An apparatus helps to protect an occupant of a seat of a vehicle including an instrument panel and a display screen that is positioned rearward of an occupant facing surface of the instrument panel and that extends vertically above an upper surface of the instrument panel. The apparatus includes an airbag configured to have a stored condition in which the airbag is rolled and/or folded and positioned within the instrument panel at a location below the display screen. The airbag is configured to inflate and deploy from the instrument panel in response to receiving inflation fluid from an inflation fluid source. The airbag is configured to deploy in an upward direction through a space between the occupant and the instrument panel to a position in which the airbag is positioned between the display screen and the occupant.

A passenger seat airbag apparatus for a vehicle, including a housing installed in a structure inside the vehicle, an airbag cushion accommodated in a folded state inside the housing, and inflated and deployed between the structure inside the vehicle and an occupant to restrain and protect the occupant when the vehicle collides, and a flap having one end connected to a wrapper for wrapping the folded airbag cushion to guide a deployed direction of the airbag cushion while the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed. The flap is formed on both sides thereof with expansion parts for expanding a width of the flap wider than a width of an inner space of the housing. This invention further includes a structure inside the vehicle when the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed, which stably guides a deployed direction of the flap and the airbag cushion, enhancing deployment shape and performance.

A vehicle safety system implements a method for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision. The method includes determining a passive safety crash mode classification in response to crash signals received in response to the occurrence of a crash event. The method also includes determining an active safety crash mode classification in response to active safety signals received prior to the occurrence of the crash event. The method also includes determining an active safety confidence factor for the active safety crash mode classification. The method also includes determining the weighted crash mode classification as being the active crash mode classification in response to the active safety confidence factor exceeding a predetermined confidence value. The method further includes determining the weighted crash mode classification as being the passive crash mode classification in response to the active safety confidence factor not exceeding the predetermined confidence value.

An exterior protection apparatus for a vehicle includes an exterior airbag device, a collision detector, and a controller. The exterior airbag device includes a bag body, and an inflator configured to expand the bag body over a hood of a vehicle body of the vehicle in a state of having a width corresponding to a vehicle width of the vehicle body of the vehicle. The collision detector is configured to predict or detect a collision between the vehicle body and a person outside the vehicle. The controller is configured to cause the bag body of the exterior airbag device to be expanded in a case where the collision detector predicts or detects the collision. The exterior airbag device includes a flexible crossing member configured to extend along a direction of the vehicle width on an upper surface of the bag body widely expanded.

Techniques for controlling a protection apparatus are provided. An example method includes detecting an offset collision or diagonal collision, and activating a suitable protection apparatus for protecting the side or head of a passenger at a timing in accordance with the degree of collision. An example controller may include a level calculation part for calculating a level of a front face collision, a ΔV.sub.offset calculation part for making an offset adjustment of a speed (ΔV), and a determination part for determining an offset collision or diagonal collision based on the level of the front face collision and the ΔV.sub.offset.

An apparatus helps to protect an occupant of a seat of a vehicle including an instrument panel and a display screen that is positioned rearward of an occupant facing surface of the instrument panel and that extends vertically above an upper surface of the instrument panel. The apparatus includes an airbag configured to have a stored condition in which the airbag is rolled and/or folded and positioned within the instrument panel at a location below the display screen. The airbag is configured to inflate and deploy from the instrument panel in response to receiving inflation fluid from an inflation fluid source. The airbag is configured to deploy in an upward direction through a space between the occupant and the instrument panel to a position in which the airbag is positioned between the display screen and the occupant.

A passenger seat airbag apparatus for a vehicle, including a housing installed in a structure inside the vehicle, an airbag cushion accommodated in a folded state inside the housing, and inflated and deployed between the structure inside the vehicle and an occupant to restrain and protect the occupant when the vehicle collides, and a flap having one end connected to a wrapper for wrapping the folded airbag cushion to guide a deployed direction of the airbag cushion while the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed. The flap is formed on both sides thereof with expansion parts for expanding a width of the flap wider than a width of an inner space of the housing. This invention further includes a structure inside the vehicle when the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed, which stably guides a deployed direction of the flap and the airbag cushion, enhancing deployment shape and performance.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a seat in a vehicle having an instrument panel and a housing positioned therein includes an airbag for positioning in the housing and defining an inflatable volume for receiving inflation fluid from an inflator. The airbag includes an occupant-facing panel. A tether extends along a centerline and has a first end connected to a portion of the airbag positioned within the housing and a second end connected to the occupant-facing panel for forming a pocket therein. The second end includes a folded-over portion. Stitching extends through the folded-over portion in a direction extending transverse to the centerline.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag configured to be mounted on a vehicle steering wheel. The airbag includes an inflatable main chamber configured to cover the steering wheel, and an inflatable lateral chamber configured to cover a vehicle A-pillar. The apparatus also includes a tether actuation unit and a tether connected to the tether actuation unit and to a portion of the airbag that helps define the lateral chamber. The tether actuation unit has an unactuated condition maintaining a connection with the tether that restricts deployment of the lateral chamber. The tether actuation unit also has an actuated condition releasing its connection with the tether and causing the lateral chamber to fully deploy.

Disclosed is a seat airbag for a vehicle, the seat airbag including an airbag cushion including lateral cushions configured to be deployed forward from lateral sides of a seatback, and front cushions bent and extending from front ends of the lateral cushions toward a seat center and positioned at a front side of the passenger, and support tethers configured to connect upper portions of the front cushions and an upper portion of the seatback or connect lower portions of the front cushions and a lower portion of the seatback so that the front cushions support a passenger when the passenger is loaded onto the front cushions.