VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT DEVICE

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint device (10) comprises a pre-assembled head side airbag module (12) installed in a backrest (14) of a vehicle seat (16) and including an airbag (28) which deploys between two places adjacent transversely to the longitudinal vehicle direction and reduces lateral oscillation of a vehicle occupant toward an adjacent vehicle seat and, resp., vehicle occupant. The head side airbag module (12) comprises a module housing (32) surrounding the airbag (28) at least partially in the installed condition which includes a guiding portion (34) extending on the side of the airbag (28) and exerting a force (F) upon the deploying airbag (28) so that during deployment the latter is pressed in the direction of the vehicle occupant to be restrained.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A vehicle occupant restraint device comprising a pre-assembled head side airbag module (12) installed in a backrest (14) of a vehicle seat (16) and including an airbag (28) which deploys between two seats adjacent transversely to the longitudinal vehicle direction (x) and reduces lateral oscillation of a vehicle occupant toward an adjacent vehicle seat and, respectively, vehicle occupant, wherein the head side airbag module (12) includes a module housing (32) at least partially surrounding the airbag (28) in the installed condition and having a guiding portion (34) which extends on the side of the airbag (28) and exerts a force (F) upon the deploying airbag (28) so that upon deployment the latter is pressed in the direction of the vehicle occupant to be restrained, and wherein the head side airbag module (12) includes a tensile means (60), the first end (58) of which is permanently fastened on an airbag wall (56) facing the vehicle occupant to be restrained and the second end (62) of which is fixed on the module housing (32) and/or on the seat frame (40).

15. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the module housing (32) has a substantially U-shaped cross-section when viewed in the vertical vehicle direction (z), wherein the guiding portion (34) is formed by a leg of the U.

16. The vehicle occupant restraint device of claim 15, wherein an opening (44) located between the legs (34, 36) of the U points in the deployment direction of the airbag (28).

17. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the head side airbag module (12) is arranged in an upper half of the backrest (14).

18. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the head side airbag module (12) is arranged in an upper third of the backrest (14).

19. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the head side airbag module (12) is fixed to a seat frame (40) disposed in the backrest (14), especially wherein the head side airbag module (12) is integrated in a folded state of the airbag (28) in a seat side bolster (18) of the backrest (14) and is covered by a cushion (24) of the seat side bolster (18) and wherein the airbag (28) in an inflated state extends beyond the side bolster (18) of the seat.

20. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the airbag (28) includes a sewn external wall (46) the fabric layers of which are joined by sewing at least at a peripheral edge.

21. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the airbag (28) includes an external wall (46) woven of one single piece the fabric layers of which are interwoven at least at a peripheral edge.

22. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 20, wherein the airbag (28) includes at least two nested walls for forming the external wall (46), with an inner wall having high gas tightness and an outer wall having high strength.

23. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the airbag (28) includes a first chamber (48) which is largely surrounded by the module housing (32) even in the inflated state as well as a second chamber (50) adjacent to the first chamber (48) in the deployment direction of the airbag (28) and being fluid-communicated with the former, the second chamber forming the protection zone of the vehicle occupant.

24. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 23, wherein in the area of transition from the first chamber (48) to the second chamber (50) inside the airbag (28) a fixing means (52) is provided which limits a distance of opposed airbag wall portions (54, 56).

25. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 23, wherein the first end (58) of the tensile means (60) is fastened on the airbag wall (56) approximately in the area of transition from the first chamber (48) to the second chamber (50).

26. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein the module housing (32) includes a tab (38) which in the installed condition at least partially encompasses a seat frame (40) of the vehicle seat (16) assigned to the vehicle occupant, wherein the second end (62) of the tensile means (60) is fixed to the tab (38).

27. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 26, wherein the second end (62) of the tensile means (60) is secured to a hook (64) disposed on the tab (38).

28. The vehicle occupant restraint device according to claim 14, wherein an airbag wall (56) facing the vehicle occupant in the inflated state of the airbag (28) during deployment abuts at least in portion on the vehicle seat (16) assigned to the vehicle occupant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further features and advantages will be evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment by way of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle seat comprising a head side airbag module in the installed condition;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view onto two vehicle seats arranged side by side comprising the head side airbag module from FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 3b shows a perspective view of the vehicle seat similar to that of FIG. 3a, but without a back panel;

[0030] FIG. 4a shows a sectional view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1 with the head side airbag module being in the installed condition; and

[0031] FIG. 4b shows a sectional view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1 with the head side airbag module being in the triggered state.

DESCRIPTION

[0032] The Figures illustrate a vehicle occupant restraint device 10 according to the invention having a pre-assembled head side airbag module 12 which is installed in a backrest 14 of a vehicle seat 16, which is a driver seat in this case. The head side airbag module 12 is integrated in a seat side bolster 18, on the side facing a center console 20 and, resp., a passenger seat 22.

[0033] Although the vehicle occupant restraint device 10 in FIG. 2 is shown for the driver seat only, of course also the passenger seat 22 may include an appropriate head side airbag module 12 which then is arranged on the side facing the driver seat. It is equally imaginable to provide the vehicle occupant restraint device 10 according to the invention for the rear occupants. Basically, the vehicle occupant restraint device 10 is effective between two seats adjacent transversely to the longitudinal vehicle direction x and reduces lateral oscillation of a vehicle occupant toward the adjacent vehicle seat and, resp., toward an adjacent vehicle occupant.

