Vehicle occupant protection device and vehicle seat

Abstract

Vehicle occupant protection device (20), comprising a gas bag (22), in particular for a front passenger, for protection in the event of a frontal impact, which has a fastening section (24) and an inflatable restraint section (26) adjacent to the fastening section (24), wherein the fastening section (24) is arranged laterally to the seat position of a vehicle occupant (12) and the restraint section (26) is designed such that the gas bag (22) extends in front of the vehicle occupants (12) in a fully inflated, unloaded state, characterized in that a retaining strap (40) is provided in the gas bag (22), which extends from the fastening section (24) substantially diagonally into the upper corner (44) of the gas bag (22) opposite in the fully inflated state.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device having an airbag, in particular for a passenger, which has a fastening portion and a restraining portion, which is in particular adjacent to the fastening portion and is to be inflated. The invention further relates to a vehicle seat having such a vehicle occupant protection device.Airbags that may inflate upon an impact of the vehicle and may capture or at least dampen the impact of the vehicle occupant on vehicle structures in the interior are used in the vehicle in various embodiments. These airbags are usually arranged in the vehicle structure, on which the vehicle occupant can strike, so that they can deploy toward the vehicle occupant in the event of a collision. Front-impact airbags are mounted, for example, in the vehicle steering wheel, the instrument panel, or, in the case of a passenger, under the vehicle interior trim arranged in front of the vehicle occupant. In the event of an impact of the vehicle, the vehicle interior cladding opens, so that the airbag can deploy in front of the vehicle occupant.The arrangement of the airbag under the vehicle interior cladding, however, restricts the design possibilities of the vehicle interior. The surface and material of the vehicle interior trim must be selected so that they form a stable and high-quality surface during normal use of the vehicle. In the event of an impact of the vehicle and the deployment of the airbag, however, it is necessary for it to be able to be opened easily via predetermined breaking points, so that the airbag can deploy quickly into the vehicle interior.Furthermore, it is necessary to choose the materials and the structure of the vehicle interior cladding such that they exhibit the most unproblematic possible behavior in the event of an impact and the deployment of the airbag, such that no loose parts of the vehicle interior cladding fly around.When arranging additional compartments or compartments on the vehicle interior cladding, attention must also be paid to the arrangement and the deployment direction of the airbag.Furthermore, an airbag restraint system is known from DE 197 25 558 A1, the airbag of which, in the inactivated state, lies loosely on the body of the occupant and can be fastened to components of the vehicle by means of two ends, similar to a lap belt.Furthermore, DE 93 03 231 U1 discloses a vehicle occupant protection device of the generic type having an airbag for protecting an occupant in the event of a front impact, wherein the airbag has a fastening portion and a restraining portion and the fastening portion is arranged laterally with respect to the seating position of the vehicle occupant.It is the object of the invention to provide a vehicle occupant protection device with a gas bag, which enables a more flexible design of the vehicle interior. It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a vehicle seat with such a vehicle occupant protection device.To achieve the object, in a vehicle occupant protection device having an airbag, in particular for a passenger, who has a fastening portion and a restraining portion, which is adjacent to the fastening portion in particular and is to be inflated, it is provided that the fastening portion is arranged laterally with respect to the seating position of the vehicle occupant and the restraining portion is designed such that the airbag extends in front of the vehicle occupant in the fully inflated, unloaded state.According to the invention, the airbag is not arranged under the vehicle interior cladding in front of the vehicle occupant, but laterally of the vehicle occupant, for example on the vehicle seat. In the event of an impact, the airbag deploys in front of the vehicle occupant, so that reliable protection of the vehicle occupant is possible. Since the airbag is arranged laterally of the vehicle occupant, a more flexible design of the vehicle interior cladding and of the instrument panel is possible. In particular, it is not necessary to arrange predetermined breaking points for the airbag in the vehicle interior cladding, so that a more flexible material selection and design is possible.In order to enable reliable protection of the vehicle occupant, the airbag is preferably designed such that, in the inflated state, it is supported on the thigh and / or on the vehicle interior cladding positioned in front of the vehicle occupant to be protected. The airbag thus fills the intermediate space between the vehicle interior trim and the upper body of the vehicle occupant to a certain extent, so that the support on the vehicle interior trim or the thigh prevents the airbag from escaping and thus ensures reliable protection of the vehicle occupant.In addition, it is possible that the airbag in the inflated state is supported on the vehicle door and / or the outer wall of the vehicle, so that a lateral pushing away of the airbag in the event of an impact of the vehicle occupant on the airbag is reliably prevented.The fastening portion can be arranged on the side of the vehicle occupant on which its associated vehicle door and / or outer wall is located. In this embodiment, the airbag cannot yield inward away from the door, since the airbag is held by the fastening portion in this direction. In the opposite direction, toward the vehicle door or outer wall, an outward deflection is prevented by the contact with the vehicle door or the outer wall. Thus, the airbag is reliably held in the position in front of the vehicle occupant after unfolding and inflation.In order to define the shape of the airbag in the fully inflated state, so that it deploys reliably in front of the vehicle occupants, a tether is provided in the airbag according to the invention, which extends from the fastening portion substantially in a space diagonal manner into the upper corner of the airbag opposite in the fully inflated state. This tether thus defines the spatial diagonal of the airbag and stabilizes the airbag, so that the airbag can get in front of the vehicle occupant and unfold there in the desired shape.A tether, in particular a further tether, can also be provided in the airbag, which extends along that portion of the restraining portion which is associated with the vehicle side facing the vehicle occupant from the fastening portion to the front upper edge in the fully inflated state of the airbag. This tether extends to a certain extent diagonally upward along a side wall of the airbag, whereby, in particular in conjunction with a space-diagonal tether, the shape and the position of the airbag are reliably predefined.Furthermore, the vehicle occupant protection device has, for example, a gas generator which is in flow connection with the restraining section of the airbag, wherein the gas generator is arranged on the vehicle side laterally of the vehicle occupant. The gas generator can therefore be mounted together with the airbag laterally of the vehicle occupant in a space-saving manner, for example in the vehicle seat or on the vehicle body.The gas generator and / or the airbag can be mounted on the vehicle side laterally of the vehicle seat. Preferably, however, the gas generator and / or the fastening section are held on the vehicle seat. This arrangement offers the advantage that the vehicle occupant protection device can be displaced together with the vehicle seat, so