FRONT AIRBAG

Abstract

A front airbag (10) includes an inflatable chamber (18) having a baffle surface (16) provided to cushion an occupant (14) to be restrained, wherein a tether (28) extending inside the inflatable chamber (18) is provided which, when the front airbag (10) is mounted on the vehicle and is inflated, extends obliquely with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction (L) and which is fastened with a first longitudinal end (34) to a single baffle surface-side fastening point (30) at the baffle surface (16).

Claims

1. A front airbag (10) comprising an inflatable chamber (18) which has a baffle surface (16) provided to cushion an occupant (14) to be restrained, wherein a tether (28) extending inside the inflatable chamber (18) is provided which, when the front airbag (10) is mounted on the vehicle (12) and is inflated, extends obliquely with respect to a vehicle longitudinal direction (L) and which is fastened with a first longitudinal end (34) to a single baffle surface-side fastening point (30) at the baffle surface (16).

2. The front airbag (10) according to claim 1, wherein the baffle surface-side fastening point (30) of the tether (28) is located, when the front airbag (10) is mounted on the vehicle (12) and is inflated, in a central area of the baffle surface (16) relating to a vehicle transverse direction (Q).

3. The front airbag (10) according to claim 1, wherein, when the front airbag (10) is mounted on the vehicle (12) and is inflated, the tether (28) encloses an angle (α) ranging from 50° to 80°, particularly from 60° to 70°, with the vehicle longitudinal direction (L).

4. The front airbag (10) according claim 1, wherein a second longitudinal end (36) of the tether (28) is fastened to a lateral wall (37) of the front airbag (10).

5. The front airbag (10) according to claim 1, wherein the tether (28) extends approximately in parallel to a vehicle vertical direction (H) and extends inclined in a plane spanned by the longitudinal and transverse directions (L, Q) of the vehicle (12).

6. The front airbag (10) according to claim 1, wherein a dimension of the tether (28) along a vehicle vertical direction (H) is larger than 20 cm.

7. A vehicle (12) comprising a front airbag (10) according claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the following, the invention will be described in detail by way of an embodiment with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a front airbag according to the invention in the fully inflated state in a plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of a vehicle; and

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the front airbag from FIG. 1 in the fully inflated and vehicle-mounted state.

DESCRIPTION

[0025] The Figures illustrate a front airbag 10 which is mounted as passenger or driver airbag in a vehicle 12 schematically indicated in FIG. 2. Both Figures illustrate the front airbag 10 in the completely inflated state. In FIG. 2, the front airbag 10 is shown in the position mounted on the vehicle 12 which the front airbag 10 adopts in a situation of restraint shortly before or while an occupant 14 immerses into the front airbag 10.

[0026] On its side directed to the occupant 14, the inflated front airbag 10 has a baffle surface 16 provided for contacting the occupant 14.

[0027] In the embodiment shown here, the front airbag 10 is made of a single inflatable chamber 18 that is delimited by an airbag wall 20 made from a known flexible airbag fabric. The baffle surface 16 is part of the wall 20.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a section across the front airbag 10 along a plane that is spanned by a longitudinal direction L and a transverse direction Q of the vehicle 12. As is evident from the drawing, the baffle surface 16 extends in the area in which a head 22 of the occupant 14 impacts on the front airbag 10 approximately in parallel to the transverse direction Q.

[0029] A vehicle vertical direction H is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction Q. The baffle surface 16 has such a large expansion along the vehicle vertical direction H that it extends at least from a torso 24 to above the head 22 of the occupant 14.

[0030] The baffle surface 16 is approximately opposed to an inflation orifice 26 through which filling gas is introduced to the front airbag 10, if the latter is to be inflated in a situation of restraint (see FIG. 1). The front airbag 10 is fastened to the inflation orifice 26 in an airbag module (not shown) that is mounted affixed to the vehicle, for example in an instrument panel or a steering wheel of the vehicle 12.

[0031] Inside the inflatable chamber 18, a tether 28 extending from a baffle surface-side fastening point 30 to a wall-side fastening point 32 is disposed.

[0032] A first longitudinal end 34 of the tether 28 is tightly fastened, such as stitched, to the baffle surface-side fastening point 30 at the inside of the baffle surface 16.

[0033] Based on the vehicle transverse direction Q, the baffle surface-side fastening point 30 is located approximately in the middle of the baffle surface 16 here.

[0034] A second longitudinal end 36 of the tether 28 is tightly fastened, for example also by stitching, to the wall-side fastening point 32 on a lateral wall 37 that is part of the wall 20 of the front airbag 10. The lateral wall 37 in this case extends from an edge of the baffle surface 16 to the inflation orifice 26. In this case, the wall-side fastening point 32 is located definitely at a distance from the inflation orifice 26, however.

[0035] In the top view along the vehicle vertical direction H, the tether 28 extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction Q. An as large angle a as possible with the longitudinal direction L is selected which ranges from 50° to 80° and especially from 50° to 70°, for example.

[0036] The length of the tether 28 is dimensioned so that the tether 28 is tensioned in the inflated front airbag 10 so strongly that a small trough 38 is formed in the baffle surface 16 at the first fastening point 30.

[0037] The tether 28 extends into the image plane of the Figures along the vehicle vertical direction H over a distance of about more than 20 cm to 40 cm and especially over a distance that is larger than the height of the head 22 of the occupant 14.

[0038] As a matter of course, the tether 28 could also be inclined by several degrees vis-à-vis the vehicle vertical direction H without its function being impaired.

[0039] Both the baffle surface-side fastening point 30 and the wall-side fastening point 32 extend over the entire height of the tether 28 along the vehicle vertical direction H.

[0040] The tether 28 in this case extends along the vehicle vertical direction H mainly in the area where the head 22 of the occupant 14 (standardized to the head of a standard dummy) impacts on the baffle surface 16.

[0041] At the first fastening point 30, the tether 28 exerts a force with a lateral component upon the baffle surface 16. This results in a lateral force acting on the head 22 when the latter impacts on the baffle surface 16 so that a rotation of the head 22 of the occupant 14 is reduced, if a laterally offset impact which entails a force component in the transverse direction Q upon the vehicle 12 occurs in a situation of restraint.

[0042] During the entire situation of restraint, the tether 28 always remains tightly connected to the baffle surface 16 and the wall 20 at both fastening points 30, 32 and does not change its position.