Patent ID: 6206411
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A vehicle occupant protecting apparatus at a time of lateral collision of an automobile, comprising:an armrest formed on a vehicle body side wall adjacent to a backrest, the armrest having a substantially horizontal upper face;an airbag having a bottom face and being disposed at a side portion of the backrest; andan inflator that injects a gas into the airbag during the lateral collision to develop the airbag forward and above the armrest,wherein, during the lateral collision, the airbag is deployed such that if the armrest were not present, a portion of the bottom face of the airbag would be located below, by a predetermined distance, where the upper face of the armrest would normally be positioned, andwherein, because the armrest is present, an upward reaction force is created by the bottom face of the airbag acting on the upper face of the armrest during the lateral collision thereby decreasing the time for the airbag to completely develop.