A passenger airbag inflator for a vehicle includes: a housing having a first gunpowder therein, including a vent hole, and communicating with an airbag cushion; a first chamber located in a first side inner space of the housing, having a first booster and a first igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the first igniter is ignited; and a second chamber located in a second side inner space of the housing, having a second booster and a second gunpowder, including a second igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the second igniter is ignited.

Airbag systems for use in a vehicle that is operable in a manual-steering mode or an automated-steering mode are provided. In one embodiment, an airbag system includes a primary airbag installed in a dashboard of a vehicle. The primary airbag is configured to be deployed when a collision event is detected, and, when deployed, the primary airbag is configured to protect a person seated in a driver seat of the vehicle. the airbag system also includes an auxiliary airbag configured to be deployed when the collision event is detected. During operation of the vehicle in a manual-steering mode, the deployment of the auxiliary airbag is configured to reduce contact between the primary airbag and a steering wheel of the vehicle when the primary airbag is deployed from the dashboard.

The present invention provides a gas generator, including an outer shell housing having a top plate, a bottom plate and a circumferential wall provided with a gas discharge port, a combustion chamber accommodating a gas generating agent, a cylindrical filter and an ignition device disposed in a cup-shaped ignition device chamber housing, the bottom surface of the cup-shaped ignition device chamber housing facing the top plate and an end surface of the opening thereof abutting against the bottom plate, a length from an upper end surface to a lower end surface of the cylindrical filter being shorter than a distance from the top plate to the bottom plate of the outer shell housing, and the cylindrical filter being disposed such that the upper end surface faces the top plate and the lower end surface faces the combustion chamber, a cup-shaped cover member which has a bottom surface, a circumferential wall and an opening, further being disposed between the cup-shaped ignition device chamber housing and the cylindrical filter.

A protection system comprises at least one inflatable safety structure, each associated with a gas generator that can be activated by an external command, wherein the external command comprises an electrical signal from an automated system that is responsible for the critical safety functions of a vehicle, corresponding to predictive information about an impact. The gas generator is configured to generate a gas over a time period such that the total inflation time of the inflatable structure is greater than 50 milliseconds. The inflatable structure may be waterproof.

A passenger protection apparatus for a vehicle includes first and second airbags, an airbag deployment device, a collision speed detector, a passenger's Position detector, a seat moving unit, an airbag deployment determination unit, and a deployment controller. The first airbag is deployable in different sizes. The second airbag is deployable between the first airbag and vehicle equipment. The airbag deployment device deploys the airbags. The collision speed detector detects a collision or collision possibility of a vehicle, and calculates a collision speed. The passenger position detector detects a position of a passenger sitting on a seat. The seat moving unit moves the seat. The airbag deployment determination unit determines a size of the deployed first airbag. The deployment controller determines an amount of movement of the seat, causes the seat moving unit to move the seat, and causes the airbag deployment device to deploy the airbags.

A vehicle airbag device includes: an inflator configured to generate gas when a first squib and a second squib are fired, respectively; an airbag including a main bag portion configured to inflate and deploy between an occupant seated in a passenger seat and an instrument panel and between the occupant and a windshield when the gas generated by the inflator is supplied into the airbag, and a center bag portion configured to project between the passenger seat and a driver seat from the main bag portion; and a controlling portion configured to control the inflator such that, when a head-on collision occurs, the second squib is fired after the first squib is fired, and when an oblique collision occurs, the second squib is fired after the first squib is fired and at a timing earlier than that when the head-on collision occurs.

A passenger airbag inflator for a vehicle includes: a housing having a first gunpowder therein, including a vent hole, and communicating with an airbag cushion; a first chamber located in a first side inner space of the housing, having a first booster and a first igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the first igniter is ignited; and a second chamber located in a second side inner space of the housing, having a second booster and a second gunpowder, including a second igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the second igniter is ignited.

A gas generator including an igniter, a combustion chamber, and a restriction part, the igniter including an accommodating chamber accommodating an explosive therein, an ignition portion provided in the accommodating chamber, and a separating part including a pressure receiving surface, the separating part being configured to be separable from the igniter and movable in a predetermined direction, the combustion chamber being configured to burn a gas generating agent filled outside the accommodating chamber, by the combustion of the explosive, the restriction part provided in a predetermined position in the predetermined direction from the igniter and restricting a movement of the separating part, and the separating part including a guide that directs the combustion product of the explosive by the pressure receiving surface toward the igniter, in a state where the movement of the separating part in the predetermined direction is restricted by the restriction part.

The invention relates to an overigniting protection device (40) for a multi-stage gas generator (10), comprising a combustion chamber limiting element (34) for limiting a combustion chamber (30) of a second ignition stage (14) of the gas generator (10) as well as an overigniting protection element (38) which is arranged on a side of the combustion chamber limiting element (34) remote from the combustion chamber (30), wherein the overigniting protection element (38) covers the side of the combustion chamber limiting element (34) remote from the combustion chamber (30), wherein the overigniting protection element (38) is tightly connected to the combustion chamber limiting element (34) via a mounting portion (42) and wherein the overigniting protection element (38) is substantially plate-shaped or completely covers the side of the combustion chamber limiting element (34) remote from the combustion chamber (30). Furthermore, the invention relates to a second ignition stage (14) of a multi-stage gas generator, a gas generator (10) and an airbag module comprising a gas generator (10).

A variable control apparatus for an airbag of a vehicle includes: a plurality of tethers each of which having one side coupled to a front sheath among a plurality of sheaths of an airbag cushion, each of the plurality of tethers formed to have a length shorter than a distance between the front sheath and a rear sheath when the airbag cushion is fully deployed; a release mechanism provided at a rear sheath side of the airbag cushion, connected to the respective other sides of the plurality of tethers, and selectively releasing a tether among the plurality of tethers upon an operation of the release mechanism; and a controller configured to variably control a deployment shape of the airbag cushion by operating the release mechanism based on a collision direction of the vehicle, a seat state of a seat of the vehicle, or a sitting posture of a passenger in the vehicle.