Vehicle occupant restraint system with intermediate airbag and vehicle with vehicle occupant restraint system

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint system with an intermediate airbag (16), which extends in the mounted and inflated state between two vehicle seats (12, 13) positioned next to one another and which has an inflatable torso cushion (22), an inflatable head cushion (24) adjoining the torso cushion (22), and an inflatable support cushion (26), the torso air cushion (22), the head air cushion (24) and the support air cushion (26) are fluidically connected to one another, and the support air cushion (26) adjoins the torso air cushion (22), projects laterally in the mounted and inflated state of the intermediate air bag (16) as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is constructed and arranged in such a way that the support air cushion (26) is supported by the support air cushion (26). The supporting air cushion can be attached to the adjacent vehicle seat (13) when the middle air bag (16) is installed and fully inflated, and the supporting air cushion can support the middle air bag (16) against lateral force. The invention also relates to a vehicle having a vehicle occupant restraint system (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint system with a center airbag and a vehicle with the vehicle occupant restraint system. Background Art

[0002] In order to prevent vehicle occupants on two vehicle seats arranged side by side from being excessively swung and significantly protruding from the vehicle seats in the event of a side impact, it is known to provide an airbag between the two vehicle seats arranged side by side. Such airbags are also referred to as intermediate airbags.

[0003] From the prior art, central airbags are known which are held in place by tensioning straps. However, the use of such tensioning straps is very costly and increases the space requirement and the manufacturing costs. Furthermore, central airbags are known which are supported on the center console between the vehicle seats. Accordingly, the use of such central airbags is only sensible in vehicles with a center console, so that their application range is limited. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the invention is to stabilize the intermediate airbag in a simple manner.

[0005] This task is achieved by a vehicle occupant restraint system with an intermediate airbag, which extends between two vehicle seats positioned side by side when installed and inflated, and has an inflatable torso air cushion, an inflatable head air cushion adjacent to the torso air cushion, and an inflatable support air cushion, wherein the torso air cushion, the head air cushion and the support air cushion are in flow connection with each other, and the support air cushion is adjacent to the torso air cushion, the support air cushion protrudes laterally when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the intermediate airbag is installed and inflated, and the support air cushion is constructed and arranged so that the support air cushion can rest against an adjacent vehicle seat and support the intermediate airbag against lateral forces when the intermediate airbag is installed and fully inflated.

[0006] The basic idea of ​​the present invention is to establish a reaction force that keeps the vehicle occupant on its seat in a simple manner through the interaction of the supporting air cushion with the adjacent vehicle seat. At this, it is irrelevant whether a center console is provided.

[0007] Here, the inflatable supporting air cushion comprises only a small part of the total volume of the central airbag, so that due to this relatively small additional volume of the supporting air cushion, no worthy time delay occurs when deploying and filling the central airbag, and the central airbag is still reliably and very effectively supported by the supporting air cushion.

[0008] There is no direct contact between a vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat to which the deployed center airbag is assigned and the support air cushion; instead, the support air cushion serves only to build up a support force on the adjacent vehicle seat.

[0009] The support cushion can be arranged and so large that the support cushion can be placed against the seat back of the adjacent vehicle seat when the center airbag is fully inflated. Therefore, even if the occupant does not apply a load, the support cushion can support the center airbag with a lateral force.

[0010] Accordingly, the support cushion is adapted to the distance between the torso cushion and the adjacent seat backrest in order to be able to support the central airbag as well as possible. The seat backrest provides a stable support structure for the support cushion. In addition, the contact of the support cushion with the seat backrest of the adjacent vehicle seat generates a supporting force at the torso height of the vehicle occupant.

[0011] It is conceivable that the support air cushion, when the central airbag is fully inflated, rests mostly against the side surface of the seat back of the adjacent vehicle seat. This side surface provides a sufficiently large area for the support air cushion and is particularly suitable for building up supporting forces, because its surface usually faces the direction in which the lateral forces should be built up.

[0012] The trunk air cushion, the head air cushion and the support air cushion may each be composed of one or more independent cut-out parts.

[0013] If these pads consist of a single cut-out part, the design and manufacture of the entire intermediate airbag can be simplified.

[0014] If the mats consist of several cut-to-size sections, there is greater freedom in design and specific adaptation to the respective requirements.

[0015] The separate cut-out parts also allow a modular assembly, so that, for example, adapted support cushions can be added as separate cut-out parts to standardized torso and head cushions, depending on the vehicle interior in which the center airbag is to be used.

