Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an airbag arrangement for a vehicle operable by a rider.

More particularly the invention relates to a vehicle operable by a rider and comprising: a seat configured to support the rider in a forward-facing riding position in which the rider sits astride the seat, wherein the vehicle is equipped with an inflatable airbag to provide protection to the rider in the event of an accident.

Background

Airbags are now very well known in the field of motor vehicles such as conventional passenger cars, and are now provided in a wide range of different forms in order to provide impact protection for the driver and other occupants of such a vehicle in the event of an accident such as a crash involving the vehicle. More recently, significant developments have also been made in the area of pedestrian and cyclist safety, for example by providing passenger cars with external airbags arranged to inflate over or across part of the exterior of the car so as to provide impact protection for a pedestrian or cyclist in the event that they are struck by the car or otherwise impact with the car.

Whilst the proliferation of airbags inside and outside modern motor vehicles has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of serious injuries to motor vehicle occupants and, to a lesser degree, pedestrians and cyclists, it remains the case that the risk of injury or death to the riders of so-called Powered Two- Wheeler (PTW) vehicles, such as motorcycles, remains high. One of the most common types of motorcycle accident is where the motorcycle strikes the side of a larger motor vehicle such as a passenger car. This type of accident can occur, for example, where the motor vehicle pulls out from a side-road, into the path of a motorcycle, and often arises due to the reduced visibility of the motorcycle, which of course is much smaller than most other vehicles such as cars, vans and trucks.

Whilst some attempts have been made to provide motorcycles with airbags which inflate in the event of a detected crash occurring, or being likely to occur, most suffer from significant drawbacks. One of the problems associated with providing effective airbag protection to the rider of a motorcycle, is that the rider is usually not restrained by a seatbelt or the like, such that the rider’s body can be thrown quite significantly in a number of different directions, under inertia, in the event of a crash involving the motorcycle, depending on the nature of the accident.

It is to be appreciated, however, that the risks noted above are not exclusive to the riders of motorcycles. Indeed, such risks are also present for the riders of other similar ‘rideroperated’ vehicles such as, for example, quadbikes or so-called All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), and motorised tricycles.

The present invention has been devised in light of the above considerations.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle operable by a rider and comprising: a seat configured to support the rider in a forward-facing riding position in which the rider sits astride the seat; and an airbag unit mounted in a mounting position in front of the seat; the airbag unit comprising an inflatable airbag which is initially provided in a package within the airbag unit, and which is arranged, upon receipt of a volume of inflating gas, to inflate into a deployed configuration located substantially in front of said riding position, characterised in that said airbag is shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration: a front region of the inflated airbag extends forwardly from said mounting position and away said riding position; and a rear region of the inflated airbag extends rearwardly from said mounting position towards said seat.

Optionally, said airbag is shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said rear region of the inflated airbag has a transverse width greater than the transverse width of the seat, so as to engage the hips of a rider in said riding position on the seat.

It is proposed that the vehicle may take the form of a so-called Powered Two-Wheeler (PTW), such as a motorcycle. However, the invention is not restricted to PTWs or motorcycles, and in other embodiments the vehicle can take the form of a quadbike or All- Terrain-Vehicle (ATV). The vehicle could also take the form of a motorized tricycle, for example.

Conveniently, said airbag is sized and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said rear region of the inflated airbag extends longitudinally rearwardly from said mounting position by a distance sufficient for the airbag to contact the hips and/or the lower torso of the rider sitting in said riding position on the seat.

