Abstract
The invention relates to an airbag (10), especially for a side curtain airbag system (20), comprising an airbag interior (30) which in the deployed state of the airbag (10) defines one single chamber (40), wherein the chamber (40) comprises a gas guiding device (50) by which the chamber (40) is divided into at least one primary filling zone (41) and at least one secondary filling zone (42), as well as to a vehicle safety system equipped with such airbag (10).
Claims
1. A curtain airbag for a vehicle, comprising: overlying airbag panels configured to define a single chamber inflatable volume, the chamber comprising a front portion configured to protect an occupant seated in a first row seat of the vehicle, and a rear portion configured to protect an occupant seated in a second row seat of the vehicle located behind the first row seat; and a gas guiding device that defines in the front portion of the chamber a lower primary filling zone and an upper secondary filling zone, wherein the secondary filling zone is configured for head protection when inflated and deployed, and the primary filling zone is configured for thorax protection when inflated and deployed; wherein the front portion is configured so that the primary filling zone has a lower extent in the vehicle than the lowermost extent of the rear portion, wherein the gas guiding device is configured to guide gas supplied into the airbag interior first into the primary filling zone for thorax protection, and thereafter into the secondary filling zone for head protection once the gas supplied into the primary filling zone reaches a primary filling level.
2. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the primary filling zone is configured to provide thorax protection for the occupant that extends down below the shoulder area of the occupant.
3. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the primary filling zone is configured to extend below the secondary filling zone down to the pelvis and thigh area and protects an abdominal area of the vehicle occupant.
4. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the primary filling zone is configured to extend below a side window of the vehicle.
5. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the gas guiding device is configured to arrange the primary filling zone spatially more distant from a gas supply orifice than the secondary filling zone and fluidly less distant from the gas supply orifice than the secondary filling zone so that during filling of the curtain airbag, the primary filling zone is filled with gas before the secondary filling zone.
6. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the gas guiding device comprises at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and a stitched seam, and wherein the at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and stitched seam have different seam resistances along their lengths.
7. The curtain airbag of claim 6, wherein the at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and stitched seam has a rupturable portion that is configured to rupture once the curtain airbag reaches a predefined pressure.
8. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the gas guiding device comprises a channel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the inlet opening being in fluid connection with a gas supply orifice of the curtain airbag, the outlet opening ending in the primary filling zone.
9. The curtain airbag of claim 1, further comprising a gas supply orifice arranged centrally with respect to a longitudinal extent of the curtain airbag.
10. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the front and rear portions of the chamber are at least partially separated from one another by a gap in a central portion of the curtain airbag.
11. A vehicle safety system, comprising: the curtain airbag of claim 1; at least one sensor unit for detecting data; and an electronic decision-making unit which is adapted, while incorporating the data detected by the sensor unit, to define the presence of a trigger case for inflating the curtain airbag and/or to send a trigger signal for inflating the curtain airbag.
12. A curtain airbag for covering a side window of a vehicle in a deployed state of the curtain airbag, the curtain airbag comprising: overlying airbag panels configured to define a single chamber inflatable volume, and a gas guiding device that divides the chamber into at least one primary filling zone and at least one secondary filling zone, the secondary filling zone being configured for head protection, and the primary filling zone being configured to extend below the secondary filling zone for thorax protection that extends below an occupant shoulder area; wherein the gas guiding device is configured to guide gas supplied into the airbag interior first into the primary filling zone for thorax protection, and thereafter into the secondary filling zone for head protection once the gas supplied into the primary filling zone reaches a primary filling level.
13. The curtain airbag of claim 12, wherein the primary filling zone is configured to extend below the vehicle side window.
14. The curtain airbag of claim 12, wherein the gas guiding device is configured to arrange the primary filling zone spatially more distant from a gas supply orifice than the secondary filling zone and fluidly less distant from the gas supply orifice than the secondary filling zone.
