Airbag for vehicle occupant restraint system and vehicle occupant restraint system
By designing curved airbag sidewalls and offset fixing interfaces, flexible installation and effective positioning of airbags on vehicle seats are achieved, reducing the load on vehicle occupants and improving the stability and installation adaptability of airbags.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
The folding of airbags is complex and difficult to match with the limited installation space of vehicle seats, affecting their positioning relative to vehicle occupants.
Design a vehicle occupant restraint system, in which an airbag has a curved sidewall portion and an offset fixing interface, so that the airbag bends in an arc shape when inflated, independent of the folding method, and the fixing interface is spaced apart from the first side edge of the airbag, and the gas generator is fixed on the sidewall portion facing the occupant.
Airbags can be positioned closer to the vehicle occupant's torso, reducing the load on the shoulders and arms, improving the stability and installation flexibility of the airbag, and reducing reliance on other components on the vehicle seat.
Smart Images
Figure CN121909137A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant restraint system having an airbag for installation on a vehicle seat. Background Technology
[0002] Airbags can be affected in particular by their folding relative to vehicle seats and the positions of vehicle occupants within those seats. However, such folding is complex and often difficult to fit within the limited installation space available at vehicle seats. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The objective of this invention is to improve the positioning of airbags relative to vehicle occupants.
[0004] This task is solved by a vehicle occupant restraint system having an airbag for mounting on a vehicle seat. The airbag has an occupant-facing sidewall portion and an occupant-repellent sidewall portion, which are connected to each other along their outer periphery by a circumferential connection. In the flat-out, uninflated state of the airbag, the circumferential connection defines a gas generator-side end at a first side edge and an opposite internal space-side end at a second side edge. In the fully inflated state, the airbag has a seat back-side end and an end away from the seat back. A fixing interface for the gas generator is provided on one surface of the occupant-facing sidewall portion, spaced 40 mm to 100 mm from the first side edge, such that in the fully inflated state, the airbag is curved in a top view, and the internal space-side end of the circumferential connection is offset toward the occupant-facing sidewall portion relative to the airbag's end away from the seat back.
[0005] This arrangement of the gas generator allows the airbag to be positioned significantly independently of how it folds. The targeted bending allows the airbag to be positioned much closer to the vehicle occupant's torso.
[0006] By moving the anchoring interface into the surface of the occupant-facing sidewall portion (which, in the airbag's installed state, is equivalent to moving the anchoring interface forward along the seat's longitudinal direction), an extension of the occupant-facing sidewall portion is effectively achieved. This causes the airbag to roll in towards the seat surface and, consequently, towards the occupant on the vehicle seat. This creates the possibility that the airbag could, for example, reach under the occupant's arm and lift it, potentially reducing the load on the uppermost rib. Studies have also shown that moving the anchoring interface in this manner can affect the load on the occupant's shoulders. The dependence of airbag positioning on the gap width between the occupant on the vehicle seat and fixed vehicle components (e.g., door panels, sidewalls, or adjacent vehicle seats) can also be reduced.
[0007] The fixing of the gas generator at the mounting interface and the vehicle seat does not significantly affect the airbag's roll-in motion, so the gas generator can be fixed in the same way as in the traditional way, such as by fixing bolts or clamps.
[0008] The distance between the fixing interface and the first side edge of the airbag is determined specifically along a straight line perpendicular to the first side edge of the airbag. The offset distance of the fixing interface toward the side wall portion facing the occupant is preferably 25 mm to 100 mm.
[0009] Particularly preferred is that the fixed interface is offset from the occupant-facing sidewall portion by a distance between 40 mm and 70 mm. Studies have shown that this offset allows for sufficient bending of the airbag.