It has been found that an airbag having the characteristics noted above provides improved protection for the rider of such a vehicle in the event of a crash occurring. Most notably, an airbag of this type is configured to couple to the hips of the rider very quickly upon actuation, which serves to restrain the rider’s hips, thereby effectively anchoring them in position relative to the vehicle seat, and resisting any tendency for the rider’s posterior to lift away from the seat under inertia. This, in turn, reduces the forward movement of the rider’s upper body (i.e. including the torso and head). In the case of a crash involving the vehicle impacting with a car, this reduces the likelihood that the rider’s upper body will reach the structure of the car, for example by being thrown over the handlebar of the vehicle, thereby reducing the risk of injury by striking the car. Furthermore, by engaging and bearing against the rider’s hips with the rear region of the airbag, the airbag also serves to guide (or ‘steer’) the front region of the airbag so that it can remain properly aligned with the rider’s upper body in the event that the rider is urged transversely relative the forward direction of the vehicle, as might be the case, for example, in an oblique impact with a car.

Optionally, said airbag may be packed into said package by a process involving: an initial packing step of rolling and/or folding the airbag to form an elongate interim package, followed by a subsequent packing step of rolling and/or folding the elongate interim package inwardly from each end of the interim package to create said airbag package.

Conveniently, said initial packing step involves at least one of: rolling and/or folding the airbag about a first axis; and rolling and/or folding the airbag about a plurality of first axes; such that said elongate interim package has a major axis substantially parallel to the or each said first axis; and wherein the airbag unit is mounted to the vehicle with the airbag package orientated such that the or each said first axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, said initial packing step involves rolling at least a region of the airbag about a said first axis such that said elongate interim package comprises a roll, and wherein the airbag unit is mounted to the vehicle with the airbag package orientated such that said roll is wound in a clockwise sense as viewed from the right-hand side of the vehicle and is wound in a counter-clockwise sense as viewed from the left-hand side of the vehicle. In alternative embodiments it is envisaged that the airbag unit may be mounted to the vehicle with the airbag package orientated such that said roll is wound in a counter-clockwise sense as viewed from the right-hand side of the vehicle and is wound in a clockwise sense as viewed from the left-hand side of the vehicle.

Conveniently, said initial packing step involves: i) rolling said front region of the airbag about said first axis to create said roll, and ii) folding said rear region of the airbag about a plurality of parallel axes to create a folded region of the airbag adjacent said roll, and/or rolling said rear region of the airbag about an axis parallel to said first axis to create a rolled region of the airbag adjacent said roll; such that said elongate interim package comprises both said roll and said folded region and/or said rolled region.

Optionally, said subsequent packing step involves at least one of: rolling said elongate interim package inwardly from each end about a respective second axis; and folding said elongate interim package inwardly from each end about a plurality of second axes; wherein said second axes are substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the major axis of said elongate interim package; and wherein the airbag unit is mounted to the vehicle with the airbag package orientated such that said second axes are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

By creating the interim airbag package the manner noted above, and then rolling and/or folding the elongate interim package inwardly from each end of the interim package to create the airbag package, the airbag is packed in such a manner that it will deploy with favourable characteristics when it is inflated upon actuation. For example, this packing arrangement ensures that the full width of the rear portion of the airbag will be achieved very rapidly upon deployment of the airbag, thereby engaging the rider’s hips and anchoring them very quickly, at an early stage in the crash. Thereafter, the major front region of the airbag will inflate so as to offer protection for the rider’s upper body. The above-noted winding direction used to create the interim airbag package helps to ensure that the front region of the airbag will remain relatively low as it inflates across the top of the vehicle in front of the rider, thereby avoiding the risk that the front region of the airbag will impede the rider’s vision or control of the vehicle, or deploy into an undesirable position relative to the vehicle or rider.

Conveniently, the airbag may be shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, at least said rear region of the inflated airbag has a transverse width greater than the hip-width of a 95th percentile adult male crash test dummy sitting in said riding position on the seat. This ensures that the rear portion of the airbag is of sufficient size when inflated to effectively engage the hips of a larger than average rider of the vehicle, thereby covering the vast majority of likely rider sizes.

Optionally, said airbag comprises an inlet arranged to receive a flow of inflating gas into the airbag from an inflator, and an internal deflector positioned in front of the inlet aperture so as to direct a said flow of inflating gas towards said rear region of the airbag to thereby promote early inflation of the rear region in advance of the front region upon deployment.

