Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Utility Patent
1999-08-05
2001-01-02
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C297S216130
Utility Patent
active
06168192
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a vehicle seat with lateral air bag system whereby the folded elongate air bag for head and thorax is arranged in the backrest of the vehicle seat in its longitudinal direction and is covered by a cover that upon the actuation of the air bag opens, for example, embodied in the form of an upholstery cover that rips, an openable cover cap etc.
A vehicle seat with the aforementioned features is disclosed in DE 40 18 470 A1. The folded air bag is arranged in a storage compartment extending laterally in the longitudinal direction of the backrest of the vehicle seat and formed in the backrest. This storage compartment with airbag arranged therein is covered by the cover of the vehicle seat so that upon actuation the inflating air bag will rip apart or split the cover. The type of folding of the air bag and the storage of the air bag are not disclosed in DE 40 18 470 A1.
The invention has the disadvantage that the mounting of the folded air bag in the storage compartment of the backrest and closing of the seat cover fabric as a cover for the storage compartment is difficult.
It is an object of the invention to ensure for a vehicle seat with the aforementioned features, while providing a simple mounting, a safety-compliant, optimal, and fast unfolding of the air bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solution to this object results with advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention from the following description.
The invention is based on the basic idea that a housing in the form of a profiled rail is provided at the vehicle seat which profiled rail is open in the unfolding direction of the air bag whereby the air bag is folded exclusively in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the profiled channel and is connected to the vehicle frame. The profiled rail with the profiled channel extends past to the backrest into the area of the headrest provided at the vehicle seat so that the folded air bag stretches out completely within the profiled channel.
The invention has the advantage that the profiled rail open in the unfolding direction provides a guide for the air bag for its unfolding and thus determines the direction of unfolding and stabilizes this process. The profiled channel has the same length as the stretched out, elongate air bag so that the air bag in the longitudinal direction is completely stretched and no folds are required for the upper and lower end portion of the air bag transverse to the longitudinal extension of the profiled channel. Because of the presence of the profiled rail, mounting of the folded air bag at the vehicle seat, respectively, within the backrest is simplified because the profiled channel receiving the air bag provides a defined receiving chamber and, at the same time, protects the folded air bag.
Due to the stretched arrangement of the air bag folded only in a plane parallel to the longitudinal extension of the profiled channel, a very fast and uniform unfolding action over the entire length is provided whereby, especially upon side impact, a quick release is desirable because only a few milliseconds are available for complete unfolding of the air bag. Since the profile rail extends past the backrest into the area of the headrest provided at the vehicle seat, the advantage of protecting the upper body also in the head area of the buckled up passenger is provided because of the profiled rail extending into the headrest whereby, especially in the head area, the guided unfolding of the air bag is of particular importance.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the profiled rail at both ends of its longitudinal extension is closed in the unfolding direction of the air bag so that it is ensured that the air bag can unfold only in the direction of the upper body of the passenger and cannot unfold in the upper or downward direction, relative to the vehicle seat.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the profiled rail is an integral component of the vehicle frame. However, it can also be provided to embody the profiled rail as a separate component for retrofitting the seat frame whereby this has the advantage of allowing pre-assembly of the air bag in the profiled rail.
It may be provided that the profiled rail extending along the backrest of the vehicle seat is provided with a portion that projects past the pivot point of the backrest at the seat frame. As an alternative, an embodiment of the profiled rail is possible in which the profiled rail extending along the backrest has an angled portion projecting past the pivot point of the backrest relative to the seat portion.
For simplifying the assembly, it may be provided that the air bag is a component of a module that is to be mounted in the profiled rail.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, with respect to inflation of the air bag, it may be suggested that either the air bag folded into the profiled rail is provided with a gas inlet opening extending over the length of the profiled rail or that the air bag folded into the profiled rail has distributed over the length of the profiled rail a plurality of gas inlet openings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3836168 (1974-09-01), Nonaka et al.
patent: 5112079 (1992-05-01), Haland et al.
patent: 5556127 (1996-09-01), Hurford et al.
patent: 5826938 (1998-10-01), Yanase et al.
patent: 5833312 (1998-11-01), Lenz
patent: 5890733 (1999-04-01), Dillon
patent: 5924724 (1999-07-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5944341 (1999-08-01), Kimura et al.
patent: 5992878 (1999-11-01), Narita et al.
patent: 6019387 (2000-01-01), Jost
patent: 6045182 (2000-04-01), Chevallier et al.
patent: 6059311 (2000-05-01), Wipasuramonton et al.
patent: 6062593 (2000-05-01), Satani et al.
patent: 40 18 470 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 197 00 507 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 2 305 638 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 96/22904 (1996-08-01), None
Autoliv Development AB
Mai Lanna
Phan Hau
Robert W. Becker & Associates
LandOfFree
Combined seat-integral airbag for the head and thorax does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Combined seat-integral airbag for the head and thorax, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Combined seat-integral airbag for the head and thorax will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2463203