US 12,337,784 B2
Airbag device and vehicle seat
Takayuki Shimizu, Kanagawa (JP); and Atsushi Nakashima, Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 17/753,932
Filed by Autoliv Development AB, Vargarda (SE)
PCT Filed Aug. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/030094
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 18, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/059766, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-172381 (JP), filed on Sep. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0379833 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B60R 21/207 (2006.01); B60N 2/427 (2006.01); B60R 21/231 (2011.01); B60R 21/2338 (2011.01)
CPC B60R 21/207 (2013.01) [B60N 2/42718 (2013.01); B60N 2/42763 (2013.01); B60R 21/2338 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23146 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23386 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An airbag device in combination with a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming a seat surface and a seatback forming a backrest, the airbag device comprising:
first and second inflators stowed in left and right sides of the seatback, respectively, for generating expansion gas; and
an airbag for stowage in the seatback in a rolled or folded state and deployable by the expansion gas generated by the first and second inflators, the airbag including:
left and right side chambers for deployment from the left and right sides of the seatback, respectively, in a forward direction; and
a connection part connecting the left and right side chambers, the connection part configured for positioning above a head of an occupant when the airbag is inflated and deployed;
wherein the airbag device further includes a plurality of seatback connecting members connecting the airbag to the seatback of the vehicle seat and a plurality of seat cushion connecting members connecting the airbag to the seat cushion during stowage of the airbag and through inflation and deployment of the airbag, the plurality of seatback connecting members including at least a first and second seatback connecting members connecting the left and right side chambers of the airbag, respectively, to the seatback and the plurality of seat cushion connecting members including first and second seat cushion connecting members connecting the airbag to first and second laterally opposite sides of the seat cushion, respectively;
wherein the first and second seat cushion connecting members are both in a shape of an elongated strip with a first proximal end portion directly connected to a lower end area of the left and right side chambers of the airbag in a stowed state and a second distal end portion provided on both left and right sides of the seat cushion;
a rigid plate extending along a vehicle width direction inside or at a bottom of the seat cushion and having opposite ends connected directly to the second distal end portions of a respective one of the first and second seat cushion connecting members, wherein the rigid plate is forward of a center of the seat cushion in a front-back direction, wherein the rigid plate is configured to push the seat cushion upward due to a tension created in the seat cushion connecting members when the airbag is deployed.