Air bag device for driver's seat

• US 10,434,972 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Do Hyoung, Park, Hae Kwon, Ko, Seokhoon
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US15/798,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20180134245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 280731, 2807431, 2807432
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An air bag device for a driver'"'"'s seat may include a main-cushion unit provided on a steering wheel and having a front chamber that comes into contact with the steering wheel and a rear chamber that faces a driver, a sub-cushion unit communicating with the main-cushion unit and protruding outwards from the main-cushion unit, and a guide chamber located in the main-cushion unit to define a passage for guiding gas produced in an inflator to the sub-cushion unit.

Claims

1. An air bag device comprising:

a main-cushion unit provided on a steering wheel, and comprising a front chamber that comes into contact with the steering wheel and a rear chamber that faces a driver'"'"'s seat;

a sub-cushion unit communicating with the main-cushion unit, and protruding outwards from the main-cushion unit; and

a guide chamber located in the main-cushion unit to define a passage for guiding gas produced in an inflator to the sub-cushion unit,

wherein the main-cushion unit is configured to deploy to an upper side of the steering wheel, and the sub-cushion unit is configured to deploy downwards from an edge of the main-cushion unit facing the driver'"'"'s seat to face an outer surface of the steering wheel.

2. The air bag device of claim 1, wherein the sub-cushion unit comprises:

a sub-cushion body protruding outwards from the main-cushion unit and configured to be inflated by gas;

a first passage located between the sub-cushion body and the guide chamber to define a passage for guiding gas to pass through the guide chamber to the sub-cushion body; and

a second passage connecting the sub-cushion body with the main-cushion unit for guiding gas, which flows to the sub-cushion body and inflates the sub-cushion body, to the main-cushion unit.

3. The air bag device of claim 2, wherein the first passage comprises a hole through which gas flows in a shape of a membrane shielding an upper side of the sub-cushion body.

4. The air bag device of claim 2, wherein the second passage is provided on each of both sides of the first passage.

5. The air bag device of claim 4, wherein the second passage covers the upper side of the sub-cushion body, and has a hole through which gas flows.

6. The air bag device of claim 1, wherein the guide chamber defines a passage connecting the inflator with an inlet of the sub-cushion unit, and is secured to the front chamber.

7. The air bag device of claim 6, wherein the guide chamber comprises a discharge hole formed to supply gas to the main-cushion unit.

8. The air bag device of claim 1, further comprising:

a tether part formed in a shape of a band, and connecting the front chamber with the rear chamber to guide deployment of the main-cushion unit in a preset shape.

9. An air bag device comprising:

a main-cushion unit provided on a steering wheel, and comprising a front chamber that comes into contact with the steering wheel and a rear chamber that faces a driver'"'"'s seat;

a sub-cushion unit communicating with the main-cushion unit, and protruding outwards from the main-cushion unit; and

a guide chamber located in the main-cushion unit to define a passage for guiding gas produced in an inflator to the sub-cushion unit,

wherein the guide chamber is formed to extend along a vertical direction, and upper and lower portions of the guide chamber have different lengths with respect to a horizontal central line of the steering wheel.

10. The air bag device of claim 9, wherein a chamber width that is a width of the guide chamber is less than a wheel width that is a diameter of the steering wheel.