation section. The hollow section is in communication with an exterior of the airbag, and air at the exterior flows into the hollow section during inflation and deployment.

Multi-chamber airbag systems for use in aircraft and other vehicles are described herein. In some embodiments, an occupant restraint system includes a multi-chamber airbag that deploys from an occupant restraint (e.g., a lap seat belt) in an aircraft. The multi-chamber airbag can include a first portion that inflates generally upward in front of the occupant's torso, and a second portion that inflates in front of the first portion. The first portion and/or the second portion can include multiple chambers (e.g., generally cylindrical-shaped chambers) that, when inflated, provide the airbag with a shape and/or contact surfaces which can help to maintain the position of the airbag between the occupant and a strike object or hazard. In other embodiments, multi-chamber airbags configured in accordance with the present disclosure can me mounted to a structure (e.g., a monument, console, seat back, etc.) positioned generally in front of the occupant. The structure-mounted airbag can deploy generally toward the occupant in the event of a vehicle impact or other potentially harmful event to protect the occupant from impact injury.

An airbag device arranged on a backrest part of a moveable seat device of a motor vehicle includes first and second gas bags. The first gas bag is deployed into a receiving position by a deployment unit of the airbag device responsive to an actuation signal. In the receiving position the first gas bag is designed to receive a body part of an occupant of the motor vehicle, the occupant facing the backrest part. The second gas bag, at least in the receiving position, is deployed between the backrest part and the first gas bag.

A passenger protection device for a vehicle includes an airbag assigned to at least one passenger in a rear compartment of the vehicle. The airbag can be activated and filled with a gas in the event of an imminent collision of the vehicle being detected or in the event of a collision. The airbag is formed such that that it is deployed in the activated and filled condition between a front vehicle seat and an upper body region, as well as a between the front vehicle seat and a knee and lower leg region of the passenger.

An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) having a seat (16 or 22) for receiving the occupant (20) includes an inflatable protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition in the vehicle (12) adjacent a reaction surface (19, 23, 36) to a deployed condition between the reaction surface and the vehicle occupant (20). The protection device (14) includes a front portion (62) presented toward the seat (22) and an inflatable volume for receiving a penetrating occupant (20) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. A rear portion (64) connected to the front portion (62) has an inflatable volume spaced from the front portion (62) by a space (110). The front portion (62) is positioned between the vehicle occupant (20) and the rear portion (64) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. The inflated front portion (62) is movable in a fore-aft direction relative to the rear portion (64) to engage the occupant (20) regardless of the distance between the reaction surface (19, 23, 36) and the occupant (20).