that an ideal alignment of the vehicle occupant protection device and the inflated airbag with respect to the vehicle seat is always ensured. In particular in vehicle seats which can be displaced both in the vehicle direction and laterally, the airbag can thus always deploy reliably in front of the vehicle occupant.In order to ensure that the airbag deploys reliably in front of the vehicle occupant, the fastening portion is, for example, an extension projecting downward with respect to the restraining portion. This extension can be designed, for example, in the form of a hose. When the airbag inflates, this hose-like extension is first deployed, so that the restraining section reaches in front of the vehicle occupant. As soon as this has taken place, the airbag can fully deploy. This ensures that the fastening portion does not unfold between the vehicle seat and the outer wall of the vehicle, but only in front of the vehicle occupant.Furthermore, in order to achieve the object, a vehicle seat with an airbag assembly is provided, wherein the fastening portion and / or the gas generator are arranged laterally on or in the vehicle seat, in particular on or in the seat surface. The vehicle occupant protection device can be displaced with the vehicle seat, for example, when the vehicle seat is displaced forwards or backwards, so that the airbag can always deploy in a defined position relative to the vehicle seat. In addition, such a vehicle seat can also be used in vehicles which have a plurality of separately adjustable seats, for example also on the rear seat positions.Further advantages and features will be found in the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In these show:FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a vehicle seat according to the invention having a vehicle occupant protection device according to the invention with an airbag in the fully inflated, unloaded state,FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1 ,FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1 during a forward displacement of the vehicle occupant, andFIG. 4 shows a view of the vehicle seat from FIG. 1 with the vehicle door open.FIGS. 1 and 2 show a vehicle seat 10 for a vehicle occupant 12. The vehicle seat 10 has a seat bottom 14 and a back 16 for receiving the vehicle occupant 12. As seen in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat 10 is a passenger seat with which a vehicle door 18 is associated.On the side of the vehicle seat 10 or the seat surface 14 facing the vehicle door 18, a vehicle occupant protection device 20 is provided on the seat surface 14 and has an airbag 22, which is shown in the fully deployed and inflated state in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the folded state, the airbag 22 is located on the seat surface 14 to the side of the vehicle occupant 12.The airbag 22 has a fastening portion 24, with which the airbag 22 is held on the seat surface 14 of the vehicle seat 10. This fastening portion 24 is adjoined by a restraining portion 26 which, in the inflated state of the airbag 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is of substantially cuboidal design and extends in front of the vehicle occupant 12.The fastening section 24 has a hose-like extension 27 which projects downward with respect to the retaining section 26.The vehicle occupant protection device 20 further has an inflator 28, which is likewise held laterally on the seat surface and is in flow communication with the retaining portion 26. The gas flowing out of the gas generator 28 reaches the restraining portion 26 via the fastening portion 24 and the extension 27, so that the airbag 22 can deploy.In the basic position, the airbag 22 is located folded in or on the side of the seat surface 14 facing the vehicle door 18.In the event of restraint, the gas flowing out of the gas generator 28 flows into the fastening section 24 and from there into the restraining section 26. Since the gas first flows into the fastening section 24, it and the extension 27 first unfold, so that the still collapsed restraining section 26 reaches in front of the vehicle occupant 12 in a direction of travel F. The retaining portion 26 is then inflated, so that it assumes its substantially cuboidal shape.If, due to the deceleration of the vehicle, the upper body 30 of the vehicle occupant 12 moves forward, the latter comes to bear against the rear side 32 of the restraining section 26. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the restraining portion 26 is supported with the front side 34 of the upper body 30 on the vehicle interior cladding 36 positioned in front of the vehicle occupant 12 and on the thighs 38 of the vehicle occupant 12 during a further forward displacement of the upper body 30. The restraining section 26 can therefore not yield in the direction of travel, so that the forward displacement of the upper body 30 of the vehicle occupant 12 is absorbed and / or damped.The retaining portion 26 is furthermore supported laterally on the vehicle door 18, so that lateral deflection of the retaining portion 26 to the right with respect to FIG. 2 is likewise not possible. A lateral deflection in the opposite direction, i.e. to the left with respect to FIG. 2, is likewise not possible, since the fastening portion 24 is provided on the side of the seat surface 14 facing the vehicle door 18 and thus holds the restraining portion in front of the vehicle occupant 12.As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tether 40 and a further tether 42 are provided in the interior of the airbag 22, in particular in the interior of the restraining portion 26, by means of which the shape of the restraining portion 26 in the fully inflated state is defined.The first tether 40 extends from the fastening portion 24 substantially in a space diagonal manner into the opposite upper corner 44 and is fastened there to the inner side of the retaining portion 26. The second tether 42 extends from the attachment portion 24 substantially along that portion of the restraining portion 26 which is associated with the vehicle side facing the vehicle occupant 12, in this case the vehicle door 18, diagonally at the upper edge 46 of the restraining portion 26.The front upper edge 46 of the restraining section 26 is spatially fixed by these two tethers 40, 42 so that the airbag 22 is held in its shape and in the position in front of the vehicle occupant 12 in the inflated state.In this completely inflated state, the airbag 22 could rotate around the fastening portion 24 clockwise, if need be, with reference to FIG. 2, as is possible in FIG. 4 with the vehicle door 18 open. When the vehicle door 18 is closed, however, this movement is not possible, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, since the retaining portion 26 bears against the vehicle door 18 and is supported on the latter.As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle occupant protection device 20 is arranged on or in the vehicle seat 10, in particular in the seat surface 14. This always ensures, even when the vehicle seat 10 is displaced in the direction of travel F or perpendicularly thereto, that the airbag 22 is arranged in a defined position relative to the vehicle seat 10 and can deploy directly in front of the vehicle occupant 12. In particular in the case of vehicles which make a flexible arrangement of the vehicle seats possible, it can thus be ensured that the airbag 22 always deploys in front of the vehicle occupant 12 in order to damp a forward displacement of the vehicle occupant 12.Independently thereof, it is also possible, however, for the vehicle occupant protection device 20 to be mounted laterally of the vehicle occupant 12 in a vehicle-fixed manner on the body or the vehicle door 18. It is merely to be ensured that the fastening portion 24 is arranged laterally of the vehicle occupant 12 and has a shape such that the restraining portion 26 can deploy in front of the vehicle occupant 12.In particular, it is also possible for the vehicle occupant protection device 20 to be arranged on the side of the vehicle seat 10 which faces away from an outer wall or a vehicle door 18.

