Airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat

Abstract

The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat includes an airbag provided on its rear side with a protection portion contactable with a passenger. The airbag internally includes a vertical tether for controlling the contour of the airbag upon inflation depending on a passenger. The protection portion includes each one left and right shoulder restraining portion disposed side by side along the lateral direction for contact with left and right shoulders of the passenger. The vertical tether works to vary a distance between the shoulder restraining portions in the lateral direction at the complete airbag inflation into a wide distance correspondent to a large passenger and a narrow distance correspondent to an undersized passenger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat embodying the present invention, an instrument panel equipped with the airbag apparatus and a passenger from side of vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the airbag apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic section of an anchor mechanism used in the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an airbag used in the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2, inflated by itself and viewed from the rear;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the airbag of FIG. 4, inflated by itself and viewed from the front;

FIG. 6A is a sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 4 inflated by itself with a lateral distance between shoulder restraining portions set for a wide distance, taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6B is a sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 4 inflated by itself with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for a narrow distance, taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7A is a cross section of the airbag of FIG. 4 inflated by itself with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the wide distance, taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7B is a cross section of the airbag of FIG. 4 inflated by itself with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the narrow distance, taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 8 illustrates components of the airbag of FIG. 4 by plan views;

FIG. 9A illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from the rear, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the wide distance;

FIG. 9B illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from the rear, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the narrow distance;

FIG. 10A schematically illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from the side, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the wide distance;

FIG. 10B schematically illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from the side, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the narrow distance;

FIG. 11 schematically illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from above, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the wide distance;

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 in service from above, wherein the airbag is inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the narrow distance;

FIG. 13 is a schematic section of an airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above and wherein an airbag is inflated;

FIG. 14 is a schematic section of an airbag apparatus according to a further alternative embodiment, as viewed from above and wherein an airbag is inflated;

FIG. 15A is a schematic section of an airbag according to yet another embodiment, inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the wide distance;

FIG. 15B is a schematic section of the airbag of FIG. 15A, inflated with the lateral distance between the shoulder restraining portions set for the narrow distance; and

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of an airbag apparatus according to still another embodiment, as viewed from above and wherein an airbag is inflated.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat comprising: an airbag folded and housed inside an instrument panel in front of the front passenger's seat, and being deployable rearward when fed with inflation gas, the airbag, when completely inflated, being formed into a contour having a left side wall and a right side wall deployed at lateral sides of the airbag, an upper side wall and a lower side wall deployed in upper and lower sides of the airbag, and a rear sidewall arranged generally vertically to face toward the front passenger's seat, the airbag further comprising a gas inlet port for introducing inflation gas and a protection portion contactable with a passenger seated in the front passenger's seat, in a rear side of the airbag as completely inflated; anda regulating member for controlling the contour of the airbag at complete inflation depending upon the passenger,the protection portion comprises each one left and right shoulder restraining portion disposed side by side along the lateral direction and contactable with left and right shoulders of the passenger upon airbag inflation, andthe regulating member varies a distance between the shoulder restraining portions in the lateral direction at the complete inflation of airbag depending upon the passenger, to a wide distance correspondent to a large passenger and to a narrow distance correspondent to an undersized passenger.

2. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to claim 1, wherein: the regulating member comprising a vertical tether arranged along the longitudinal direction, one of opposite ends of the vertical tether being connected to a region of the protection portion between the left and right shoulder restraining portions, such that, when the vertical tether is pulled forward to make a space between the shoulder restraining portions recessed whereas the shoulder restraining portions projected, the distance between the shoulder restraining portions in the lateral direction becomes the narrow distance.

3. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to claim 2, wherein: the airbag is formed by joining edges of predetermined-shaped base cloths;the airbag comprises:an outer panel constituting the left side wall and the right side wall; andan inner panel constituting the upper sidewall, the lower side wall and the rear side wall;the inner panel has a generally band shape wherein the upper side wall, the rear side wall and the lower side wall are arranged in series, opposite edges in a width direction of the inner panel are curved such,that a central region in a length direction of the inner panel has a wider width;the inner panel includes a central joint portion extending along the length direction in the vicinity of a center in the width direction of the inner panel, the central joint portion being formed by overlapping and joining a part of the inner panel;opposite edges of the central joint portion before being joined are curved to project toward opposite sides in a width direction of the central joint portion at a central region in a length direction of the central joint portion when the inner panel is flattened and developed;marginal joint portions, which is formed by joining outer edges of regions of the outer panel to form the left and right side walls and opposite edges of the inner panel in the width direction, constitute projected tops of the left and right shoulder restraining portions of the protection portion;the central joint portion constitutes a recess arranged continuously from an upper side to rear side of the airbag between the left and right shoulder restraining portions; andthe vertical tether is connected to the central joint portion of the inner panel at the one of opposite ends of the vertical tether.

4. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to claim 3, wherein: at least a rear end region of the vertical tether has a band shape extending generally vertically; andthe vertical tether is joined to the central joint portion in a state where a rear end of the rear end region is arranged along the central joint portion.

5. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to claim 4, wherein: a joint of the vertical tether to the central joint portion is located at a position to confront a head of the undersized passenger when the airbag completes inflation with the vertical tether pulled forward.

6. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat according to claim 1, wherein: the regulating member comprises a laterally tethered portion arranged along the lateral direction to connect the left side wall and right side wall, andthe distance between the shoulder restraining portions in the lateral direction at the complete inflation of airbag is set for the narrow distance when the laterally tethered portion is pulled.