[0016] Preferably, the torso air cushion can have a peripheral seam in the installed and inflated state, which points vertically downward along the lower part, vertically upward along the upper part, and forward and backward along the front part and rear part, respectively. This proves to be particularly advantageous when the center airbag is inflated and at the same time also has a positive effect on the transmission of supporting forces from the supporting air cushion via the torso air cushion to the vehicle occupant. In other words, the torso air cushion is oriented vertically "upright".

[0017] Advantageously, the torso air cushion has a flat cushion shape and oppositely facing flat sides pointing toward the sides of the vehicle, wherein the head air cushion is mounted on one flat side and the support air cushion is mounted on the opposite flat side.

[0018] The flat side is not to be understood here as being flat, but rather as being flatter than the remaining side surfaces of the torso air cushion (for example the upper side and the lower side).

[0019] The flat side facing oppositely allows the vehicle occupant to be supported flat on one side and his head to be stabilized by means of the head cushion fastened to the flat side.

[0020] The flat side facing away from the vehicle offers the possibility of freely positioning the supporting air cushion on the flat side, whereby the position can be optimally adapted to the requirements and the adjacent vehicle seats.

[0021] Preferably, in the installed and inflated state of the central airbag, the support air cushion is completely located within the outer periphery of the torso air cushion in a side view. This also has a positive effect on the following situation, that is, the lateral forces exerted by the support air cushion are introduced as concentratedly as possible into the torso air cushion and thus support the vehicle occupant.

[0022] When the central airbag is installed and inflated, the head cushion can be fastened to the torso cushion in its upper half and extend obliquely upwards and away from the torso cushion beyond its upper end in a side view.

[0023] This arrangement of the torso air cushion and the head air cushion and the course of the head air cushion ensures that in the event of a side impact not only the torso of the vehicle occupant is supported laterally by the torso air cushion but also the head by the head air cushion.

[0024] Advantageously, the head air cushion, in the installed and inflated state, has a width in the region where it intersects the torso air cushion in a side view, which width at least corresponds to the width of the torso air cushion in this region. The width is measured in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As a result, the head air cushion can be supported completely over the entire width on the torso air cushion and can also protect the vehicle occupant in the event of an oblique impact.

[0025] Preferably, in a state where the intermediate airbag is fully inflated, the support air cushion may have the shape of a flat sphere, wherein the flat side faces the torso air cushion.

[0026] The opposite side of the supporting air cushion faces toward an adjacent vehicle seat, in particular toward a seat backrest of an adjacent vehicle seat.

[0027] The flat spherical shape of the supporting air cushion makes it possible to transmit the forces in a planar manner to both sides.

[0028] Preferably, the vehicle occupant restraint system can include a backrest of a vehicle seat, in which an intermediate airbag is arranged and from which a side surface of the backrest emerges, wherein the torso air cushion in an inflated state laterally rests against the side surface, in particular wherein the head air cushion extends along the upper edge of the backrest to the headrest.

[0029] In this case, the backrest provides a stable structure for fastening the entire central airbag and provides sufficient space for accommodating the central airbag.

[0030] Since the torso air cushion in the inflated state lies laterally against the side surface, when the torso air cushion is deployed, the vehicle occupant is already supported directly by the supporting air cushion in the event of a side impact.

[0031] When the middle airbag is fully inflated, the volume of the support air cushion can be between 20% and 50% of the volume of the torso air cushion. Accordingly, the support air cushion accounts for a relatively small proportion of the total volume of the fully inflated middle airbag, but this proportion is sufficient to achieve the relevant support effect.

[0032] Furthermore, the object stated at the outset is achieved by a vehicle having a vehicle occupant restraint system according to the invention and two vehicle seats arranged side by side, each of which has a backrest, wherein a central airbag is arranged in one of the backrests, and wherein the width of the central airbag in the installed and inflated state is selected such that the torso air cushion rests on a side surface of the backrest in which the central airbag is arranged and the support air cushion rests on a side surface of an adjacent vehicle seat.

[0033] With regard to the resulting advantages, reference is made to the above statements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a vehicle occupant restraint system with a fully inflated center airbag according to the present invention is shown in a front view; and

[0036] Figure 2 Shown in perspective Figure 1 Vehicle occupant restraint systems. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1 and 2 A vehicle occupant restraint system 10 is shown with two vehicle seats 12 , 13 arranged next to each other, each having a backrest 14 , 15 , wherein a central airbag 16 is accommodated in the backrest 14 and emerges from its side surface 18 during deployment.

