Patent · US Expired

Side airbag apparatus

US6371513B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
24References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1999
Grant dateApr 16, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60R2021/23146
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A side airbag is housed together with an inflator containing a high pressure gas as a module in a door-side side portion of a seat. The side airbag is deployed into a space between the door and an occupant sitting in the seat, on the basis of an instruction signal from an airbag control device. An occupant sensor is disposed at a position that is located in an upper portion of a seatback of the seat and shifted from a center of the seatback with respect to directions of a width thereof toward a vehicle body center. By using the occupant sensor, it is determined whether an occupant is present at a seat of a vehicle, excluding a case where an occupant having a constitution smaller than a predetermined constitution is leaning against the side vehicle body portion. The airbag control device permits operation of the side airbag if presence of an occupant is detected by the occupant sensor. The control device prohibits operation of the side airbag if absence of an occupant is detected by the occupant sensor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.