15. The curtain airbag of claim 12, wherein the primary filling zone is configured to extend below the secondary filling zone down to the pelvis and thigh area and protects an abdominal area of the vehicle occupant.
16. The curtain airbag of claim 12, wherein the gas guiding device comprises at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and a stitched seam, and wherein the at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and stitched seam have different seam resistances along their lengths.
17. The curtain airbag of claim 16, wherein the at least one of a glued seam, sealed seam, and stitched seam has a rupturable portion that is configured to rupture once the curtain airbag reaches a predefined pressure.
18. The curtain airbag of claim 12, wherein the gas guiding device comprises a channel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the inlet opening being in fluid connection with a gas supply orifice of the curtain airbag, the outlet opening ending in the at least one primary filling zone.
19. A vehicle safety system, comprising: the curtain airbag of claim 12; at least one sensor unit for detecting data; and an electronic decision-making unit which is adapted, while incorporating the data detected by the sensor unit, to define the presence of a trigger case for inflating the curtain airbag and/or to send a trigger signal for inflating the curtain airbag.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0046] Hereinafter the invention will be described by way of embodiments which will be explained in detail by way of the pictures, in which:
[0047] FIGS. 1a to 1d show state-of-the-art airbag systems in a schematic representation;
[0048] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of an airbag according to the invention in a schematic sectional view;
[0049] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of an airbag according to the invention in a schematic sectional view;
[0050] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of an airbag according to the invention in a schematic sectional view;
[0051] FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of an airbag according to the invention in a schematic sectional view;
[0052] FIG. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of an airbag according to the invention in a schematic sectional view;
[0053] FIGS. 7a to 7f show a schematic representation of an airbag according to the invention in a sectional view having differently arranged gas supply orifices and inflators in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;
[0054] FIGS. 8a to 8f show a schematic representation of an airbag according to the invention in a sectional view having differently arranged gas supply orifices and inflators according to a further embodiment of the invention;
[0055] FIGS. 9a to 9f show a schematic representation of an airbag according to the invention in a sectional view having differently arranged gas supply orifices and inflators according to a further embodiment of the invention; and
[0056] FIGS. 10a to 10f show a schematic representation of an airbag according to the invention in a sectional view having differently arranged gas supply orifices and inflators according to a further embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION
[0057] FIGS. 1a to 1d show airbag systems 20 known from the state of the art having no thorax protection or a thorax protection insufficient especially for children. The airbag system 20 according to FIG. 1a is designed merely for the respective front seats, while the airbag system 20 according to FIG. 1b extends over the rear and front seat rows, wherein in both cases no thorax protection is ensured, however, as these side curtain airbag systems 20 do not extend sufficiently far downwards. This applies mutatis mutandis to the side curtain airbag system 20 according to FIG. 1c which, although including a small separate airbag for each of the rear and front seat rows which offers protection for the pelvis and the thighs, again does not ensure any thorax protection. Although the side curtain airbag system 20 according to FIG. 1d known from the state of the art offers thorax protection for the back seats, wherein the part of that airbag system 20 provided for the back seats includes a double-chamber system, also this side curtain airbag system 20 does not exhibit any thorax protection for the respective front seats, however.
[0058] The embodiments of FIGS. 2-10F achieve objects of the invention by way of an airbag 10, especially for a side curtain airbag system 20, wherein the airbag includes an airbag interior 30 defining one single chamber 40 in the deployed state of the airbag, the chamber having at least one gas guiding device 50 by which the chamber is divided into at least one primary filling zone 41 and at least one secondary filling zone 42.
[0059] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is effectuated in that the gas guiding device 50 is configured so that it forms a separation, namely a separating device such as a separating wall or a separating seam between the primary filling zones 41 and the secondary filling zones 42 or, respectively, between the primary filling zone 41 and the secondary filling zone 42.