[0010] Due to the resulting bend, at least one exhaust opening can be simply placed in the side wall portion away from the occupant, as the filling gas can flow out from the exhaust opening in a direction away from the occupant.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the outer wall of the airbag consists of occupant-facing sidewall portions and occupant-removing sidewall portions, and the sidewall portions are interconnected along their entire outer perimeter. For example, the airbag is made from a single, particularly flattenable, cut piece and folded along a first side edge. The remaining overlapping sections of the outer perimeter are connected by circumferential seams. The circumferential seams can be formed as seams in a conventional manner, but can also be formed by adhesive or welding.
[0012] Preferably, the outer perimeters and contours of the two sidewall portions are identical, allowing the circumferential connection to unfold flat within a plane. Alternatively, additional material can be introduced onto the surfaces of the respective sidewall portions, resulting in an overall three-dimensional, non-flattenable shape for the airbag, and in the inflated state, it exhibits bulges, depressions, and / or protrusions on its sides.
[0013] An airbag is typically part of an airbag module that includes an elongated gas generator positioned between two sidewall sections within the airbag's internal space and secured to a mounting interface by a fixing element designed for mounting on a vehicle seat.
[0014] The gas generator is, for example, a commonly used tubular gas generator, whose longitudinal axis is oriented parallel to the first side edge of the airbag.
[0015] The fixing element can be, for example, a fixing bolt extending from the side of the gas generator, and the fixing interface can have an opening in the occupant-facing side wall portion for each fixing bolt. The gas generator can then be installed in the conventionally known manner, i.e., arranged inside the airbag and the fixing bolts pushed through the openings to the outside of the airbag.
[0016] Preferably, the vehicle occupant restraint system includes a vehicle seat, wherein the airbag module is mounted on the backrest of the vehicle seat via a fixed interface, and the airbag, in a fully inflated state, is oriented relative to the vehicle seat such that the airbag is curved in an arc relative to the vertical axis of the vehicle seat towards the seat surface, and the end of the circumferential connection on the inner space side is offset relative to the end of the airbag away from the seat back towards the seat surface. The longitudinal axis of the gas generator is oriented particularly along the backrest. Therefore, the offset is made in the lateral direction of the seat, thereby toward the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat.
[0017] When inflated, the airbag can support the backrest at the end of the seat back, which improves its stability.
[0018] Preferably, the end of the airbag furthest from the seat back, when fully inflated, is located in the arm area of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat. In particular, the area around the circumferential connection is located below the occupant's arm and can be raised.
[0019] The airbag is preferably a side airbag, which is positioned between the vehicle seat and the vehicle side wall when inflated, or a central airbag, which is positioned between the vehicle seat and another adjacent vehicle seat when inflated.
[0020] When used as a central airbag, the lateral bending of the airbag can also better orient it toward the occupant. This also applies to any head air chambers that may be present in the airbag. Attached Figure Description
[0021] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and an embodiment. In the drawings:
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of the vehicle occupant restraint system according to the present invention;
[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flat-deployed airbag in a vehicle occupant restraint system; and
[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the front view of the vehicle occupant restraint system shown. Detailed Implementation
[0025] For clarity, not all identical parts are labeled with reference numerals.
[0026] The accompanying drawing shows a vehicle occupant restraint system 10, which has an airbag module 12, the airbag module including an airbag 14.
[0027] A gas generator 18 is arranged in the internal space 16 of the airbag 14. This is a long, tubular gas generator that provides filling gas for the inflation of the airbag 14.
[0028] The airbag module 12 is mounted on the vehicle seat 20, which provides a seat for the vehicle occupant 22. The vehicle occupant 22 sits on the seat surface 24 of the vehicle seat 20 and leans against the backrest 26.
[0029] In this example, the airbag module 12 is mounted on the backrest 26, or more precisely on the side wing of the backrest 26, such that the longitudinal axis l of the gas generator 18 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal extension of the backrest 26.
[0030] The airbag 14 includes a sidewall portion 28 facing the occupant and a sidewall portion 30 facing away from the occupant. In this example, the outer wall of the airbag 14 is composed of two sidewall portions 28 and 30.
