Patent Description:
A fully wrapping airbag assembly includes an air bag and a strap. When a vehicle collides, the air bag can inflate, and extend along the head and torso of an occupant, so as to be wrapped around the head and torso of the occupant in all directions (from left and right sides and the top). The strap is mounted to the air bag in an extension direction of the entire air bag, and two ends of the strap are respectively fixed to a vehicle seat. When the air bag inflates, the strap is tightened, so as to constrain the air bag.

However, lateral displacement of an air bag of such an airbag assembly is overly large when the air bag is subjected to lateral impact from an occupant, so that the occupant is prone to collide with a nearby occupant or a vehicle interior trim. As a result, it would be desirable to provide an airbag assembly in which lateral displacement of an air bag is reliably constrained, and a vehicle seat assembly.

The objective of the present application is to provide a vehicle seat assembly comprising an airbag assembly in which lateral displacement of an air bag is reliably constrained.

Provided in the present application is a vehicle seat assembly as defined by claim <NUM>.

According the present application, the vehicle seat has diverting components for changing an extension direction of the strap, and the diverting components are pulleys rotatably mounted on the vehicle seat.

According to the present application, the vehicle seat comprises: a seat base, two side surfaces of the seat base being each provided with a first pulley; and a seat back, supported by the seat base, two side surfaces of the seat back being each provided with a second pulley, wherein two end portions of the strap are respectively connected to side surfaces of the air bag, and in the deployed state, on each side of the vehicle seat, the strap extends from the end portion of the strap sequentially around the second pulley and the first pulley.

According to an embodiment of the present application, in the deployed state, the second section located between the second pulley and the end portion of the strap extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the air bag.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the air bag has an intermediate portion in a vertical direction observed by the occupant, wherein the end portion of the strap is located at the intermediate portion.

According to an embodiment of the present application, in the deployed state, the first pulley is located in an extension direction of the first section.

According to an embodiment of the present application, in the deployed state, the air bag has a front edge spaced apart from the seat back, wherein the end portions of the strap are respectively connected to the front edge.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the first section is located at the front edge.

According to an embodiment of the present application, the first section is movable in the extension direction of the air bag.

According to the embodiments of the present application, when the air bag is deployed, the tightened strap constrains the side surface of the air bag, so as to reliably constrain lateral displacement of the air bag from being overly large when the air bag is subjected to lateral impact from an occupant. Thus, lateral displacement of the occupant can be effectively suppressed, thereby preventing the occupant from colliding with a nearby occupant or a vehicle interior trim.

Specific embodiments of an airbag assembly and a vehicle seat assembly according to the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are used to illustratively explain the principles of the present application. The present application is not limited to the described preferred embodiments, and the scope of protection of the present application is defined by the claims.

In the following description, positional terms "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., are from the perspective of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat assembly. "First" and "second" are used as identifiers in this specification, and are not intended to indicate importance or order. <FIG> shows a perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly according to the present application, and <FIG> shows a side view of a vehicle seat assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the vehicle seat assembly includes a vehicle seat <NUM> and an airbag assembly <NUM>. The vehicle seat <NUM> includes a seat base <NUM> and a seat back <NUM> supported by the seat base <NUM>. The seat back <NUM> can rotate relative to the seat base <NUM> so that the angle of the seat back <NUM> relative to the seat base <NUM> can be adjusted to allow an occupant <NUM> to be seated comfortably.

The airbag assembly <NUM> includes an air bag <NUM> and a strap <NUM>. The air bag <NUM> can be made from any suitable material. For example, the air bag <NUM> can be made by weaving a polymer (for example, weaving nylon yarn). The air bag <NUM> is mounted to the vehicle seat <NUM>, and is capable of inflating from an undeployed state to a deployed state. In the deployed state, the air bag <NUM> extends along the head and torso of the occupant <NUM>, so as to surround the head and torso of the occupant <NUM>. Specifically, the air bag <NUM> has two side portions spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction, and a top portion for connecting the two side portions to each other. In the deployed state, the top portion is curved to be substantially U-shaped or V-shaped.

The air bag <NUM> has a front edge <NUM> and a rear edge <NUM>. The front edge <NUM> is spaced apart from the seat back <NUM>, and the rear edge <NUM> is connected to the seat back <NUM>. Thus, regardless of the angle of the seat back <NUM> relative to the seat base <NUM>, the air bag <NUM> can always be wrapped around the head and torso of the occupant <NUM> in all directions.

For example, the strap <NUM> can be made of nylon webbing. The strap <NUM> connects the air bag <NUM> to the vehicle seat <NUM>, and has a first section <NUM> and a second section <NUM>. In the deployed state, the strap <NUM> is tightened. The first section <NUM> is mounted to the air bag <NUM> on an outer surface of the air bag <NUM> in an extension direction of the air bag <NUM>, and the second section <NUM> extends on at least one outer side surface of the air bag <NUM> in a direction at an angle with respect to the extension direction of the air bag <NUM>. In this way, when the air bag <NUM> is deployed, the tightened strap <NUM> constrains the side surface of the air bag <NUM>, so as to reliably constrain lateral displacement of the air bag <NUM> from being overly large when the air bag <NUM> is subjected to lateral impact from the occupant. Thus, lateral displacement of the occupant can be effectively suppressed, thereby preventing the occupant from colliding with a nearby occupant or a vehicle interior trim.

The vehicle seat <NUM> has a diverting component for changing an extension direction of the strap <NUM>.

The diverting component is a pulley rotatably mounted the vehicle seat <NUM>, and the strap <NUM> extends around the pulley. By providing the pulley, resistance, to which the strap <NUM> is subjected during tightening, is reduced, so that when the air bag <NUM> inflates, the strap <NUM> is tightened smoothly.