Said inlet aperture may be positioned proximal to a rear edge of the airbag and distal to a front edge of the airbag so as to be located between said front and rear regions of the airbag, and said internal deflector may be located proximate said inlet aperture and configured to direct said flow of inflating gas towards opposing sides of said rear region of the airbag upon deployment.

Optionally, said airbag comprises upper and lower layers of flexible material (for example woven fabric) which are interconnected to define an inflatable chamber therebetween, and wherein said internal deflector comprises a piece of flexible material (also, for example, woven fabric) connected to each said layer so as to extend therebetween and across the inflatable chamber. Alternatively, said internal deflector may be defined by a seam interconnecting said layers within and across said inflatable chamber.

The mounting position of the airbag unit may be transversely located between the transverse positions of the rider’s thighs in said riding position. This ensures effective deployment of the airbag relative the rider, and most notably relative to the rider’s hips.

In some arrangements, the mounting position of the airbag unit may be longitudinally located between the longitudinal positions of the rider’s hips and the rider’s knees in said riding position. This also helps to ensure effective deployment of the airbag relative the rider, and most notably relative to the rider’s hips.

Conveniently, the airbag is shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said front region of the inflated airbag has a greater longitudinal dimension than said rear region of the inflated airbag. This configuration ensures that the front region of the inflated airbag will provide effective protection to the rider’s upper body, which of course will move forwardly under inertia in the event of a front impact, hinging about the rider’s hips. In many configurations, it is envisaged that the vehicle will have a fuel tank provided within a housing located in front of said seat. In such cases, it is envisaged that the airbag unit may conveniently be mounted to, or within, a rear region of said fuel tank housing. This has been found to provide an optimum location from which to deploy the airbag given its proximity to the front of the seat, and thus the rider’s hips, in many such vehicles.

The airbag may be shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, the front region of the inflated airbag extends forwardly from said mounting position and away said riding position so as to extend over said fuel tank housing. This provides effective protection to the rider’s torso by preventing the torso from striking the hard structure of a typical fuel tank housing.

The vehicle may have a handlebar arranged to be operated by a rider in said riding position to control the vehicle, and in such cases the airbag may be shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said front region of the inflated airbag extends forwardly from said mounting position and away said riding position so as to extend over and past said handlebar. This provides effective protection to the rider’s torso by preventing the torso from striking the hard structure of a typical handlebar arrangement, and ensures sufficient coverage of the airbag having regard to the likely range of movement of the rider’s upper body under inertia in the event of a frontal impact.

Of course, such a handlebar typically comprises a pair of hand grips which are transversely spaced-apart along the handlebar by a grip-width, and so the airbag may be shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said front region of inflated airbag has a transverse width, at least in the region of the longitudinal position of said handlebar, which is less than said grip-width. This type of configuration allows the front region of the airbag to deploy between the rider’s arms when the rider is in a normal riding position, thereby reducing the risk of the rider’s hands being knocked from the hand grips, which could be dangerous.

Optionally, said airbag is shaped and configured such that when inflated into said deployed configuration, said front region of the inflated airbag is waisted in the region of the longitudinal position of said handlebar so as to be narrower in said region than elsewhere. This type of configuration allows the front region of the airbag to achieve maximum coverage of the underlying structure of the vehicle without striking the rider’s arms or hands which, as noted above, could knock the rider’s hands from the hand grips and affect his or her control over the vehicle.

