Airbag module for installation on the seat surface of a vehicle seat, installation of an airbag module, vehicle seat for a vehicle with such an airbag module and use of an airbag module as a seat surface airbag

Abstract

The invention relates to an airbag module (10) for arrangement on a seat surface (22) of a vehicle seat (20), comprising a gas generator (12), a gas bag (14) and a support element (16), wherein the support element (16) forms a contact surface for an expanded gas bag (14) and at least the gas bag (14) and the support element (16) are arranged to be arranged - viewed in the direction of gravity - below a spring mat (24) of the vehicle seat (20) and the gas bag (14) acts on the seat surface (22) in the expanded state against gravity. The invention further relates to an arrangement of an airbag module (10) on a vehicle seat (20), a corresponding vehicle seat (20) with such an arrangement and a use of the airbag module (10) as a seat surface airbag on a vehicle seat (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an airbag module for arrangement on a seat surface of a vehicle seat according to claim 1, an arrangement of an airbag module on a seat surface of a vehicle seat according to claim 6, a vehicle seat for a vehicle with such an airbag module according to claim 9 and a use of such an airbag module as a seat surface airbag on a vehicle seat according to claim 10.

[0002] Airbag modules are already well known from the prior art. These include, for example, a gas generator that inflates a gas bag by means of an expanding gas, the gas bag forming a unit that either functions as a damper or, upon expansion, is intended to move a vehicle occupant in a specific direction. In the present invention, the gas bag fulfills the latter function.

[0003] Furthermore, so-called seat airbags are known to be used in vehicle seats. Their primary function is to prevent the vehicle occupant from sliding between the seat and the lap belt (submarining) by creating a barrier using the airbag.

[0004] An airbag system of this type is known, for example, from US patent 2021 / 0291774 A1. The vehicle seat described therein has a so-called seat pan, i.e., a relatively rigid base structure that holds a seat surface with a seat cover and padding. A gas bag is also arranged between the seat surface and the seat pan; when it expands, the gas bag is supported by the seat pan and lifts the seat surface, thereby creating the desired barrier. Vehicle seats with a seat pan must be distinguished from vehicle seats with a spring mat.

[0005] A disadvantage of the described state of the art is that retrofitting a corresponding seat airbag to a vehicle seat does not appear possible. Furthermore, vehicle seats are known that, for comfort reasons, instead of the described seat pan, have a so-called spring mat on which the padding and seat cover are applied. The spring mat is, in particular, a wire mesh or wire frame with spring elements that exerts a spring effect on the seat surface in addition to the padding. These seats are therefore significantly more comfortable than, for example, seats with a seat pan. Integrating the seat airbag from the cited state of the art into a vehicle seat with a spring mat also appears to be impossible in this case.

[0006] One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a seat surface airbag that can also be retrofitted into a vehicle seat, as well as a seat surface airbag that can be integrated into vehicle seats with a spring mat.

[0007] This problem is solved by an airbag module according to claim 1, an arrangement of an airbag module on a seat surface of a vehicle seat according to claim 6, a vehicle seat for a vehicle with such an airbag module according to claim 9, and a use of such an airbag module as a seat surface airbag on a vehicle seat according to claim 10. The respective dependent subclaims describe advantageous embodiments.

[0008] According to the invention, the airbag module for arrangement on a seat surface of a vehicle seat comprises a gas generator, a gas bag and a support element, wherein the support element forms a contact surface for an expanded gas bag and at least the gas bag and the support element are arranged or designed to be arranged - viewed in the direction of gravity - below a spring mat of the vehicle seat and the gas bag in the expanded state acts against gravity on the seat surface.

[0009] Viewing a vehicle seat with a spring mat from below (against gravity), the spring mat is visible. Therefore, good accessibility is provided for the subsequent integration of the airbag module according to the invention, allowing the airbag and the support element to be fixed as described. In application, the contact surface of the support element for the airbag causes the airbag to expand against gravity (upwards), so that the barrier is molded into the seat surface, preventing the vehicle occupant from being submarined.