[0034] The head side airbag module 12 is arranged in an upper half, especially an upper third of the backrest 14 (see FIG. 1) and in the installed condition is covered by a cushion 24 of the seat side bolster 18 as well as by a back panel 26, as can be inferred especially from FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0035] The module may as well be covered by a seat cover having a tear seam instead of a back panel in a way known per se.

[0036] The head side airbag module 12 includes an airbag 28 (see FIGS. 4a and 4b) which may deploy between the vehicle seat 16 (i.e. the driver seat) and the passenger seat 22. Furthermore, an inflator 30 is provided which, just as the airbag 28, is surrounded in the installed condition at least partially by a module housing 32 having a substantially U-shaped cross-section when viewed in the vertical vehicle direction z.

[0037] One leg of the U-shaped module housing 32 facing the passenger seat 22 and, resp., the center console 20 forms a guiding portion 34 which extends on the side of the airbag 28 and exerts force upon the deploying airbag 28 so that during deployment the latter is pressed in the direction of the vehicle seat 16 and of the vehicle occupant to be restrained. The second leg 36 of the U-shaped module housing 32 facing away from the passenger seat 22 merges in one piece into a tab 38 which in the installed condition encompasses a seat frame 40 arranged in the backrest 14, the module housing 32 being fixed on the seat frame 40 by means of two bolts 42. An opening 44 of the module housing 32 located between the legs 34, 36 points in the deployment direction of the airbag 28. Other types of fastening known per se are equally possible.

[0038] The airbag 28 has an outer wall 46 formed of two nested walls, wherein the inner wall has high gas tightness and is especially woven of one single piece, the fabric layers being interwoven at least at a peripheral edge. The outer wall of the external wall 46, on the other hand, has high strength and is formed especially by joining fabric layers by sewing at least at a peripheral edge. Said double-layer airbag 28 excels vis--vis conventional airbags by a higher internal pressure and longer service life,

[0039] For reasons of clarity, the representation of the two walls was dispensed with in the Figures.

[0040] Alternatively, it is imaginable to make use of a single-layer airbag having a sewn external wall or having an external wall being woven of one single piece.

[0041] The airbag 28 moreover is subdivided into a first chamber 48 and a second chamber 50 connected, in the deployment direction of the airbag 28, to the first chamber 48 and being fluid-communicated with the latter. The first chamber 48 has a smaller volume, as evident from FIG. 4b, and is located in direct vicinity of the inflator 30, while the second chamber 50 forms the protection zone of the vehicle occupant seated on the vehicle seat 16.

[0042] In the area of transition from the first chamber 48 to the second chamber 50, inside the airbag 28 a fixing means 52 is provided for limiting a distance of opposed airbag wall portions 54, 56. The fixing means 52 is a tether or a fabric layer. The fixing means 52 secures a shape of the airbag 28 which is comparatively flat in the transverse vehicle direction y.

[0043] Likewise, in the transition area from the first chamber 48 to the second chamber 50, outside of the airbag wall 56 facing the vehicle occupant to be restrained a first end 58 of a tensile means 60 is permanently fastened. The second end 62 of the tensile means 60, which is in the form of a tether here, is fixed on the module housing 32, more exactly fastened on the tab 38 encompassing the seat frame 40. Especially, the second end 62 is secured to a hook 64 disposed on the tab 38. As an alternative, a riveted connection is imaginable in this case.

[0044] It is equally possible to mount the second end 62 of the tensile means 60 directly on the seat frame 40.

[0045] In an alternative embodiment, the tab 38 does not end in the position shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b but includes a mounting portion for the tensile means 60 that ends in the area of the back panel 26 or is lengthened here. This also involves facilitated assembly of the module, as the tab need not be guided around the seat frame to the interior.

[0046] When, in the event of side impact, the vehicle occupant restraint device 10 is triggered, the airbag 28 deploys through the opening 44, while it presses the cushion 24 of the side bolster 18 of the seat partly to the side (cf. FIG. 4b) and the airbag wall 56 abuts at least in portions on the vehicle seat 16 and, resp., on the cushion 24.

[0047] During deployment, the guiding portion 34 exerts a force symbolized by the arrow F in FIG. 4b upon the deploying airbag 28, especially the guiding portion 34 presses on the first chamber 48 which, even in the inflated state of the airbag 28, is largely surrounded by the shell-type module housing 32. Thus, also the second chamber 50 and hence the entire airbag 28 is pressed in the direction of the vehicle occupant to be restrained and, reap., in the direction of the vehicle seat 16. The tensile means 60 pulls the deploying airbag 28 additionally to the vehicle occupant and, rasp., to the vehicle seat 16, but due to the mounting in the transition area between the first chamber 48 and the second chamber 50 it will not contact the vehicle occupant.

[0048] The clamping and fixing of the airbag 28 by means of the guiding portion 34 as well as the friction occurring by the airbag wall 66 contacting the vehicle seat 16 help to substantially reduce or, reap., completely avoid oscillation and rotation of the airbag 28 about the transverse vehicle axis y, which airbags having a by far larger extension in the vertical vehicle direction z than in the longitudinal and, rasp., transverse vehicle direction very strongly tend to do.

[0049] Finally, the modular structure of the vehicle occupant restraint device 10 in which all components parts required for positioning and restraining are integrated in the head side airbag module 12 is emphasized. Therefore, it is sufficient to fasten merely the head side airbag module 12 via the bolts 42 located on the module to the seat frame 40.