Airbag

• US 10,053,047 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Jinnai, Ryosuke, Hotta, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/233,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/262 Elongated tubular diffusers, e.g. curtain-type

Abstract

An air bag includes an air bag main body and a guide member. The air bag main body includes an expansion portion that expands with expansion gas flowing from an inflator and a tubular connecting port, which is connected to the inflator by inserting a side of a gas outlet port of the inflator thereinto, to cause the expansion gas to flow into the expansion portion, and is formed of a sheet material with flexibility so as to be able to be folded. The guide member has a shape holding property of maintaining an opening state of the connecting port so as to be able to be attached to the connecting port of the air bag main body and guide the insertion of the inflator into the side of the gas outlet port.

Claims

1. An air bag that is connected to an inflator provided with a gas outlet port for ejecting expansion gas on a tip end side, the air bag comprising:

an air bag main body that is formed of a sheet material with flexibility so as to be able to be folded; and

a guide member that has a shape holding property,

wherein the air bag main body includes

an expansion portion that expands with expansion gas flowing from the inflator, and

a tubular connecting port, which is connected to the inflator by inserting a side of a gas outlet port of the inflator thereinto, to cause the expansion gas to flow into the expansion portion, and

wherein the guide member is attached to the connecting port of the air bag main body and maintains an opening state of the connecting port so as to be able to guide the insertion of the side of the gas outlet port of the inflator,

wherein the guide member includes an attachment hole that penetrates through inner and outer circumferences of the guide member,

wherein the connecting port of the air bag main body includes an attachment sheet portion that covers the attachment hole and a circumferential edge of the attachment hole on an outer circumferential side or an inner circumferential side of the guide member,

wherein the attachment sheet portion faces the sheet material constituting the connecting port of the air bag main body across the attachment hole;

wherein the air bag includes a welded portion that welds the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material constituting the connecting port together at the location of the attachment hole; and

wherein the guide member is attached to the connecting port with the welded portion.

2. The air bag according to claim 1,

wherein the guide member is formed into a tubular shape.

3. The air bag according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of attachment holes are formed in the guide member such that a plurality of welded portions are disposed around an axial center of the guide member so as to be separate from each other.

4. The air bag according to claim 1,

wherein the attachment sheet portion is disposed with a folded portion provided on a side of an opening end of the connecting port so as to cover the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side of the guide member, and

wherein the welded portion couples portions of the guide member on the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side at the attachment sheet portion.

5. The air bag according to claim 1,

wherein the guide member includes a position restriction portion that restricts a position of an inflator positioning portion when the inflator is inserted into the connecting port and defines an insertion position of the inflator.

6. The air bag according to claim 1,

wherein the guide member includes

a cover portion that covers a circumference of the gas outlet port of the inflator, and

a discharge hole that is disposed in the cover portion so as to be able to discharge the expansion gas while restricting a discharge direction toward a side of the air bag main body.

7. An air bag that is connected to an inflator provided with a gas outlet port for ejecting expansion gas on a tip end side, the air bag comprising:

an air bag main body that is formed of a sheet material with flexibility so as to be able to be folded; and

a guide member that has a shape holding property,

wherein the air bag main body includes

an expansion portion that expands with expansion gas flowing from the inflator, and

a tubular connecting port, which is connected to the inflator by inserting a side of a gas outlet port of the inflator thereinto, to cause the expansion gas to flow into the expansion portion, and

wherein the guide member is attached to the connecting port of the air bag main body and maintains an opening state of the connecting port so as to be able to guide the insertion of the side of the gas outlet port of the inflator,

wherein a bracket to be attached on a side of a vehicle body is assembled with the guide member,

the guide member includes an assembled recessed portion, and

the bracket includes an elongated assembled portion that outwardly projects from the bracket and that extends into, and mates with, the assembled recessed portion of the guide member to assemble the bracket with the guide member.

8. An air bag that is connected to an inflator provided with a gas outlet port for ejecting expansion gas on a tip end side, the air bag comprising:

an air bag main body that is formed of a sheet material with flexibility so as to be able to be folded; and

a guide member that has a shape holding property,

wherein the air bag main body includes

an expansion portion that expands with expansion gas flowing from the inflator, and

a tubular connecting port, which is connected to the inflator by inserting a side of a gas outlet port of the inflator thereinto, to cause the expansion gas to flow into the expansion portion,

wherein the guide member is attached to the connecting port of the air bag main body and maintains an opening state of the connecting port so as to be able to guide the insertion of the side of the gas outlet port of the inflator,

wherein the connecting port of the air bag main body includes an attachment sheet portion that is disposed on an either outer or inner circumferential side of the guide member, which side is opposite to the side that the sheet material forming the connecting port of the air bag main body is disposed, such that the guide member is disposed between the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material forming the connecting port; and

wherein the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material forming the connecting port are coupled together in order to attach the guide member to the connecting port without deviation in position.

9. The air bag according to claim 8, wherein:

the guide member includes an attachment hole that penetrates through inner and outer circumferences such that the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material forming the connecting port face each other across the attachment hole; and

the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material forming the connecting port are coupled together at the location of the attachment hole.

10. The air bag according to claim 9, wherein the attachment sheet portion and the sheet material forming the connecting port are coupled together by welding.

11. The air bag according to claim 8, wherein the attachment sheet portion includes a folded portion which is folded back at an opening end of the connecting port so as to cover the inner circumferential side and the outer circumferential side of the guide member.

12. The air bag according to claim 8, wherein a bracket to be attached on a side of a vehicle body is assembled with the guide member.

13. The air bag according to claim 12, wherein the bracket includes a holding portion that is able to hold the inflator as inserted into the connecting port.

14. The air bag according to claim 12, wherein:

a clamp is assembled with the outer circumferential side of the connecting port, and

the clamp fastens the connecting port around an outer circumferential surface of a vicinity of the gas outlet port of the inflator as inserted into the connecting port.