Summary of the Figures

So that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is schematic view showing a motorcycle immediately prior to impact with a motor vehicle in the form of a car;

Figure 2 is a plan view from above showing an uninflated airbag in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional showing part of a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, in the form of a motorcycle equipped with an airbag;

Figure 4 is a perspective illustration showing an initial rolling step involved in packing the airbag illustrated in Figure 2, for installation in a vehicle as illustrated in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective illustration showing subsequent stage of the rolling step illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective illustration showing the airbag rolled and folded into an interim package as part of the packing process;

Figure 7 is a perspective illustration showing a subsequent packing step; Figure 8 is a perspective illustration showing a subsequent stage of the packing step illustrated in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective illustration showing a further stage of the packing step illustrated in Figures 7 and 8;

Figure 10 illustrates the airbag of Figure 2 packed into a package provided in a housing of the vehicle;

Figure 11 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 , depicting a vehicle in accordance with the present invention and showing the airbag in an initial stage of deployment; Figure 12 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 11, showing the airbag in a subsequent stage of deployment, and initial impact between the motorcycle and the car;

Figure 13 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 12, showing the airbag in a further subsequent stage of deployment, and a further stage of impact between the motorcycle and the car;

Figure 14 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 13, showing the airbag in a further subsequent stage of deployment, and a further stage of impact between the motorcycle and the car;

Figure 15 is a schematic view similar to that of Figure 14, showing the airbag in a further subsequent stage of deployment, and a further stage of impact between the motorcycle and the car;

Figure 16 is a schematic plan view from above, showing the deployed airbag in a further stage of impact between the motorcycle and the car, and showing the function of the airbag in providing protection to the motorcycle rider; and

Figure 17 is a schematic plan view similar to that of Figure 16, but which shows a motorcycle equipped with an airbag not in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures. Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Turning initially to consider figure 1, there is illustrated a so-called Powered Two-Wheeler (PTW) vehicle in the form of a motorcycle 1, and a motor vehicle in the form of a car 2. As is conventional, the motorcycle 1 comprises a seat 3 (sometimes referred to as a saddle), ahead of which is provided a fuel tank 4, and a handlebar arrangement 5. The motorcycle 1 is configured to be operable by a rider 6, with the seat 3 being configured to support the rider 6 in a forward-facing riding position in which the rider 6 sits astride the seat 3 as illustrated.

Although the invention is described below in detail in connection with a motorcycle, it is to be appreciated that the vehicle of the present invention can take other forms which are operable by a rider siting astride a seat of the vehicle such as, for example: a quadbike or All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV); a motorized tricycle or the like.

Figure 1 illustrates the motorcycle 1 being ridden by the rider 6 in a forwards direction, and shows a scenario in which the motorcycle 1 is about to crash into the side of the car 2, for example as might occur if the car 2 was to drive across the path of the motorcycle 1 at a road junction. The present invention is configured to offer the rider 6 improved protection in the case of an accident of this type in particular, but can also offer improved protection in the case of accidents of different types. As will be described in more detail below, the motorcycle 1 is equipped with an airbag unit comprising an airbag arranged to be inflated in front of the rider’s riding position in the event of one or more sensors (for example an accelerometer or other form of crash sensor) on the motorcycle detecting that an accident involving the motorcycle is occurring, or may be likely to occur.

Turning now to consider Figure 2, there is shown an airbag 7. The airbag 7 is illustrated in an uninflated condition prior to being packaged for installation in the motorcycle 1.

It is envisaged that the airbag 1 will typically be formed from two layers 8, 9 of flexible woven fabric which are superimposed and interconnected around their peripheral edges by a peripheral seam 10 to define an inflatable chamber between the two layers. The seam 10 may be formed as a conventional stitched seam. However, it is to be noted that in other embodiments, it is envisaged that the airbag 1 may be a so-called “One Piece Woven” airbag fabricated by a weaving technique in which the two layers 8, 9 of fabric are woven simultaneously, with yams of one layer 8 being interwoven with yarns of the other layer 9 around the periphery of the two layers to form an interconnecting seam 10 which is integral to the structure of both layers 8, 9.

In the airbag 7 illustrated in Figure 2, it will be noted that the two layers 8, 9 of fabric are of very similar shape and configuration to one another, which each being generally rectangular in form. As will be appreciated, the airbag 7 as a whole is thus generally rectangular in form also, having a longitudinal dimension which is somewhat greater than its transverse dimension. However, it will be noted that the particular airbag 7 illustrated in Figure 2 is configured, by virtue of the shape of its constituent layers of fabric 8, 9, to have a waisted region between its two end edges 11, 12, in which its transverse width is slightly reduced.