[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, the outer contours of the two sidewall portions 28 and 30 are identical along the outer perimeter 32. Along the outer perimeter 32, the sidewall portions 28 and 30 are firmly connected to each other at the circumferential connection 34. Here, the airbag 14 can be deployed such that the entire circumferential connection 34 lies in a single plane.
[0032] The sidewall portions 28 and 30 are integrally connected to each other along the first side edge 36 of the airbag 14 and folded along the first side edge 36 so that they also completely overlap along the rest of the outer perimeter 32.
[0033] The first side edge 36 defines the end 38 of the circumferential connection 34 on the gas generator side in the flattened, uninflated airbag 14. Conversely, at the second side edge 42, the circumferential connection 34 has an end 40 on the interior space side in the flattened, uninflated airbag 14. Both side edges 36 and 42 are sections of the circumferential connection 34.
[0034] A mounting interface 46 for the gas generator 18 is provided on the occupant-facing sidewall portion 28. In this example, the mounting interface 46 includes two openings 48 in the occupant-facing sidewall portion 28, which are provided with mounting elements 50 for receiving the gas generator 18. The mounting elements 50 are, for example, mounting bolts extending laterally from the gas generator 18, by which the gas generator 18 and the entire airbag module 12 are securely fixed to the frame (not shown) of the backrest 26 of the vehicle seat 20.
[0035] Two openings 48 are arranged successively along the longitudinal axis l of the gas generator 18 and thus in a direction parallel to the first side edge 36 of the airbag 14.
[0036] The fixed interface 46 is spaced from the first side edge 36 at a distance d of 25 mm to 100 mm, here 40 mm to 70 mm.
[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, compared to the conventional solution (shown as dashed lines), the fixed interface 46 is therefore significantly offset inward towards the face 44 of the occupant-facing sidewall portion 28. This means that the distance a1 from the fixed interface 46, along the occupant-facing sidewall portion 28 perpendicular to the first side edge 36 (and therefore also perpendicular to the longitudinal axis l of the gas generator 18) at the end 40 on the interior space side, to the circumferential connection portion 34, is significantly shorter than the distance a2 from the fixed interface 46 via the occupant-facing sidewall portion 30.
[0038] In the uninflated, flat-deployed state of the airbag 14, the end 52 on the seat back side and the end 54 away from the seat back are aligned in a straight line within the plane of the circumferential connection portion 34, and coincide with the end 38 on the gas generator side and the end 40 on the internal space side of the circumferential connection portion 34 (see...). Figure 2 and Figure 1 (The middle part is indicated by a dashed line).
[0039] However, in the fully inflated state, based on the position of the fixed interface 46 on the surface 44, the airbag 14 in the top view is relative to the vertical axis V of the vehicle seat 20 (see...). Figure 3 It curves in an arc towards the seat surface 24 of the vehicle.
[0040] During this process, the end 40 of the circumferential connection 34 on the interior space side moves toward the seat surface 24 and the vehicle occupant 22 in the direction of arrow P about the lateral direction Q of the seat. This causes the end 40 of the circumferential connection 34 on the interior space side of the airbag 14 to be offset by a distance 55 in the lateral direction Q toward the vehicle seat 20 relative to the end 54 of the airbag 14 away from the seat back—this end defines the point where the airbag 14 is most prominent relative to the vehicle seat 20 in the longitudinal direction L of the seat (see...). Figure 1 and Figure 3 ).
[0041] This bending is caused by the distance d between the fixed interface 46 and the first side edge 36, and the resulting length difference between the distances a1 and a2 between the side wall portion 28 facing the occupant and the side wall portion 30 facing away from the occupant to the second side edge 42.
[0042] The bending of the airbag 14 brings the end 40 of the circumferential connection 34 to the vicinity of the arm 56 of the vehicle occupant 22, allowing the airbag 14 to lift the arm 56, thereby reducing the load acting on the torso 58 of the vehicle occupant 22 (see [link]). Figure 3 ).