[0038] In the installed and inflated state, the central airbag 16 extends between two vehicle seats 12 , 13 situated next to one another, starting from a side surface 18 to an opposite side surface 20 of the adjacent vehicle seat 13 .

[0039] The intermediate air bag 16 includes an inflatable torso air cushion 22 , an inflatable head air cushion 24 adjacent to the torso air cushion 22 , and an inflatable support air cushion 26 .

[0040] The torso air cushion 22 , the head air cushion 24 and the support air cushion 26 are in fluid connection with one another.

[0041] In this case, the torso air cushion 22 in the inflated state lies laterally against the side surface 18 in which the central airbag 16 is accommodated.

[0042] Furthermore, the torso air cushion 22 is composed of two separate cut-out parts 28 , 30 .

[0043] In this case, the torso air cushion is connected to the side surface 18 of the vehicle seat 12 via a cut-out 28 and has a blowing opening there.

[0044] The two cut-out parts 28 , 30 are connected to one another via a peripheral seam 32 .

[0045] When the torso air cushion 22 is installed and inflated, the peripheral seam 32 points vertically downward along the lower portion 34, vertically upward along the upper portion 36, forwardly along the front portion 38, and rearwardly along the rear portion 40, so that the inflated torso air cushion 22 is positioned upright in the vehicle.

[0046] In this case, the torso air cushion 22 has a flat cushion shape in the inflated state and oppositely facing flat sides 42 , 44 which are not flat but are flatter than the other sides in the region of the sections 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 .

[0047] The oppositely facing flat sides 42 , 44 of the torso air cushion 22 point toward the sides of the vehicle.

[0048] The head air cushion 24 is mounted on the flat side 42 , while the support air cushion 26 is mounted on the second flat side 44 .

[0049] The head air cushion 24 extends along the upper edge of the backrest 14 toward the headrest 63 .

[0050] The head cushion 24 is also composed of two separate cut-out parts 46 , 48 .

[0051] These cut-out portions 46 , 48 are connected to one another by a peripheral seam 50 .

[0052] The peripheral seam 50 points forward along the front portion 52, points rearward along the rear portion 54 and points along the lateral portion 56 toward the vehicle side on which the vehicle seat 12 with the installed center airbag 16 is located. In general, the peripheral seam 50 extends in a plane extending obliquely upward toward the headrest 63.

[0053] On the opposite side of the lateral section 56 , in the installed and inflated state of the central airbag 16 , in the region of the intersection region 58 , the head air cushion 24 is fastened in an upper half 60 to the cutout 28 of the torso air cushion 22 .

[0054] Starting from the flat side 42 of the torso air cushion and partially starting from the upper portion 36 of the torso air cushion 22 , the head air cushion 24 extends obliquely upwardly away from the torso air cushion beyond an upper end 62 of the torso air cushion 22 .

[0055] In the region 58 where the head air cushion 24 and the torso air cushion 22 intersect, the head air cushion 24 has a width B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 5 ) when the center air bag 16 is installed and inflated. Figure 2 ), which width corresponds to the width of the torso air cushion 22 in this area 58.

[0056] Furthermore, the supporting air cushion also consists of two cut-out parts 64 , 66 .

[0057] In this case, the support cushion 26 is fastened via the cut-out 64 to the cut-out 30 of the torso cushion 22 .

[0058] The cut-out portions 64 , 66 of the support cushion 26 are also connected to one another by a peripheral seam 68 .

[0059] In the fully inflated state of the central airbag 16 , the supporting air cushion has the shape of a flat sphere, wherein one of the flat side faces is assigned to the flat side 44 of the torso air cushion.

[0060] The peripheral seam 68 projects radially along the equator of the flattened spheroidal shape of the support air cushion 26 and lies in a plane extending substantially parallel to the vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

[0061] In this case, when the central airbag 16 is fully inflated, the volume of the supporting air cushion may be between 20% and 50% of the volume of the torso air cushion 22 .

[0062] In the inflated state of the central airbag 16 , the supporting air cushion 26 rests on the side facing away from the torso air cushion 22 with the contact surface 72 of the cutout 66 on the side surface 20 of the backrest 15 of the adjacent vehicle seat 13 .