This waisted region is defined between aligned and opposing recesses 13 formed along the longitudinal side edges 14, 15 of the fabric layers 8, 9. In some embodiments, the two fabric layers 8, 9 of the airbag 7 may be interconnected by one or more additional internal seams 16, which may serve to at least partially sub-divide the internal chamber of the airbag 7 into a plurality of inflatable cells.

Figure 2 illustrates the airbag 7 in plan view from above. The lower fabric layer 8 (in this orientation) is provided with an inlet aperture 17 which is configured to receive a flow of inflating gas into the internal chamber of the airbag from an inflator (not shown in Figure 2) such as a gas generator. As will be observed, the inlet aperture 17 is positioned substantially on the longitudinal axis 18 of the airbag 7, proximal to the rear edge 12 of the airbag, and distal to the front edge 11. The region of the airbag between the inlet aperture 17 and the front edge 11 thus represents a front region 19 of the airbag, and the region of the airbag between the inlet aperture 17 and the rear edge 12 thus represents a rear region 20 of the airbag. The front region 19 has a greater longitudinal dimension than the rear region 20. As will also be noted, the waisted region of the airbag defined between the two recesses 13 is located within the front region 19 of the airbag.

It is proposed that the airbag 7 may be provided with an internal deflector 21 in front of and proximate to the inlet aperture 17, to direct inflating gas entering the internal chamber via the inlet aperture 17 towards opposing sides of the rear region 20 of the airbag 7, as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 2. The deflector 21 may, for example, be defined by an additional piece of fabric provided inside the internal chamber of the airbag and connected to each layers 8, 9 so as to extend across the internal chamber of the airbag and interconnect the two layers, as illustrated. Alternatively, it is envisaged that the deflector 21 may be defined by a short seam interconnecting the two fabric layers 8, 9 and extending parallel to the rear edge 12 and traversing the longitudinal axis 18 of the airbag. The deflector 21 serves to direct the inflating gas from the inflator (not illustrated) towards both side edges 14, 15 of the airbag in the rear region 20 of the airbag 7 to promote early inflation of the rear region 20 of the airbag slightly in advance of the front region 19. As will be appreciated, the initial flow of gas outwardly from the inlet aperture 17 towards the sides of the airbag will cause the rear region 20 of the airbag to begin to inflate, whereupon the airflow will then deflected forwardly, as also indicated by arrows in figure 2, so as to inflate the front region 19 shortly thereafter.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art of airbags, the airbag 7 described above and illustrated in Figure 2 is provided in the motorcycle 1 as a tightly packed package which is mounted to the structure of the motorcycle 1 in a suitable position from which to inflate upon deployment. Figure 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view through part of the motorcycle 1, illustrating a favoured mounting position for the airbag 7 relative to the seat 3, fuel tank 4, and the handlebar arrangement 5 of the motorcycle, with the rider 6 being omitted for clarity. As illustrated, the airbag 7 may be provided in a package as part of an airbag unit 22, with the unit also including the inflator 23 and being mounted to the structure of the motorcycle 1 in a mounting position located within a recess 24 in a rear region of the fuel tank housing 25. As will be appreciated, the airbag unit 22 is thus mounted immediately in front of the seat 3, and is thereby positioned to as to be: i) transversely located between the transverse positions of the rider’s thighs; and ii) longitudinally located between the longitudinal positions of the rider’s hips and knees, when the rider is in the riding position illustrated in Figure 1 in which the rider sits astride the seat 4 with their thighs extending to respective sides of the fuel tank 4.

Turning now to consider Figure 4, there is illustrated an initial packing step used to package the airbag 1 into the package illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows the airbag 1 upturned relative to the orientation illustrated in Figure 2, such that the lower layer 8 appears on top of the upper layer 9. Figure 4 also illustrates the fuel tank housing 25 of the motorcycle to so that the initial packing step may be more readily understood, although it is to be appreciated the airbag will normally be packaged into the package in the absence of the motorcycle to form the airbag unit 22, which may then be installed in the motorcycle on the motorcycle production line.