[0043] Due to the curvature of the airbag 14, the exhaust opening 60 is located in the side wall portion 30 away from the occupant. Figure 2 (shown as dashed line in the middle) is also oriented so that the filling gas flowing out of the airbag 14 is discharged in a direction away from the vehicle occupant 22.
[0044] In the example shown, airbag 14 is a side airbag that deploys between vehicle seat 20 and vehicle anchorage 62. Anchorage 62 is, for example, a side wall or door panel.
[0045] In a variant not shown, airbag 14 is a central airbag positioned between vehicle seat 20 and an adjacent vehicle seat.
Claims
1. A vehicle occupant restraint system (10) having an airbag (14) for mounting on a vehicle seat (20), wherein, The airbag (14) has a sidewall portion facing the occupant and a sidewall portion (28, 30) facing away from the occupant. These two sidewall portions are connected to each other along their outer periphery (32) by a circumferential connection (34). The circumferential connection (34) defines a gas generator-side end (38) at a first side edge (36) and an opposite internal space-side end (40) at a second side edge (42) of the airbag (14) in its flat, uninflated state. The airbag (14) in its fully inflated state has a seat back-side end (52) and an end opposite to the seat back. The end (54) of the airbag (18) and the fixing interface (46) for the gas generator (18) are provided on one side of the side wall portion (28) facing the occupant. The fixing interface (46) is spaced from the first side edge (36) at a distance (d) of 25 mm to 100 mm, particularly 40 mm to 100 mm, such that when the airbag (14) is fully inflated, the airbag (14) is curved in an arc shape in a top view, and the end (40) of the circumferential connection (34) on the internal space side is offset relative to the end (54) of the airbag (14) away from the seat back towards the side wall portion (28) facing the occupant.
2. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The distance (d) is between 40 mm and 70 mm.
3. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one exhaust opening (60) is provided in the side wall portion (30) away from the occupants.
4. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The outer wall of the airbag (14) consists of a side wall portion facing the occupant and a side wall portion (28, 30) facing away from the occupant, and the side wall portions (28, 30) are interconnected along their entire outer periphery (32).
5. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The airbag (14) is part of an airbag module (12) which includes an elongated gas generator (18) arranged in the interior space of the airbag (14) between two sidewall portions (28, 30) and fixed to a fixing interface (46) by a fixing element (50) configured for mounting on a vehicle seat (20).
6. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to claim 5, wherein, The longitudinal axis (l) of the gas generator (18) is oriented parallel to the first side edge (36) of the airbag (14).
7. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The fixing element (50) is a fixing bolt extending laterally from the gas generator (18), and the fixing interface (46) includes an opening (48) in the occupant-facing sidewall portion (28) for each fixing bolt.
8. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the vehicle occupant restraint system has a vehicle seat (20), The airbag module (12) is installed on the backrest (26) of the vehicle seat (20) via a fixed interface (46), and the airbag (14) is oriented relative to the vehicle seat (20) in a fully inflated state, such that the airbag (14) is curved in an arc relative to the vertical axis (V) of the vehicle seat (20) toward the seat surface (22) of the vehicle seat (20), and the end (40) of the circumferential connection (34) on the internal space side is offset relative to the end (54) of the airbag (14) away from the seat backrest toward the seat surface (24) of the vehicle seat (20).
9. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to claim 8, wherein, When fully inflated, the end (54) of the airbag (14) away from the seat back is located in the area of the arm (56) of the vehicle occupant (22) on the vehicle seat (20).
10. The vehicle occupant restraint system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The airbag (14) is a side airbag, which is arranged between the vehicle seat (20) and the vehicle side wall when inflated; or a central airbag, which is arranged between the vehicle seat (20) and another vehicle seat that is laterally adjacent when inflated.