[0060] The gas guiding device 50 is formed in that at least two inner wall portions 12 of the airbag 10 facing each other and being associated with each other are interconnected directly by a seam 52 or by means of a spacer, especially by means of a spacer belt 53, preferably in a detachable manner.
[0061] The connection of the inner wall portions 12 of the airbag 10 associated with each other is realized, according to the invention, by means of the seam 52 which may be a glued seam and/or a sealed seam and/or a stitched seam. In the case of use of the spacer belt 53, the respective inner wall portions 12 of the airbag 10 are not connected directly but via the spacer belt, wherein the respective longitudinal sides and, respectively, longitudinal edges of the spacer belt 53 are again connected by means of seams, which again may be a glued seam and/or a sealed seam and/or a stitched seam, to the pertaining, i.e., associated, inner wall portions of the airbag.
[0062] FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view. The airbag 10 comprises an airbag interior 30 including a chamber 40 which is divided into a primary filling zone 41 and a secondary filling zone 42 by a gas guiding device 50 in the form of a seam 52. The airbag 10 includes a gas supply orifice 60 connected to an inflator or any other gas supply means. Through said gas supply orifice 60 filling gas flows into the airbag interior 30 in the operating state of the airbag 10 and spreads along the initial gas flow direction 90 at first non-directed into the gas interior 30, but is guided immediately afterwards by the gas guiding device 50 in the form of a seam 52 along the primary gas flow direction 100 represented as a bold straight arrow into the primary filling zone 41. This primary filling zone 41 deploys, according to the invention, up to a predefined degree, wherein upon reaching such degree and an accompanying predefined deployment volume bursting of the seam 52 is initiated, which seam then tears at least partly or completely and enables a secondary gas flow direction 200 represented as a bold curved arrow along which the secondary filling zones 42 of the airbag 10 are filled. Thus the airbag 10 according to the invention of FIG. 2 is filled at first in its primary filling zone 41 represented at the bottom of the picture. This primary filling zone 41 substantially serves for the protection of a thorax area of a vehicle occupant, but it can also be continued up to the pelvis and thigh area, if desired. As is evident from FIG. 2, that airbag is formed for two seat rows, wherein the gas supply orifice 60 and the inflator are arranged in the rear part of the airbag 10 and are accommodated in the C-pillar of the vehicle.
[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view substantially corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, with the difference that the airbag 10 according to FIG. 3 is not filled from behind, i.e. starting from the C-pillar of the vehicle, but centrally, i.e. starting from the B-pillar of the vehicle, with filling gas. This embodiment offers the advantage of filling gas being adapted to flow uniformly into the portion of the airbag 10 associated with the front seat row and the rear seat row due to gas entry in the central area of the airbag 10. According to FIG. 3, too, the filling gas initially flows along a primary gas flow direction 100 first into a primary filling zone 41 of the airbag interior 30, which again and corresponding to FIG. 2 is designed as one single chamber, and only after bursting of the gas guiding device 50 in the form of a seam 52 it flows into the secondary filling zone 42.
[0064] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view, wherein the gas supply orifice 60 is arranged again in the rear area of the airbag 10. In this context, it is emphasized that the gas supply orifice 60 basically cannot only be arranged in the rear area of the airbag 10 and, resp., in the central area of the airbag, but on principle may also be arranged in the front area of the airbag 10, namely whenever the inflator and, resp., the gas supply means, is not intended to be provided in the C-pillar or the B-pillar but in the A-pillar of the vehicle. It is basically also possible to accommodate the inflator in the roof area of the vehicle and to design a gas supply orifice 60 on the airbag according to the invention corresponding to the desired arrangement of the inflator.