As illustrated in Figure 4, the front region 19 of the airbag 1 is initially rolled towards the inlet aperture 17 of the airbag, starting from the front transverse edge 11 of the airbag, about a first axis 26 which is substantially parallel to the front edge 11. Figure 5 shows the partially packaged airbag 1 following completion of this initial rolling step, from which it can be seen that the front region 19 of the airbag has been rolled into an elongate roll 27, with the rear region 20 of the airbag 1 yet to be packaged. Alternatively, instead of rolling the front region 19 of the airbag as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it is envisaged that in other embodiments of the invention, the front region 19 may instead be folded about a plurality of parallel axes which are each substantially parallel to the front transverse edge of the airbag.

The rear region 20 of the airbag 1 may then be folded in a concertina fashion about a plurality of axes substantially parallel to the axis 26 about which the front region 19 of the airbag is rolled, so as to form an interim package 28 comprising both said elongate roll 27 and the folded rear region 19 of the airbag. Alternatively, the rear region 20 of the airbag may be rolled about an axis substantially parallel to the axis 26 about which the front region 19 of the airbag is rolled, so as to form an interim package 28 comprising both said elongate roll 27 and the rolled rear region 19 of the airbag.

Figure 6 illustrates the interim package 28, resulting from the above-described rolling and concertina folding steps, relative to the fuel tank housing 25, as viewed from the rear and the right-hand side of the fuel tank housing 25. Figure 3 illustrates the cross-sectional form of the interim package 28, and more clearly shows the roll 27 formed from the front region 19 of the airbag, and the adjacent folded region 29 formed from the rear region 20 of the airbag 1. As will be appreciated, Figure 3 illustrates the motorcycle and airbag package in cross-section from the left-hand side of the motorcycle, with the roll 27 appearing to be wound in a counter clockwise sense. When viewed from the right-hand side of the motorcycle 1 , the roll 27 will of course appear wound in a clockwise sense. As will be appreciated, the first axis 26 about which the front region 19 of the airbag is rolled, and the axes about which the rear region 20 is folded, are all substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle.

Although not illustrated in the figures, it is to be noted that in alternative embodiments the front region 19 of the airbag may be rolled in the opposite sense to that described above, such that the resulting roll 27 would then appear to be wound in a clockwise sense when viewed in cross-section from the left-hand side of the motorcycle, and would appear to be wound in a counter-clockwise sense when viewed from the right-hand side of the motorcycle (i.e. the roll being opposite to what is illustrated in Figure 3).

Figures 7 to 9 show successive stages of a subsequent packing step in which the elongate interim package 28 shown in Figure 6 is rolled from each end (only one end roll being illustrated in Figures 7 to 9). Each end of the interim package 28 is rolled in this manner, about a respective second axis 30 which is substantially perpendicular to the major axis 28a of the elongate interim package 28.

Figure 10 illustrates completion of the subsequent packing step illustrated in Figures 7 to 9, which is effective to create the completed airbag package 31 which may then be installed as part of the airbag unit 22 in the recess 24 at the rear of the fuel tank housing 25. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the airbag package 31 may be retained in the packaged configuration illustrated in Figure 10 by a rupturable cover provided over the airbag unit to close the recess 24 of the fuel tank housing 25.

