The present invention relates to a driver seat airbag device for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing same, the driver seat airbag device comprising: a driver seat airbag mounted in a folded state inside a steering wheel; and an inflator connected to the driver seat airbag to supply gas to allow the driver seat airbag to expand between the steering wheel and a driver at the time of a vehicle collision, wherein: the driver seat airbag has a plurality of tether members and a diffuser installed thereat, the tether members restricting an expansion thickness of the driver seat airbag, the diffuser controlling a supply direction for a gas supplied to the driver seat airbag, the tether members and the diffuser being installed between a front panel facing the front side of the vehicle and a rear panel opposite to the front panel and facing the driver; and the diffuser is installed between the plurality of tether members, and thus the diffuser and the tether members are integrated to simplify an installation structure thereof.

The present invention is an airbag device mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle having a rim with a shape in which the distance from the center of rotation to the distance to the upper edges is shorter than to left and right edges, that includes a gas generator that generates an expansion gas and an airbag that expands and deploys toward the occupant due to the expansion gas. Furthermore, at the stage before the occupant comes into contact with the expanded and deployed airbag, the thickness (width) D1 of the upper end part of the airbag in the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the steering wheel when the airbag is viewed from the side is configured to be larger than the thickness (width) D2 of the lower end part.

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.

An airbag (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises at least two opposite fabric layers (12, 14) which delimit at least one chamber (18) adapted to be filled with gas and comprises at least two spacers (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) which, in the inflated state of the airbag (10), delimit the distance of the fabric layers (12, 14) from each other, wherein the spacers (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are formed by threads which in a connecting area (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) are connected to a fabric layer (12, 14), extend in the direction of the opposite fabric layer (14, 12) and in a further connecting area (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) are connected to the original or the opposite fabric layer (14, 12). A first connecting area (22b, 24a) and a second connecting area (22c, 24d) are arranged at the same fabric layer (12, 14) in the area of a joint constriction (30) located between two bulges (28) in the inflated state of the airbag (10), and a first spacer (20b, 20a) connected to the first connecting area (22b, 24a) and a second spacer (20c, 20d) connected to the second connecting area (22c, 24d) intersect in the area of the constriction (30) in the interior of the chamber (18) in a side view.

A vehicle passenger seat airbag device includes: an airbag main body that is stored on a lower side of an instrument panel and that is partitioned by an upper partition member to a lower chamber that restrains lower limbs of an occupant and an upper chamber that restrains an upper body of the occupant; and a flow straightening cylinder that is provided so as to be passed through the upper partition member inside the airbag main body and that distributes gas ejected from an inflator to the lower chamber and the upper chamber. The flow straightening cylinder is provided such that a sectional shape of at least a region passing through the upper partition member is provided in a flat shape with its longitudinal direction in a vehicle width direction when the flow straightening cylinder expands and deploys due to ejection of the gas.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag configured to be deployed from a roof of the vehicle. The airbag includes a front panel configured to face the occupant and a rear panel configured to face away from the occupant. An external tether has ends connected to the rear panel on an exterior of the airbag. The external tether has a length measured between the ends that is shorter than the length of the rear panel extending between the connections of the external tether to the rear panel so as to cause the airbag to have a curved portion when inflated and deployed, the curved portion facing convexly toward the occupant. In one example configuration, the curved portion can be configured to receive the occupants head and to unbend in response to receiving the occupants head, wherein the unbending causes the front panel to crumple and form creases. The configuration of the external tether, position of the external tether on the rear panel, and connections of the external tether to the rear panel can be configured to position the curved portion to receive the occupants head and to control the formation and location of the creases on the front panel.

A vehicle occupant restraint system comprises an airbag module (12) including an inflator (18) and a frontally acting airbag (16), wherein the airbag (16) includes an inflator-side inflation end (46) as well as a first free end (56) located in the inflated state of the airbag (16) within a vehicle interior. In a first period during deployment of the airbag (16), the first free end (56) is still connected via a tether (74) to the airbag module (12), wherein the tether (74) becomes detached upon reaching a predetermined tensile force. When folding the airbag (16), the non-inflated airbag (16) is spread so that a second free end (58) is maximally distant from the inflation end (46) and a first outer wall portion is stretched in the longitudinal direction of the airbag (16), and the first free end (56) is located in the vicinity of the inflation end (46) and a second outer wall portion is stretched in the longitudinal direction of the airbag (16), wherein a third outer wall portion of the airbag (16) is folded back onto itself at least in a portion. The two lateral areas of the spread airbag (16) are folded toward the center, and subsequently the airbag (16) is rolled up from the second free end (58).

Provide an airbag device for a vehicle with a simple structure having improved occupant restraint performance and improved safety.

The airbag cushion includes a gas discharge section, a first tether, and a chamber having an occupant side panel and a steering wheel side panel. The first tether includes a first end directly or indirectly connected to the occupant side panel and second ends connected to the steering wheel side panel. The edge of the gas discharge section can be pulled into the chamber by the taut first tether and the area of the gas discharge section opening with the edge of the gas discharge section pulled into the chamber is smaller than when the first tether is relaxed.

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.

An occupant protection system for protecting a vehicle occupant sitting in a seat includes a seatbelt that includes a lap belt for arresting the pelvis of the occupant, and an airbag that is stored in the lap belt. The airbag as deployed includes a main inflatable portion for protecting an upper body of the occupant, and a head protecting portion that is located in a vicinity of an upper end of the main inflatable portion for protecting a head of the occupant. The head protecting portion includes a front inflatable portion for covering a front side of the head, and a pair of side inflatable portions that extend rearward from left and right ends of the front inflatable portion for covering sides of the head. Each of the side inflatable portions is configured to be deployed in such a manner that a space is formed between itself and the head.