An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant sitting in a seat includes an inflator, a holding member that is adapted to be disposed in front of a pelvic region of the occupant as sitting in the seat, and an airbag that is formed of a sheet material having flexibility and stored in and held by the holding member in a folded form. The airbag is configured to be inflated with an inflation gas fed by the inflator. The airbag includes a shoulder restraining portion that is configured to be deployed in front of shoulders of the occupant, and a supporting inflatable portion that is disposed in a lower end portion of the airbag as deployed for supporting the shoulder restraining portion. The supporting inflatable portion as deployed includes, in the underside, a supported surface that is adapted to be supported by thighs of the occupant.

A protection device having a set of inflatable protection members including a neck airbag, a left lower airbag, a left upper airbag, a right lower airbag, and a right upper airbag. The protection device has a lower pocket provided with a lower base forming the neck airbag and two lower lateral branches forming the left lower airbag and the right lower airbag. An upper pocket at least partially secured to the lower pocket is provided with an upper base forming a head airbag and two upper lateral branches forming the left upper airbag and the right upper airbag. At least one longitudinal internal wall provide at least two “tubes” in each upper airbag, the upper pocket being in fluid flow communication with the lower pocket.

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.

An airbag apparatus in which an airbag is deployed while maintaining appropriate deployment pressure. A tether is tightened by deployment force of a sub-cushion, and pulls a hidden cushion disposed in a main cushion so that the hidden cushion is deployed, such that a volume in the main cushion is reduced by the hidden cushion, thereby maintaining deployment pressure of the main cushion.

Provided is an occupant's leg restraint device suitable for restraining the legs of an occupant when an automobile has an oblique collision or an offset barrier collision. The occupant's leg restraint device has an airbag and an inflator for supplying gas to the lower part of the airbag to inflate the airbag, and the airbag has a first panel on the occupant side and a second panel on the side opposite thereto. An upper part of the inside of the airbag is divided into small chambers by vertical separating panels that are joined to the first panel and the second panel and that extend vertically. In a state where the airbag has inflated, recessed portions having a depth of 20 to 40 mm are formed in the occupant-side surface of the airbag along the vertical separating panels.

A restraint system includes an instrument panel, a passenger airbag chamber supported by the instrument panel, and a secondary airbag chamber. The passenger airbag chamber is inflatable to an inflated position and in the inflated position includes a rear face spaced from the instrument panel and a side face extending from the rear face toward the instrument panel. The secondary airbag chamber is external to the passenger airbag and, in an inflated position, extends along the side face and the rear face of the passenger airbag chamber.

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 apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant includes an airbag having primary and secondary chambers fluidly connected by a first passive vent and an active vent having an open condition and a closed condition. The primary chamber has a stored condition and a deployed condition to cover a portion of the vehicle. An interior panel divides the primary chamber into upper and lower inflatable volumes and includes a second passive vent fluidly connecting the upper and lower inflatable volumes. The secondary chamber has a stored condition and a deployed condition to cover portions of the vehicle left uncovered by the primary chamber. An inflator is actuatable to provide inflation fluid to the primary chamber. The active vent is controllable to prevent fluid communication between the primary and secondary chambers in response to occupant penetration into the primary chamber and controllable to allow fluid communication between the primary and secondary chambers in response to occupant penetration into the secondary chamber. The second passive vent automatically closes to prevent fluid flow from the lower inflatable volume to the upper inflatable volume in response to occupant penetration into the secondary chamber.

An airbag system includes an airbag having a main portion having a first periphery. The main portion is inflatable in an inflation direction to a first thickness. An extension extends from the main portion and has a second periphery spaced from the first periphery. The extension is inflatable in the inflation direction to a second thickness. The first periphery and the second periphery define a gap therebetween. A depression is disposed between the main portion and the extension at the gap and the depression has a third thickness in the inflation direction less than the first thickness and the second thickness. The extension and the depression may receive a head of an occupant during an oblique impact, in which the head of the occupant may avoid the main portion of the airbag.

[Problem] To provide a side airbag apparatus capable of quickly and properly restraining a passenger in the initial stage of deploying an airbag, along with a passenger protection apparatus including this. [Resolution means] A side airbag apparatus according to the present invention includes: an airbag for restraining a passenger when expanded and deployed; and an inflator for supplying expansion gas to the airbag. The airbag includes: a first chamber which houses the inflator and is deployed outside in the vehicle width direction of the frame side wall part; and a second chamber which is deployed inside in the vehicle width direction of the frame side wall part. In addition, the first chamber is deployed such that at least a portion thereof, as seen from the vehicle side, overlaps the frame side wall part. At this time, the rear end part of an expanding region of the second chamber, as seen from the vehicle side, is formed in front of the rear end part of the first chamber.