# US 12,109,972 B2 · Airbag apparatus and airbag system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,972 B2 - Document ID: US12109972B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/115,798 - Filed: 2023-03-01 - Published: 2023-09-07 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-03 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hidetoshi Nakamura; Kenji Komori; Kenyu Okamura; Osamu Ito; Hiroyuki Asanuma; Hyejin Bae - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109972B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/36: using airbags - B60R 21/013: including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over - B60R 21/0134: responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle {, e.g. using radar systems} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An airbag apparatus includes: a first left chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front left pillar which is located on a left side with respect to a vehicle width direction of a vehicle; a second left chamber that is expandable on the first left chamber; a first right chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front right pillar which is located on a right side with respect to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle; a second right chamber that is expandable on the first right chamber; and a gas supply unit that supplies a gas for expansion selectively to the first left chamber, the second left chamber, the first right chamber, and the second right chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airbag apparatus comprising: a first left chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front left pillar which is located on a left side with respect to a vehicle width direction of a vehicle; a second left chamber that is expandable on the first left chamber; a first right chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front right pillar which is located on a right side with respect to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle; a second right chamber that is expandable on the first right chamber; and a gas supply unit that supplies a gas for expansion selectively to the first left chamber, the second left chamber, the first right chamber, and the second right chamber, wherein a length of the second left chamber at a time of expansion in a direction along an extension direction of the front left pillar is smaller than a length of the first left chamber at a time of expansion, a length of the second right chamber at a time of expansion in a direction along an extension direction of the front right pillar is smaller than a length of the first right chamber at a time of expansion, the first left chamber and the second left chamber comprise a left pillar coverage portion that extends along an extension direction of the front left pillar, the first right chamber and the second right chamber comprise a right pillar coverage portion that extends along an extension direction of the front right pillar, at least part of the left pillar coverage portion of the second left chamber at a time of expansion is located on a right side with respect to the vehicle width direction relative to the left pillar coverage portion of the first left chamber at a time of expansion, and at least part of the right pillar coverage portion of the second right chamber at a time of expansion is located on a left side with respect to the vehicle width direction relative to the right pillar coverage portion of the first right chamber at a time of expansion, each of the first left chamber and the first right chamber has a hood coverage portion that covers an outer surface of a rear end portion of a hood included in the vehicle at a time of expansion, each of the second left chamber and the second right chamber has a hood coverage portion that covers an outer surface of a rear end portion of a hood included in the vehicle at a time of expansion, a connection portion connected to the gas supply unit is provided on each hood coverage portion, the gas supply unit comprises: a first gas supply portion that injects the gas supplied to any of the first left chamber and the second right chamber; a first opening/closing valve that is located between the first gas supply portion and the first left chamber; a second opening/closing valve that is located between the first gas supply portion and the second right chamber; a second gas supply portion that injects the gas supplied to any of the first right chamber and the second left chamber; a third opening/closing valve that is located between the second gas supply portion and the first right chamber; and a fourth opening/closing valve that is located between the second gas supply portion and the second left chamber, the gas supply unit further comprises: a first connection portion which connects the first gas supply portion to the second right chamber and on which the second opening/closing valve is provided; and a second connection portion which connects the second gas supply portion to the second left chamber and on which the fourth opening/closing valve is provided, and the gas supply unit further comprises: a first connection portion which connects the first gas supply portion to the second right chamber and on which the second opening/closing valve is provided; and a second connection portion which connects the second gas supply portion to the second left chamber and on which the fourth opening/closing valve is provided. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit further comprises a common connection portion that connects the first gas supply portion and the second gas supply portion to the second left chamber and the second right chamber, and the second open/close valve and the fourth open/close valve are provided on the common connection portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit further comprises: a first outside communication portion that is capable of externally discharging the gas in the expanded first left chamber; and a second outside communication portion that is capable of externally discharging the gas in the expanded second right chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An airbag system comprising: an airbag apparatus according to claim 1; and a control device that controls the gas supply unit. ### Claim 5 An airbag apparatus comprising: a first left chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front left pillar which is located on a left side with respect to a vehicle width direction of a vehicle; a second left chamber that is expandable on the first left chamber; a first right chamber that is expandable so as to cover an outer surface of a front right pillar which is located on a right side with respect to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle; a second right chamber that is expandable on the first right chamber; and a gas supply unit that supplies a gas for expansion selectively to the first left chamber, the second left chamber, the first right chamber, and the second right chamber, wherein when a collision energy of a risk object is lower than a predetermined threshold value, any one of the first left chamber and the first right chamber is expanded, and when the collision energy of the risk object is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the first left chamber and the second left chamber, or the first right chamber and the second right chamber are expanded. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The airbag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when a detection value equal to or more than an airbag apparatus expansion threshold value is input from a contact sensor without recognizing the risk object, the airbag apparatus expands in a two-side expansion mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The airbag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when a speed of the vehicle is in a second speed range on a higher speed side than a first speed range, both the first left chamber and the second left chamber, or both the first right chamber and the second right chamber are expanded. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The airbag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the airbag apparatus expansion threshold value is lowered depending on an object of collision.