Claims

Vehicle occupant protection device (20), having an airbag (22), in particular for a passenger, for protection in the event of a frontal impact, which airbag has a fastening portion (24) and a restraining portion (26) which adjoins the fastening portion (24) and is to be inflated, wherein the fastening portion (24) is arranged laterally with respect to the seating position of a vehicle occupant (12), and the restraining portion (26) is designed in such a way that the airbag (22), in the fully inflated, unloaded state, extends in front of the vehicle occupant (12), characterized in that a tether (40) is provided in the airbag (22), which tether extends from the fastening portion (24) substantially in a space diagonal manner into the upper corner (44) of the airbag (22) which lies opposite in the fully inflated state.Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the airbag (22) is designed such that, in the inflated state, it is supported on the thigh (38) of the vehicle occupant (12) and / or on the vehicle interior trim (36) positioned in front of the vehicle occupant (12) to be protected.Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the airbag (22) is supported on the vehicle door (18) and / or the outer wall of the vehicle in the inflated state.Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening portion (24) is arranged on the side of the vehicle occupant (12) on which its associated vehicle door (18) is located.Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a further tether (42) is provided in the airbag (22), which extends along that portion of the restraining portion (26) which is associated with the vehicle side facing the vehicle occupant (12) from the fastening portion (24) to the front upper edge (46) in the fully inflated state of the airbag (22).Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bya gas generator (28) which is in flow connection with the restraining section (26) of the airbag (22), wherein the gas generator (28) is arranged on the vehicle side laterally of the vehicle occupant (12).Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the gas generator (28) and / or the fastening portion (24) are held on a vehicle seat (10) or on the vehicle body.Vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the fastening portion (24) is an extension (27) which projects downwards with respect to the retaining portion (26).Vehicle seat (10) having a vehicle occupant protection device (20) according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the fastening portion (24) and / or the gas generator (28) are arranged laterally on or in the vehicle seat (10), in particular on or in the seat surface (14).

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