[0063] Accordingly, the width of the central airbag 16 in the installed and inflated state is such that the torso air cushion 22 abuts against the side surface 18 of the backrest 14 of the vehicle seat 12 from which the central airbag 16 emerges, and the support air cushion 26 abuts against the side surface 20 of the backrest 15 of the adjacent vehicle seat 13 .

[0064] The entire central airbag 16 is supported against lateral forces by the supporting air cushion 26 through the contact of the contact surface 72 with the side surface 20 . This is also the case if no force acts on the central airbag 16 from the vehicle seat 12 in the direction of the vehicle seat 13 .

[0065] If a lateral force acts from vehicle seat 12 in the direction of vehicle seat 13 , a reaction force is generated by the contact of support cushion 26 with side surface 20 which supports central airbag 16 , so that torso air cushion 22 together with head air cushion 24 undergoes the smallest possible displacement in the direction of vehicle seat 13 .

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system with an intermediate airbag (16), which, in an installed and inflated state, extends between two vehicle seats (12, 13) positioned side by side, and which has an inflatable torso air cushion (22), an inflatable head air cushion (24) adjacent to the torso air cushion (22), and an inflatable support air cushion (26), wherein: The torso air cushion (22), the head air cushion (24) and the support air cushion (26) are in fluid connection with each other, and the support air cushion (26) is adjacent to the torso air cushion (22), the support air cushion protrudes laterally when the intermediate air bag (16) is installed and inflated, and the support air cushion is constructed and arranged so that the support air cushion can be abutted against an adjacent vehicle seat (13) and support the intermediate air bag (16) against lateral forces when the intermediate air bag (16) is installed and fully inflated.

2. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arrangement and size of the support air cushion (26) are such that the support air cushion (26) can rest against the backrest (15) of an adjacent vehicle seat (13) when the intermediate airbag (16) is fully inflated.

3. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The trunk air cushion (22), the head air cushion (24) and the support air cushion (26) are respectively composed of one or more independent cut parts (28, 30, 46, 48, 64, 66).

4. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The torso air cushion (22) has a peripheral seam (32) in the installed and inflated state, which points vertically downward along the lower portion (34), vertically upward along the upper portion (36), and forwardly and rearwardly along the front and rear portions (38, 40), respectively.

5. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The torso air cushion (22) has a flat cushion shape and has oppositely facing flat sides (42, 44) pointing toward the sides of the vehicle, wherein the head air cushion (24) is mounted on one flat side (42) and the support air cushion (26) is mounted on the opposite flat side (44).

6. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that When the intermediate airbag (16) is installed and inflated, the support air cushion (26) is completely located within the outer periphery of the torso air cushion (22) in a side view.

7. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that When the intermediate airbag (16) is installed and inflated, the head air cushion (24) is fastened to the torso air cushion (22) in the upper half (60) of the torso air cushion and extends obliquely upward and away from the torso air cushion in a side view beyond the upper end (62) of the torso air cushion (22).

8. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that In the installed and inflated state, the head air cushion (24) has a width (B) measured in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in a region (58) where it intersects the torso air cushion (22) in a side view, which width at least corresponds to the width of the torso air cushion (22) in this region.

9. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that When the intermediate airbag (16) is fully inflated, the support air cushion (26) has the shape of a flat sphere, wherein one flat side (70) faces the torso air cushion (22).

10. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that A vehicle occupant restraint system (10) comprises a backrest (14) of a vehicle seat (12), in which a central airbag (16) is arranged and which protrudes from a side surface (18) of the backrest, wherein a torso air cushion (22) in an inflated state laterally rests against the side surface (18), and in particular wherein a head air cushion (24) extends along an upper edge of the backrest (14) to a headrest (63).

11. A vehicle occupant restraint system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that When the middle airbag (16) is fully inflated, the volume of the support air cushion (26) is between 20% and 50% of the volume of the trunk air cushion (22).

12. A vehicle comprising a vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to claim 10 or 11 and two vehicle seats (12, 13) arranged next to each other, each of which has a backrest (14, 15), wherein: An intermediate airbag (16) is arranged in one of the backrests (14), and the width of the intermediate airbag (16) in the installed and inflated state is selected so that the torso air cushion (22) abuts against a side surface (18) of the backrest (14), in which the intermediate airbag (16) is arranged, and the support air cushion (26) abuts against a side surface (20) of an adjacent vehicle seat (13).

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