Patent Description:
In general, a vehicular airbag apparatus is a safety device that protects a passenger by injecting gas into an airbag according to a signal of an impact detection sensor upon vehicle collision, and rapidly inflating the airbag.

Such an airbag apparatus is installed in a steering wheel, a dashboard, a seat, a sidewall, etc. provided in a vehicle, and protects a passenger by being inflated toward a front side or side of the passenger upon vehicle collision.

That is, a vehicle may be provided with a frontal airbag which is deployed in front of a driver seat and a passenger seat, a curtain airbag and a side airbag which are deployed from a side of a passenger to protect the passenger, and a knee airbag for protecting passenger's knees, etc..

Recently, autonomous vehicles moving by themselves without drivers' driving are developing.

The autonomous vehicle detects a condition of each device provided in the vehicle and a condition around the vehicle, by using a high-tech sensor for recognizing things around the vehicle and a high-performance graphic processing device, and travels while controlling an operation of each device provided in the vehicle according to a result of detecting.

The high-tech sensor may measure a distance between things like a human being, and may detect a danger and help the vehicle view all areas without a blind zone. In addition, the graphic processing device may grasp a surrounding environment of the vehicle through several cameras, and may analyze an image thereof and help the vehicle safely travel.

For example, the autonomous vehicle may have a LiDAR device, a sound wave device, a 3D camera, a radar device, etc. mounted therein.

As the autonomous vehicles configured as described above do not require drivers to drive, all seats including a driver seat can freely rotate and an angle of a backrest can be adjusted to be horizontal by a tilting operation.

A passenger can adjust the angle of the backrest variously, and may rotate the seat and may have a meeting facing a passenger on a back seat.

Accordingly, it is impossible to apply a normal airbag apparatus which is designed with reference to a posture of a passenger sitting on a seat facing forward to the autonomous vehicles.

Patent document <NUM> and patent document <NUM> presented below disclose a passenger protection system configuration for a vehicle.

As a passenger riding in an autonomous vehicle does not directly drive, the passenger may have a meeting by swiveling a seat in a horizontal direction while moving to a destination, or may have a rest by reclining a backrest backward.

As the seat and the backrest can be freely rotated in the forward and backward directions and in the horizontal direction in the autonomous vehicle, the direction and the posture of the passenger can be variously changed.

Accordingly, there is a demand for airbag technology for safely protecting a passenger regardless of a direction and a posture of the passenger upon vehicle collision.

<CIT> discloses an airbag apparatus with the features of the preamble of claims <NUM> and <NUM>.

An object of the present disclosure is to solve the above-described problems, and is to provide an airbag apparatus for a vehicle which protects a passenger by being inflated and deployed toward both sides of the passenger upon vehicle collision.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an airbag apparatus for a vehicle which can safely protect a passenger by inflating and deploying a plurality of pairs of airbag cushions from both sides of a seat.

To achieve the above-described objects, an airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include: an airbag cushion which is inflated and deployed in a forward direction from both sides of a passenger upon vehicle collision to protect both sides of the passenger; and an inflater configured to generate gas by an impact detection signal and to supply the gas to the airbag cushion, and the airbag cushion may include a first airbag configured to protect both sides or one side from passenger's shoulder to passenger's lower body part; and a second airbag configured to protect passenger's head and both sides of passenger's shoulder.

According to the airbag apparatus for the vehicle according to the present disclosure as described above, there is an effect that the first and second airbags are inflated and deployed toward both sides of a passenger upon vehicle collision, and restrict and protect passenger's upper body and lower body.

That is, according to the present disclosure, the first airbag is installed in the backrest of the seat of the vehicle, and the second airbag is installed in the headrest, so that there is an effect that passenger's body and head can be restricted upon vehicle collision.

In particular, according to the present disclosure, the second airbag is disposed to overlap the upper end of the first airbag, so that there is an effect that movement of the passenger caused by lateral collision of the vehicle can be effectively prevented or restrained.

Accordingly, there is an effect that a passenger can be effectively restricted and safely protected in a state where a seat and a backrest are rotated in various directions and angles in an autonomous vehicle.

Hereinafter, an airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present disclosure safely protects a passenger by restricting the whole of passenger's upper body and lower body by inflating and deploying airbag cushions toward both sides of the upper body including passenger's head and chest with reference to passenger's both shoulders, and both sides of the lower body including passenger's pelvis and hip.