[0010] The support element can, for example, be curved or have a horizontal strut with two legs, each attached to one end of the strut. The length and angle of the legs are dimensioned such that the strut of the support element—and in particular the gas bag and / or gas generator mounted on it—is not affected by any deflection of the spring mat under load. The collapsed gas bag, the gas generator, and / or the strut are therefore sufficiently spaced from the spring mat, in particular between 3 and 13 cm.

[0011] Advantageously, the collapsed gas bag can be covered by a protective layer that, facing the direction of the spring mat, shields the gas bag from damage. This protective layer can be, for example, a film and / or a fabric.

[0012] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the support element is a structural element of a vehicle body. This is particularly the case when the vehicle seat is a seat in the rear row of the vehicle, which is also not height-adjustable, especially between the structural element of the vehicle body and the seat surface. This allows the structural element to serve as a support element for the expanded airbag and thereby achieve the inventive effect of incorporating the barrier into the seat surface and the spring mat.

[0013] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the support element and the gas bag cover an area of ​​the intended seat where – as intended – the pelvis of a vehicle occupant is located or expected to be located. By means of this arrangement, the barrier created by the expanded gas bag is primarily located in the pelvic area, i.e., in the area intended and effective for preventing submarining. The area on the seat intended for resting the thigh should remain as unaffected as possible.

[0014] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the support element is designed to be connected to a structural element of the vehicle seat. This structural element of the vehicle seat is, in particular, a seat base that forms a seat frame. Viewed from above, the seat base can be formed by the lateral and / or the front frame members / struts. The support element can accordingly be fixed only to the lateral and / or the front frame members / struts. Due to the different fastening options, the airbag module and the support element can exhibit greater strength or rigidity.

[0015] An arrangement of the airbag module according to the invention, according to one of the described embodiments, on a seat surface of the vehicle seat provides that the seat surface is formed by a spring mat and a cushion arranged on it (against gravity), and that at least one support element and a gas bag are arranged below (in the direction of gravity) the spring mat.

[0016] In this application, this design advantageously integrates the barrier through the expanded gasbag into the seat and the spring mat.

[0017] An advantageous embodiment provides that, in particular, the seat surface is height-adjustable relative to a structural element of the vehicle body. Specifically, the support element and the gas bag of the airbag module follow a height adjustment of the seat surface, thus ensuring a constant distance between the unloaded air spring mat and the gas bag or the support element. This is preferably the case, for example, with a front seat in a vehicle. This is to be distinguished from the rear vehicle seats, which are preferably not height-adjustable.

[0018] In this application, the size of the barrier is therefore always the same or constant.

[0019] Another advantageous embodiment provides an alternative to the height-adjustable vehicle seat, namely that the seat surface is not height-adjustable relative to a structural element of the vehicle body. This embodiment addresses the case where the vehicle seat is primarily a rear seat in the vehicle, meaning that height adjustment is not intended. In this embodiment, the support element corresponds to a structural element of the vehicle body. Therefore, no additional component is necessary as a support element, resulting in a significant weight saving.

[0020] A vehicle seat according to the invention for a vehicle includes the airbag module or arrangement according to the invention.

[0021] Furthermore, the use of the airbag module or the arrangement according to the invention as a seat surface airbag on a vehicle seat is advantageously conceivable.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to two exemplary embodiments and the figures. The figures show: Fig. 1 a side view of a vehicle seat according to the invention, on which a vehicle occupant is positioned; Fig. 2 an enlarged representation of the vehicle seat according to the invention Fig. 1, in which the gasbag is in a collapsed state; Fig. 3 the object according to the Fig. 2 in a rear view; Fig. 4 the object according to the Fig. 2, in which the gas bag is in an expanded state; Fig. 5 the object according to the Fig. 4 in a rear view; Fig. 6 the object according to the Fig. 2 in a second embodiment; Fig. 7 the object according to the Fig. 6 in an alternative configuration; and Fig. 8 the object according to the Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, in which the gas bag is in an expanded state.

[0023] The Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a side view of a vehicle seat 20 with a seat surface 22 and a seat back 21, wherein the airbag module 10 according to the invention is arranged in the area of ​​the seat surface 22. It can be seen that a vehicle occupant 40 is positioned with his pelvis 42 on the seat surface 22 of the vehicle seat 20. In addition, a thigh 44 of the vehicle occupant 40 extends along the seat surface 22.