Two side surfaces of the seat base <NUM> are each provided with a first pulley <NUM>, and the first pulley <NUM> is rotatably mounted to the seat base <NUM>. Two side surfaces of the seat back <NUM> are each provided with a second pulley <NUM>, and the second pulley <NUM> is rotatably mounted to the seat back <NUM>. Two end portions <NUM> of the strap <NUM> are respectively connected to side surfaces of the air bag <NUM>. For example, the end portion <NUM> of the strap <NUM> is connected to the air bag <NUM> by means of stitches, a rivet, a bolt, an adhesive, etc. When the air bag <NUM> is in the deployed state, on each side of the vehicle seat <NUM>, the strap <NUM> extends from the end portion thereof sequentially around the second pulley <NUM> and the first pulley <NUM>. In this case, on each side of the vehicle seat <NUM>, the strap <NUM> has two second sections <NUM> to constrain lateral displacement of the air bag <NUM>. Such an embodiment is suitable for a case where leftward and rightward displacement of the air bag <NUM> need to be constrained from being overly large. The airbag assembly <NUM> has the same configurations on left and right sides of the vehicle seat <NUM>.

In an alternative which is not part of the present invention, the left side (or the right side) of the seat base <NUM> has the first pulley <NUM>, and the left side (or the right side) of the seat base <NUM> has the second pulley <NUM>. One end portion <NUM> of the strap <NUM> is connected to the left side of the air bag <NUM>. On the left side (or the right side) of the vehicle seat <NUM>, the strap <NUM> extends from the end portion <NUM> sequentially around the second pulley <NUM> and the first pulley <NUM>. On the right side (or the left side) of the vehicle seat <NUM>, the other end portion <NUM> of the strap <NUM> is connected to the seat base <NUM>. In this case, on the left side (or the right side) of the vehicle seat <NUM>, the strap <NUM> has two second sections <NUM> to constrain lateral displacement of the air bag <NUM>. Such an embodiment is suitable for a case where only leftward (or rightward) displacement of the air bag <NUM> needs to be constrained from being overly large.

When the air bag <NUM> is in the deployed state, the second section <NUM> located between the end portion <NUM> of the strap <NUM> and the second pulley <NUM> extends in a direction at an angle with respect to the extension direction of the air bag <NUM>. For example, an extension direction of the second section <NUM> and the extension direction of the air bag <NUM> are perpendicular to each other. The air bag <NUM> has an intermediate portion in a vertical direction observed by the occupant <NUM>, and the end portion <NUM> of the strap <NUM> is substantially located at the intermediate portion.

When the air bag <NUM> is in the deployed state, the first pulley <NUM> is located in an extension direction of the first section <NUM> of the strap <NUM>. The two end portions <NUM> of the strap <NUM> may be respectively connected to positions in proximity to the front edge <NUM> of the air bag <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the first section <NUM> of the strap <NUM> is movable in the extension direction of the air bag <NUM>. In this way, resistance, to which the strap <NUM> is subjected during tightening, is reduced, so that when the air bag <NUM> inflates, the strap <NUM> is tightened smoothly. In an alternative embodiment, the first section <NUM> of the strap <NUM> can be fixedly connected to the air bag <NUM>. For example, the first section <NUM> is sewn on the air bag <NUM> along the periphery thereof.

Further, the first section <NUM> is substantially located at the front edge <NUM> of the air bag <NUM>. The air bag <NUM> is provided with an accommodation cavity extending in the extension direction of the air bag <NUM>. The strap <NUM> can pass through the accommodation cavity, and can move freely in the accommodation cavity. In an embodiment, a strip-shaped fabric is sewn on the outer surface of the air bag <NUM>, so as to form the accommodation cavity defined between the strip-shaped fabric and the outer surface of the air bag <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A vehicle seat assembly comprising a vehicle seat and an airbag assembly (<NUM>) for this vehicle seat, wherein
said vehicle seat comprises a seat base (<NUM>) having two side surfaces, and a seat back (<NUM>) having two side surfaces, said seat back (<NUM>) being supported by the seat base (<NUM>), and
said vehicle seat assembly comprises an air bag (<NUM>), mounted to the vehicle seat (<NUM>) and capable of inflating from an undeployed state to a deployed state, wherein in the deployed state, the air bag (<NUM>) extends along the head and torso of an occupant (<NUM>) in the vehicle seat (<NUM>), so as to surround the head and torso of the occupant (<NUM>);
characterized in that
the airbag assembly further comprises a strap (<NUM>), for mounting the air bag (<NUM>) to the vehicle seat (<NUM>) and having a first section (<NUM>) and a second section (<NUM>), wherein in the deployed state, the strap (<NUM>) is tightened, the first section (<NUM>) being mounted to the air bag (<NUM>) on an outer surface of the air bag (<NUM>) in an extension direction of the air bag (<NUM>), and the second section (<NUM>) extending on at least one outer side surface of the air bag (<NUM>) in a direction at an angle with respect to the extension direction of the air bag (<NUM>) and
the vehicle seat (<NUM>) has diverting components for changing an extension direction of the strap (<NUM>), said diverting components being pulleys rotatably mounted on the vehicle seat (<NUM>),
wherein
the two side surfaces of the seat base (<NUM>) are each provided with a first pulley (<NUM>); and
the two side surfaces of the seat back (<NUM>) are each provided with a second pulley (<NUM>), and
two end portions (<NUM>) of the strap (<NUM>) are respectively connected to side surfaces of the air bag (<NUM>), and in the deployed state, on each side of the vehicle seat (<NUM>), the strap (<NUM>) extends from the end portion (<NUM>) of the strap (<NUM>) sequentially around the second pulley (<NUM>) and the first pulley (<NUM>).