In particular, the present disclosure can protect passenger's front by inflating and deploying airbag cushions to enclose the front along with both sides of the passenger upon vehicle collision, and can prevent an injury from occurring by a flying object or a broken part in the vehicle.

In addition, the present disclosure can prevent a submarine phenomenon that a passenger moves forward upon a frontal crash of a vehicle by inflating and deploying an airbag cushion upward from a front lower portion of passenger's pelvis and hip.

In addition, the present disclosure can safely protect a passenger on a back seat by buffering when the passenger on the back seat collides with a backrest, by inflating and deploying an airbag cushion from a rear surface of the back rest of the seat.

In the present embodiment, a configuration of an airbag apparatus installed in a driver seat of a normal vehicle will be described, and a direction of facing a front surface of the vehicle with reference to a driver seat will be referred to as a 'forward direction (F),' and a direction of facing a rear surface of the vehicle will be referred to as a 'backward direction (B)'. Along with these terms, terms indicating directions such as 'left side (L),' 'right side (R),' 'upward direction (U),' and 'downward direction (D)' are defined to indicate respective directions with reference to the forward direction and the backward direction described above. In addition, reference sign I shown in the drawings indicates an inward direction of the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle, and reference sign O indicates an outward direction of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the forward, backward (F, B) directions of the vehicle may be expressed as a horizontal direction, and the upward, downward (U, D) directions of the vehicle may be expressed as a vertical direction.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> and <FIG> are a front view and a plane view of the airbag apparatus for the vehicle shown in <FIG>, respectively.

As shown in <FIG>, the airbag apparatus <NUM> for the vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure includes an airbag cushion <NUM> which is inflated and deployed in the forward direction from both sides of a passenger upon vehicle collision to protect both sides of the passenger, and an inflater <NUM> which generates gas by an impact detection signal and supplies the gas to the airbag cushion <NUM>.

The airbag cushion <NUM> may be inflated and deployed in the forward direction from both sides of the passenger to correspond to an upper body part including passenger's head and chest, abdomen with reference to passenger's shoulder, and a lower body part including passenger's pelvis and hip.

To achieve this, the airbag cushion <NUM> may include one pair of first airbags <NUM> to protect both sides of the lower body part from the passenger's shoulder, and a second airbag <NUM> to protect passenger's head and both sides of the upper end of passenger's shoulder.

Specifically, the one pair of first airbags <NUM> are installed in a backrest <NUM> of a seat <NUM> on which the passenger sits, respectively, and are inflated and deployed in the forward direction and in the upward and downward directions from both sides of the backrest <NUM> to restrict both sides of the lower body part from the passenger's shoulder.

The first airbags <NUM> may be received in the backrest <NUM> of the vehicle in a folded state, and may be provided as side airbags to restrict and protect both sides of the passenger's upper body part and lower body part.

The second airbag <NUM> is installed in a headrest <NUM> installed on an upper end of the backrest <NUM>, and is inflated in the forward direction and in the upward and downward directions from both sides of the passenger's head to restrict the passenger's head and both sides of the upper end of the passenger's shoulder.

The second airbag <NUM> may be received in the headrest <NUM> in a folded state, and may be supplied with gas from the inflater upon vehicle collision and may be inflated and deployed to the outside of the headrest <NUM> through a cutting line formed on a rear surface of the headrest <NUM>.

The second airbag <NUM> may be inflated and deployed substantially in an inverted U shape ('∩') when viewed above.

That is, when the second airbag <NUM> is deployed, the second airbag <NUM> may be inflated and deployed, such that a center <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> is disposed on a rear side of the head rest <NUM>, and both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> are disposed on both sides of the passenger's head, respectively.

Herein, the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> may be disposed further inside than upper ends of the one pair of first airbags <NUM> to overlap the upper ends of the one pair of first airbags <NUM>, respectively.

Accordingly, the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> may be caught and supported by the upper ends of the one pair of first airbags, respectively, when they move toward one side.

That is, when the passenger's head moves toward one side and the second airbag is pushed out due to lateral collision of the vehicle, an end of the second airbag is supported on the upper end of the first airbag to effectively prevent or restrain movement of the passenger's head.

Although it is illustrated in the present embodiment that the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> are disposed further inside than the upper ends of the one pair of first airbags <NUM>, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is a front view of the airbag apparatus for the vehicle shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the airbag apparatus <NUM> for the vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is the same as the configuration of the airbag apparatus <NUM> described above with reference to <FIG>, and is different therefrom in that the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> are disposed further outside than the upper ends of the one pair of first airbags <NUM>.