Turning now to consider Figure 11, a motorcycle 1 equipped with the packaged airbag 7 described above with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 to 10 is shown at the point of impact in a crash with a car 2. The airbag 7 is shown in an early stage of deployment following actuation of the inflator 23, upon receipt of an actuation signal from a crash sensor within the motorcycle 1. As will be noted, because the airbag unit 22 is mounted immediately in front of the seat 3, in the rear part of the fuel tank housing 25, the deployed position of the airbag 7 is located in front of the rider’s riding position. As noted above, the internal gas deflector 21 of the airbag 7 serves to focus the inflating gas directed into the airbag towards the sides of the rear region 20 of the airbag 7, thereby initiating early inflation of the rear region 20. Furthermore, the manner in which the airbag is packed into the package 31 further facilitates this desirable inflation characteristic. The two spiral rolls (shown in Figure 10) formed from the ends of the elongate interim package 28 initially unfurl, which allows the rear region 20 of the airbag to rapidly achieve its maximum inflated width, which is greater than the transverse width of the motorcycle seat 3. The concertina-folded region 29 (comprising the rear region 20 of the airbag) unfolds (beginning from its central region before the spiral rolls have fully unfurled, and continuing further across the width of the central region as the spiral rolls continue to unfurl), such that the rear region 20 of the airbag 7 extends rearwardly from the rear part of the fuel tank housing 25 towards the seat 3 and thus also towards the rider 6, so as to provide a cushion across the top of the rider’s thighs which are located to each side of the fuel tank housing 25 in the normal riding position. As the rear region 20 of the airbag unfurls and unfolds from the airbag package 31 in this manner, the inflating gas is then allowed to deflect forwardly (as indicated by the arrows in figure 2) so to begin to inflate the front region 19 of the airbag 7. During this stage of the airbag deployment, the front region 19 of the airbag unfurls from the roll 27 of the package, to as to extend forwardly from the airbag’s mounting position and the rider’s riding position, across the top of the fuel tank housing 25, and towards and subsequently over and past the handlebar 5 of the motorcycle as shown. Because of the rolling direction used to create the roll 27 during the airbag packing process, (in a counter-clockwise sense as viewed from the left-hand side as shown in Figure 3), the front region 19 is urged somewhat downwardly towards the fuel tank housing 25 as it inflates thereacross, and is thereby largely prevented from standing upwardly in front of the rider 6 which could risk the airbag not being properly positioned relative to the rider..

Figure 11 illustrates the airbag 7 in a partially deployed condition in which it will be seen that the rear region 20 is shown having greater inflated thickness than the front region 19 in this early stage of inflation. This is a consequence of the above-noted inflation characteristic arising from the internal deflector 19 and the packing technique used to create the airbag package 31. As can be seen in Figure 11 , the rear region 20 of the inflating airbag therefore rapidly achieves a transverse width (measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle 1 ) which is greater than the hip-width of the rider 6. This arises due to the dimensions of the airbag 7 itself. Advantageously, it is proposed that the airbag 7 should be sized so that at least the rear region 20 of the airbag achieves a transverse width when inflated which is greater than the hip-width (i.e. the hip to hip measurement) of a 95 ^th percentile adult male crash test dummy when sitting in the riding position. This feature, coupled to the rearward extension of the rear region 20 of the inflating airbag allows the airbag to rapidly couple with the rider's hips 33, across the top of the rider’s thighs 32, which has been found to be effective in preventing the rider's posterior from rising up from the seat 3 under inertia during the accident.

Also evident from Figure 11 is the proposed positional relationship between the recesses 13 (and the resulting waisted region of the airbag 7 defined therebetween) and the handlebar 5. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the handlebar 5 of a rider-operated vehicle such as a motorcycle is conventionally provided with a pair of handgrips 34, each handgrip being located at a respective end of the handlebar 5. The rider grips the handgrips 34 with their hands to operate the vehicle. It is proposed that the airbag 7 is configured such that the recesses 13 provided along its side edges 14, 15 (and thus the waisted region of the airbag defined therebetween) are arranged at the longitudinal position of the handlebar 5 when the airbag 7 is in its inflated and deployed configuration. Furthermore, it is proposed that the transverse width of the inflated airbag measured between the recesses 13 should be less than the grip-width (i.e. the distance by which the two hand-grips 34 are spaced-apart from one another along the handlebar 5). This arrangement means that the recesses 13 each become located generally adjacent a respective handgrip 34 when the front region 19 of the airbag 7 is inflated. This arrangement means that the front region 19 has a slightly narrower transverse width in the region of the handlebar 5 than elsewhere, thereby permitting the airbag to inflate between and around the rider’s arms and hands, thereby reducing the risk that the airbag 7 might knock the rider’s hands from the handgrips 34 during inflation, whilst permitting the rest of the front region 19 of the airbag to have a slightly greater transverse width to provide effective coverage over the fuel tank housing 25 and in front of the handlebar 5.