[0024] The Fig. Figure 2 shows an enlargement of the vehicle seat 20. The arrangement of the components of the airbag module 10 according to the invention on the seat surface 22 is shown in detail. The seat surface 22 is essentially formed by a structural element of the vehicle seat 28, a spring mat 24 fixed to it, and a cushion 26 arranged on the spring mat 24. When the vehicle occupant 40 places a load on the seat surface 22, the spring mat 24 yields in the direction of gravity. This means that the vehicle occupant 40 is always spring-supported, both when the vehicle seat 20 is at rest and when it is moving through the vehicle, thus providing increased comfort compared, for example, to a vehicle seat 20 with a seat pan and without a spring mat 24.

[0025] In the presentation of the Fig. Only the front and rear structural elements 28 of the vehicle seat are visible in Figure 2. In addition, there are two side structural elements 28, which are, for example, located in the Fig. 3 are evident. All four structural elements 28 together form a seat base or seat frame.

[0026] According to the invention, at least one gas bag 14 and one support element 16 of the airbag module 10 are arranged below the spring mat 24. This can be done, for example, on the two lateral structural elements 28, as shown, for example, in the Fig. 3 emerges.

[0027] This arrangement has the advantage that the airbag module 10 can be easily retrofitted to a vehicle seat 20, since all essential mounting points are very easily accessible from below, i.e., from one direction against gravity. Furthermore, this type of implementation offers sufficient support surface to brace the airbag 14 in the event of use, thus creating the barrier 27 in the seat surface 22.

[0028] As further shown in the figures, the airbag module 10 comprises further components, such as a gas generator 12, which is arranged in the area of ​​the gas bag 14, or a fixing element 18 with which the support element 16 can be fixed to the structural element 28.

[0029] The Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows an application case in which the gas bag 14 is in an expanded state, the gas generator 12 has been ignited and the barrier 27 has been created in the seat 22 by means of the gas bag 14 in order to prevent submarining of the vehicle occupant 40.

[0030] A possible embodiment of the support element 16 is shown here: it comprises a horizontally arranged web relative to the seat surface 22, which in turn has an angled leg at each end. A distance 29 between the unloaded spring mat 24 and the web of the support element 16 is preferably in the range of 3 to 13 cm. This distance should advantageously be sufficient to prevent any potential damage to the airbag 14 by the spring mat 24 or other moving components when the seat surface 22 is under load.

[0031] This embodiment is primarily used in vehicle seats 20, whose seat surface 22 is height-adjustable relative to a structural element 30. This means that, regardless of any height adjustment, the distance 29 remains constant.

[0032] The Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. Figure 8 shows the invention in a second embodiment. In contrast to the first embodiment, the support element 16 is not a separate component of the airbag module 10, but rather corresponds to a structural element of the vehicle body 30. Therefore, in the airbag module 10 of the second embodiment, components are installed without the support element 16, since the function of the support element 16 is implemented by the existing structural element 30. The second embodiment is therefore preferably implemented in vehicle seats 20 that are not designed for height adjustment between the seat surface 22 and a structural element 30. The advantage is that a component can be eliminated, thus saving costs and weight.

[0033] The gas bag 14 can be installed in the airbag module 10 in various ways: for example, in a flat, spread-out state as in the Fig. 6 to be seen or in a compressed state, rolled and / or folded, as in the Fig. Figure 7 shows that the first variant has the advantage that the gas bag 14 does not need to be unrolled before use, and thus the deployment geometry is already determined from the outset. The compressed variant has the advantage of being more space-saving. Reference symbol list 10 Airbag module 12 Gas generator 14 Gasbag 16 support element 18 fixing element 20 vehicle seats 21 seat back 22 Seating area 24 feather mats 26 cushions 27 Barrier 28 Structural element of the vehicle seat 29 gap 30 Structural element of the vehicle body 40 vehicle occupants 42 basins 44 Thigh 46 Buttocks QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 2021 / 0291774 A1

[0004]

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