That is, the second airbag <NUM> may be inflated and deployed substantially in an inverted, squared U shape ('<IMG>') when viewed above.

Accordingly, when the passenger's upper body or lower body moves toward one side, for example, to the left side, due to lateral collision of the vehicle, and the first airbag <NUM> on the left is pushed out, the corresponding first airbag <NUM> may be supported on the left end <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> to effectively prevent or restrain movement of the passenger.

Herein, one pair of tethers <NUM> may be installed on the second airbag <NUM> to limit an inflation deployment shape.

One end of each tether <NUM> may be connected to a center of a front surface of the second airbag <NUM>, and the other end of each tether <NUM> may be connected to the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM>.

Of course, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto, and the number of tethers, connection positions, length, etc. may be variously changed according to the size, deployment shape of the second airbag.

For example, a plurality of pairs of tethers <NUM> may be provided or both ends of one tether <NUM> may be connected to the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM>, respectively.

In addition, both ends of the tether <NUM> may be connected to the headrest <NUM> and the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM>, respectively.

In addition, the present disclosure may be changed to apply a tether to the first airbag to limit a deployment shape.

Although it is illustrated in the above-described embodiments that the first airbags are disposed on both sides of the backrest, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, <FIG> is a perspective view of an airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in <FIG>, the airbag apparatus <NUM> for the vehicle according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure is the same as the configuration of the airbag apparatus <NUM> for the vehicle described above with reference to <FIG>, and is different therefrom in that an armrest <NUM> is installed on one side of the backrest <NUM>.

Herein, the armrest <NUM> may perform a function of comfortably supporting passenger's arm when the passenger places his/her arm thereon, and may also perform a function of preventing or restraining the passenger from moving toward the opposite side of collision upon lateral collision of the vehicle.

When the armrest <NUM> is installed on one side of the seat <NUM>, for example, on the right side, as described above, the first airbag <NUM> installed on the right side of the backrest <NUM> may be removed, and one first airbag <NUM> may be installed on the left side of the backrest <NUM>.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be changed to have the first airbag <NUM> installed only on one side of the backrest <NUM> when a support structure to prevent lateral movement of the passenger, like the armrest <NUM> or a console box, is provided on one side of the seat <NUM>.

Accordingly, only one of the both ends <NUM> of the second airbag <NUM> may be installed in contact with the upper end of the first airbag <NUM>.

Through the above-described process, the present disclosure can restrict and protect the passenger's upper body and lower body by inflating and deploying the first and second airbags on both sides of the passenger upon vehicle collision.

That is, the present disclosure has the first airbag installed in the backrest of the seat of the vehicle, and the second airbag installed in the headrest, thereby restrict passenger's body and head upon vehicle collision.

In particular, the present disclosure has the second airbag disposed to overlap the upper end of the first airbag, thereby effectively preventing or restraining movement of the passenger caused by lateral collision of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the present disclosure can safely protect a passenger by effectively restricting the passenger in a state where a seat and a backrest are rotated in various directions and angles in an autonomous vehicle.

Although the invention made by the inventors of the present application has been specifically described according to the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be modified variously within a scope of the technical essence of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
An airbag apparatus (<NUM>) for a vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising:
an airbag cushion (<NUM>) which is inflated and deployed in a forward direction (F) from both sides of a passenger upon vehicle collision to protect both sides of the passenger; and
an inflater (<NUM>) configured to generate gas by an impact detection signal and to supply the gas to the airbag cushion (<NUM>),
wherein the airbag cushion (<NUM>) comprises a first airbag (<NUM>) configured to protect both sides or one side from passenger's shoulder to passenger's lower body part; and
a second airbag (<NUM>) configured to protect passenger's head and both sides of passenger's shoulder
wherein, when the second airbag (<NUM>) is deployed, a center (<NUM>) of the second airbag (<NUM>) is disposed on a rear side of a headrest (<NUM>),
both ends (<NUM>) of the second airbag (<NUM>) are inflated and deployed in a forward direction (F) and in upward and downward directions (U, D) from both sides of the passenger's head,
wherein the both ends (<NUM>) of the deployed second airbag (<NUM>) overlap an upper end of the first airbag (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the both ends (<NUM>) of the second airbag (<NUM>) are disposed further inside than the upper end of the first airbag (<NUM>) and are supported by the first airbag (<NUM>) to prevent or restrain lateral movement of the passenger's head upon lateral collision of the vehicle.