Figure 12 depicts a subsequent stage in the deployment of the airbag 7, and actually shows the airbag 7 substantially fully inflated into its deployed condition. The airbag 7 is shown in a condition in which its front region 19 is now substantially fully inflated so as to have significant inflated thickness across its entire extent.

Figure 13 depicts a subsequent stage in the crash, and shows the torso 35 of the rider 6 beginning to move forwardly relative to the rider’s hips 33 under inertia as the motorcycle 1 is rapidly decelerated due to its impact with the car 2. Because the rear region 20 of the airbag is firmly coupled and engaged with the rider’s hips 33, and across the rider’s thighs 32, it will be noted that the airbag 7 serves to prevent the rider’s posterior from rising up from the seat 3 to any significant degree. This helps to limit the degree of forward movement of the rider’s torso 35 across the top of the fuel tank 4, the handlebars 5, and towards the car 2. Additionally, it will be noted from Figure 12 that the forward extension of the front region 19 of the airbag over the handlebar 5 serves to permit the front region 19 of the airbag to impinge against the car 2 in a relatively early stage of the crash. This urges the front region 19 of the airbag upwardly, towards the forwardly moving head and torso 35 of the rider 6, effectively moving the airbag to meet the rider.

Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the motorcycle 1, rider 6, and airbag 7 in a later stage of the crash. As will be seen, the front region 19 of the airbag 7 serves to provide effective cushioning protection to the rider 6 from impact with the fuel tank housing 25, handlebar 5, and the car 2. As should be appreciated from Figure 16 in particular, the width and rearward extension of the rear region 20 of the airbag serves to anchor the airbag 7 against the thighs 32 and around the hips 33 of the rider 6. Not only does this help resist excessive upwards movement of the rider’s body from the seat 3, and thereby help resist forwards movement (and lateral movement in the event of an oblique impact crash) of the rider’s torso 35, but it also serves to somewhat align the front region 19 of the airbag with the rider’s body. In oblique impacts such as the one shown in figure 16, there will be a tendency for the rider’s torso 35 to be thrown laterally relative to the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle 1. However, an airbag 7 configured in the manner described above has been found to reliably and firmly anchor against the rider’s thighs 32 and hips 33, so as to ‘steer’ the front region 19 of the airbag with the rider’s torso 35 under such conditions. This helps to ensure that the front region 19 of the airbag 7 remains aligned with the rider’s torso 35, thereby improving the reliability of the airbag in providing effective cushioning protection to the rider. By way of contrast, Figure 17 illustrates an airbag lacking the rearwardly extending region proposed herein. As can be seen in comparison with Figure 16, the airbag of Figure 17 does not anchor effectively around the rider’s thigh’s 33, such that the front region of the airbag is not properly aligned with the rider’s torso 35. As can be seen in Figure 17, in this situation the rider’s torso impacts with the side of the airbag, and is at risk of slipping entirely off the cushion provided by the airbag during subsequent stages of the crash.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are provided for the purposes of improving the understanding of a reader. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Throughout this specification, including the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the words “have”, “comprise”, and “include”, and variations such as “having”, “comprises”, “comprising”, and “including” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by the use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term “about” in relation to a numerical value is optional and means, for example, +/- 10%.

The words "preferred" and "preferably" are used herein to refer embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits under some circumstances. It is to be appreciated, however, that other embodiments may also be preferred under the same or different circumstances. The recitation of one or more preferred embodiments therefore does not mean or imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure, or from the scope of the claims.