Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc.

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.

Akihiro Tomitaka

Mitsuru Mochiduki

Kazumasa Misawa

Shigeyuki Suzuki

Kenji Fujimura

Hiroshi Kato

An airbag () by which, when a vehicle () including two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction is subjected to a side collision, an occupant (P, P) sitting in a seat (L,R) at the opposite side of the collision is restricted from moving to the collision side. The airbag () has, in the maximally-expanded status, an outline shape seen from the front side of the vehicle. This outline shape has: an airbag upper part (U) that forms a part equal to or higher than a position corresponding to a shoulder of a seat back (L,R) and that protects the neck and head for example of the occupant (PP); and an airbag lower part (D) that forms a part equal to or lower than a position corresponding to a shoulder of the seat back (L,R) and that protects the shoulder and arm for example of the occupant (P, P). The airbag () is configured to have an entire shape that has the inner outline of the occupant (P, P) in the vehicle width direction.

Airbag

The airbag apparatus includes a folded airbag, an inflator and an airbag storage that stores therein the airbag and the inflator. The airbag is inflated by the gas introduced from the inflator in a region between the left seat and the right seat to abut both to a vehicle interior ceiling above the airbag storage and to interior parts of a vehicle interior below the airbag storage. The airbag prevents an occupant sitting in a seat at a side opposite to collision from moving to the collision side.

Airbag apparatus

At the inflation thereof, an airbag () has a three-dimensional shape composed of a front face (), a back face (), left and right side faces (L,R), a ceiling face (), and a bottom face (). The front face () and the back face () have a trapezoidal shape in which the upper bottom is wider than the lower bottom. The upper edge of the front face () is formed to be wider than the upper edge of the back face (). At a side collision, the airbag () inflates between seats (L,R) so that the airbag face opposed to an occupant (P) falls to the occupant side. This can allow, when the occupant (P) moves to the collision side, the shoulder of the occupant to strike the airbag while simultaneously or substantially simultaneously allowing the head to strike the airbag. An airbag can be provided that blocks, at a side collision, the move due to the impact of the side collision of the occupant in the lateral direction.

An airbag apparatus is provided by which, when an airbag collides with an occupant, the occupant can receive a reaction force from the airbag. An airbag apparatus (A toB) inflates between two seats arranged in a vehicle width direction (L,R,L,R) to protect an occupant (P). The airbag apparatus (A toB) includes an inflator () and a folded airbag (). When gas is jetted from the inflator () at a side collision, the airbag () is allowed to inflate and is abutted to a vehicle interior () to thereby suppress the move of the airbag () when the airbag () collides with the body of the occupant (P).

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Akihiro Tomitaka