[0065] According to FIG. 4, the filling gas flows along an initial gas admission direction 90 through the gas supply orifice 60 into the airbag interior 30 which is in the form of one single chamber 40. The gas initially enters into a tubing system 54 which is formed by providing, on the one hand, a tube section of the tubing system 54 tightly arranged on the inlet opening 55 for the filling gas which interacts with a seam 52 interconnecting the inner wall sides of the chamber 40 of the airbag interior 30. The interaction between the tube section and the seam 52 results in a tubing system 54 which at its lower end includes an outlet opening 56 through which the filling gas may flow, upon filling the side curtain airbag system 20, along a primary gas flow direction 100 into the primary filling zone 41 of the airbag 10. After the primary filling zone 41 of the airbag 10 has widened and deployed up to a predefined degree, the seam 52 bursts along the predetermined breaking point 57 and enables the filling gas to flow along the secondary gas flow direction 200 into the secondary filling zone 42 of the airbag 10.
[0066] FIG. 5 illustrates a fourth embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention in a schematic side view, wherein again a gas supply orifice 60 connected to an inflator is provided in the rear part of the airbag 10. Through the gas supply orifice 60 gas flows along an initial gas flow direction 90 through an inlet opening 55 into a tubing system 54 which extends in the interior 30 of the airbag 10. The airbag 10 according to FIG. 5 is an airbag for two seat rows. According to FIG. 5, the tubing system 54 extends starting from the inlet opening 55 into the thorax protection zone for each of the front and rear seat rows and there includes respective outlet openings 56 through which the filling gas can flow along a primary gas flow direction 100 into the respective primary filling zone 41. After the filling gas has escaped from the respective outlet opening 56, the filling gas initially spreads in the primary filling zone 41 and from there subsequently flows into the secondary filling zone 42 of the side curtain airbag system 20.
[0067] FIG. 6 shows another, i.e. fifth embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view, wherein a tubing system 54 is provided through which filling gas is guided from an inlet opening 55 to two respective outlet openings 56 in the respective primary filling zones 41 of the airbag 10 which are associated with a respective thorax protection zone for a front and a rear seat row of the side curtain airbag system 20. Also in this case, the filling gas initially flows through the outlet openings 56 into the respective primary filling zone 41 and only afterwards, i.e. only after the primary filling zone 41 has been filled at least partly, into the secondary filling zone 42 of the airbag 10.
[0068] Each of the airbags 10 schematically shown in FIGS. 7a to 10f are formed as single-row airbags 10, wherein the respective pictures inter alia differ by the fact that the schematically shown airbags 10 designated with a and b in the pictures include a gas supply orifice 60 which in the driving and mounting direction is formed and arranged at the front, whereas the airbags 10 designated with the letters c and d include a gas supply orifice 60 which in the driving and mounting direction is formed and arranged centrally, and the airbags 10 designated with the letters e and f include a gas supply orifice 60 which in the driving and mounting direction is formed on the rear side. An inflator is associated with each of the gas supply orifices 60.
[0069] According to FIGS. 7a to 10f, the filling gas flows along an initial gas admission direction 90 through the gas supply orifice 60 into the airbag interior 30 which is in the form of one single chamber 40.
[0070] In each of the FIGS. 7a to 7f an airbag according to the invention is shown in a respective schematic sectional view, wherein filling gas flows through a gas supply orifice 60 into a tubing system 54 arranged within the airbag 10 that serves as a gas guiding device 50. According to FIGS. 7a, 7b, 7e and 7f, the tubing system 54 includes two outlet openings 56 through which in the operating state, i.e. during a filling operation of the airbag 10, the filling gas flows initially into two primary filling zones 41 associated with the thorax area and the head area so that, in a case of crash, first the thorax area as well as the head area of a vehicle occupant are protected. In the case of a central filling of the airbag 10 according to the invention, as schematically shown in FIG. 7c and FIG. 7d, the tubing system 54 arranged in the airbag 10 includes a total of three outlet openings 56 through which the filling gas can initially flow into the primary filling zones 41 of the airbag 10 according to the invention. A filling of the secondary filling zones 42 does not take place before the filling gas has flown along the primary gas flow direction 100 into the primary filling zone 41 and from there outpours into the secondary filling zones 42.
