A curtain airbag for a vehicle may include: a main chamber installed between a headliner and a vehicle body and provided to be downwardly unfolded to the interior of the vehicle; a diffuser being provided at an inlet portion of the main chamber connected with an inflator, formed with a first outlet and a second outlet which receive and discharge gas from the inflator; and an additional chamber connected with the second outlet of the diffuser and communicated with the second outlet to receive gas from the diffuser and inflated between the headliner and the vehicle body to separate the headliner from the vehicle body. In particular, the diffuser includes a joined portion to close partially or fully the first outlet, and the diffuser increases the gas supply to the main chamber when the joined portion is opened by an internal pressure of the diffuser.

An airbag includes a bag body, an exhaust portion which has an exhaust hole, and a connecting member which is connected to the exhaust portion by the root portion inside the bag body. The bag body includes a main inflatable portion that includes a first and a second side walls which are opposed in a left and right direction at airbag deployment, and a protruding inflatable portion that protrudes partially rearward from a first end region in the left and right direction of an upper region of a rear portion of the main inflatable portion as deployed. The exhaust portion is formed in the first side wall of the main inflatable portion on a side the protruding inflatable portion is disposed, and is positioned farther downward than an apex of the protruding inflatable portion, as viewed from a side of the airbag as deployed.

An airbag includes an internal pressure adjusting mechanism, including: a tether arranged in a bag part; a long side part; and a short side part; and adjusting an exhaust of the inflation gas: to be in an exhaust mode in which the exhaust is facilitated when the tether is loosened; and to be in an exhaust suppression mode in which the exhaust is suppressed when the tether is stretched. In a state where the tether is loosened during the exhaust mode, facing edge parts of the long side part and the short side part are separable. In a state where the tether is stretched during the exhaust suppression mode, the facing edge part of the long side part and a root side part are inflated around the short side part and a leading edge side part contacts a back surface side of the short side part.

Problem: To provide an airbag apparatus which can appropriately control the amount of gas discharged from a vent hole.

Resolution means: An active vent mechanism includes: a first vent hole formed in an airbag; a patch capable of releasing and closing a vent hole in accordance with the internal pressure of the airbag, with a portion of the patch coupled to the outer surface of the airbag; a coupling member having one end coupled to the patch, with the other end entering the airbag and coupled to the airbag; an opening provided in the vicinity of the first vent hole, with a portion of the patch or a portion of the coupling member penetrating through the opening; a substantially cylindrical regulating member into which the coupling member is inserted inside the airbag (wherein the airbag regulating member has: a first end coupled to the inner surface of the airbag so as to surround the opening inside the airbag; and a second end coupled to the coupling member in the sealed state); and a releasing means for reducing the tension of the coupling member.

In addition, when the airbag is fully deployed, the patch is operable so as to block the first vent hole via the tension of the coupling member, while when the releasing means reduces the tension of the coupling member, the patch is operable so as to be separated from the outer surface of the airbag and thereby induce discharge from the first vent hole.

The invention relates to an airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising an airbag panel (16) defining an inflatable airbag volume as well as including a front panel portion (18) and a rear panel portion (20), a tether (22) extending in the interior of the airbag (14) across the inflatable airbag volume, a discharge orifice (24) which is formed in the rear panel portion (20) of the airbag panel (16), as well as a first closing tab (26) and a second closing tab (28) for closing the discharge orifice (24), wherein the tether (22) extends from a first tether end (32) tightly connected to the front panel portion (18) in the direction of the discharge orifice (24) to an opposite second tether end (34), wherein the first closing tab (26) extends from a first tab end (36) tightly connected to the rear panel portion (20) to a second tab end (38) tightly connected to the second tether end (34), wherein the second closing tab (28) is fastened on the rear panel portion (20) adjacent to the discharge orifice (24), and wherein the two closing tabs (26, 28) are coupled by a connection releasable when a vehicle occupant (30) impacts on the inflated airbag (10).

An airbag apparatus including: a first chamber connected to an inflator; a second chamber connected to the rear of the first chamber and supported by the first chamber, supporting the head of a passenger in case of an oblique collision of a vehicle, and having a first passage through which gas of the first chamber is introduced; a third chamber connected to the rear of the first chamber and supported by the first chamber, disposed at one side of the second chamber, and supporting the head of the passenger in a head-on collision of the vehicle; a connection tether connecting the second and third chambers to limit separation between the second and third chambers; and a shut-off valve closing the first passage to block gas of the second chamber from being discharged to the first chamber through the first passage, when the first chamber is completely deployed.

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 system includes an airbag including a first lobe, a second lobe, a first tether connected to the first lobe, and a second tether connected to the second lobe, a seat rotatable relative to the airbag from a first position to a second position, and a computer programmed to, based on whether the seat is in the first position or the second position, release one of the first tether or the second tether.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag configured to be mounted to a support structure of the vehicle. The airbag is inflatable to deploy from a stored condition away from the support structure toward a vehicle seat in which the occupant is seated to one of a first deployed condition in which the airbag is configured for a non-reclined condition of the vehicle seat, and a second deployed condition in which the airbag is configured for a reclined condition of the vehicle seat. The airbag is configured to deploy to the first deployed condition in response to determining a non-reclined condition of the vehicle seat and to the second deployed condition in response to determining a reclined condition of the vehicle seat.

An airbag having an exhaust hole and an opening/closing control device configured to control opening and closing of the exhaust hole are provided. The airbag includes a bag body, and a discharge portion having the exhaust hole, the discharge portion is configured to maintain a blocked state of the exhaust hole by being drawn into the bag body at the time of inflation of the bag body in a state where connection between a connection member and the opening/closing control device is maintained, and to be inflated by protruding from the bag body at the time of inflation of the bag body in a state where the connection between the connection member and the opening/closing control device is released to open the exhaust hole. A dummy inflation portion inflated to partially protrude from the bag body is formed at a position approximately symmetrical to the discharge portion. A volume of the dummy inflation portion at the time of inflating completion is set to be smaller than a volume of the discharge portion in a state where the exhaust hole is open at the time of inflation.