[0071] The embodiment of an airbag according to the invention shown in FIGS. 9a to 9f substantially differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7a to 7f in that the airbag according to the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 9a to 9f includes a tubing system 54 which has only one single outlet opening 56 which is associated with the primary filling zone 41 and with the thorax area. According to this embodiment, the filling gas flows from the gas supply orifice 60 into the tubing system 54 and leaves the latter along a primary gas flow direction 100 through the outlet opening 56, wherein the first filling zone 41 of the airbag 10 is inflated and thus deployed. After the fill volume of the airbag 10 has reached a predefined level in the first filling zone 41, the filling gas flows into the secondary filling zone(s) 42 along a secondary gas flow direction 200.
[0072] According to FIGS. 8a to 8f, the airbag 10 according to the invention includes a gas guiding device 50 which in the case of front-side or rear-side filling is configured as a seam 52 and in the case of central filling is configured as two seams 52 defining a channel. Along the gas guiding device 50 the flowing filling gas is guided along a primary gas flow direction 100 first into the first filling zone 41, until the latter has a predetermined fill volume as well as a predetermined pressure. Upon reaching said fill volume and/or the predetermined pressure, the gas guiding device 50 in the form of a seam 52 will tear so that the filling gas can flow along the secondary gas flow direction 200 into the secondary filling zone 42. In this way, the filling gas inflowing from the gas supply orifice 60 at first along an undefined initial gas admission direction 90 does not spread in the airbag 10 according to the invention in a non-directed and turbulent manner, as in the previous state of the art, but flows along the gas guiding device 50 in a directed manner first into the primary filling zone 41 and only afterwards into the secondary filling zone 41. As is indicated in FIGS. 8a to 8f by the hatched seam 52, according to the invention the seam 52 is not designed to be completely gas-tight but permits a minor gas passage, when the outflowing filling gas flows along the gas guiding device 50. In this way, the secondary filling zone 42 can slightly deploy already before the seam 52 bursts, which, on the one hand, contributes to improved deployment of the curtain airbag per se as well as to controlled inflation of the secondary filling zone 42 after filling the first filling zone 41.
[0073] In FIGS. 10a to 10f another embodiment of an airbag 10 according to the invention is illustrated in a schematic sectional view in which the filling gas coming from the gas supply orifice 60 flows into a tubing system 54 formed of seams 52 that may burst at a predefined pressure. In accordance with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10a to 10f it is illustrated in which way a tubing system 54 can be formed of seams 52, wherein the tubing system 54 will tear from a particular fill volume of the airbag 10 and, resp., of the primary filling zone thereof by bursting of the seams 52 so that the inflowing filling gas then does not only flow along a primary gas flow direction 100 through the outlet opening 56 but also outpours through the burst seams 52 into the secondary filling zone(s) 42. The respective gas flow directions are schematically indicated in FIGS. 7a to 10f by respective arrows.
[0074] Each of the airbags 10 according to the invention schematically represented in FIGS. 2 to 10f is provided with module fastenings 1 and a strap or belt 2 which serve for mounting the respective airbags 10 on or in a vehicle.
[0075] It is pointed out in this context that all afore-described parts considered per se and in any combination, especially the details shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention. Modifications of the same are known to those skilled in the art.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0076] 1 module fastening [0077] 2 strap or belt [0078] 10 airbag [0079] 20 side curtain airbag system [0080] 30 airbag interior [0081] 40 chamber [0082] 41 primary filling zone [0083] 42 secondary filling zone [0084] 50 gas guiding device [0085] 52 seam [0086] 54 tubing system [0087] 55 inlet opening [0088] 56 outlet opening [0089] 57 predetermined breaking point [0090] 60 gas supply orifice [0091] 90 initial gas admission direction [0092] 100 primary gas flow direction [0093] 200 secondary gas flow direction
