Airbag package of an airbag for head protection

• US 10,562,481 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Shinji, Okuhara, Masaaki, Iida, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US16/058,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag package of an airbag for head protection includes a rolled portion formed by rolling a skin material of the airbag as laid flat, and a compressed region in which a void space formed at the center of the cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion has been crushed due to compression. The rolled portion includes, in the cross-sectional surface, an upper layered portion, a lower layered portion, and a pair of side layered portions that are disposed around the center of the cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion and each have layers of the skin material. In the compressed region, each of the side layered portions bends generally at the center in an up and down direction such that the bent regions butt against each other and are packed between the upper layered portion and the lower layered portion in such a manner as to fill the void space.

Claims

1. An airbag package of an airbag for head protection which is inflatable with an inflation gas for covering a window of a vehicle on an inner side of the window, the airbag package being formed by folding the airbag for storage in an upper periphery of the window, the airbag package comprising:

a rolled portion that is formed by rolling a skin material of the airbag from a lower edge towards an upper edge of the airbag as laid flat, the rolled portion includes, in a cross-sectional surface thereof, an upper layered portion, a lower layered portion, and a pair of side layered portions that are disposed around a center of the cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion and each have layers of the skin material of the airbag; and

a compressed region in which a void space formed at a center of the cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion has been crushed due to compression, the compressed region having such a cross-sectional shape that the upper layered portion, the lower layered portion and the pair of side layered portions have been brought close to the center of the cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion,

wherein the pair of side layered portions in the compressed region are disposed between the upper layered portion and lower layered portion; and

wherein each of the side layered portions in the compressed region bends generally at a center in an up and down direction thereof such that bent regions butt against each other and are packed between the upper layered portion and lower layered portion, thereby filling the void space.

2. The airbag package of claim 1, wherein:

the airbag as laid flat includes, above a region to form the rolled portion, an upper-reach region that is disposed in a farther upper reach of the inflation gas than the rolled portion; and

the airbag package further includes, on the upper layered portion of the rolled portion in the compressed region, a concertina portion that is composed of the upper-reach region folded in a concertina fashion.

3. The airbag package of claim 1, wherein the compressed region is disposed at a vicinity of a front end of the airbag package so as to be stored inside a front pillar of the vehicle which forms a front rim of the window.

4. The airbag package of claim 3, further comprising a non-compressed region at the rear of the compressed region.

5. The airbag package of claim 4, further comprising:

a boundary region of the compressed region and the non-compressed region, the boundary region enlarging in diameter from the compressed region with a small cross-sectional surface towards the non-compressed region with a greater cross-sectional surface; and

a covering member that is wound around the boundary region and is breakable at airbag deployment.

6. The airbag package of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the compressed region is generally a quadrilateral with four rounded corners.

7. The airbag package of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the compressed region is generally a circle.

8. A method of production of an airbag package of an airbag for head protection which is inflatable with an inflation gas for covering a window of a vehicle on an inner side of the window, the method of production comprising:

rolling a skin material of the airbag from a lower edge towards an upper edge of the airbag as laid flat so as to form a folded body that includes a rolled portion and a void space disposed at a center of a cross-sectional surface of the rolled portion, wherein the rolled portion includes, around a center of the cross-sectional surface, an upper layered portion, a lower layered portion, and a pair of side layered portions each of which has layers of the skin material;

providing a cavity that includes a bottom plane, a pair of side planes and an opening whose width is smaller than an outside dimension of the folded body of the airbag;

pushing the folded body of the airbag into the cavity such that the rolled portion is brought into contact with the bottom plane and side planes of the cavity; and

compressing the folded body towards the bottom plane of the cavity and forming a compressed region in which each of the side layered portions bends generally at a center in an up and down direction thereof between the upper layered portion and the lower layered portion, and bent regions of the side layered portions butt against each other and eliminate the void space of the rolled portion.

9. The method of production of an airbag package of claim 8, wherein:

the airbag for head protection as laid flat includes, above a region to form the rolled portion, an upper-reach region that is disposed in a farther upper reach of the inflation gas than the rolled portion; and

the method further comprises;

folding the upper-reach region in a concertina fashion on one or more folds to form a concertina portion;

placing the concertina portion on the upper layered portion of the rolled portion to finish the folded body; and

when pushing the folded body into the cavity before the compressing, making the folds of the concertina portion face towards the rolled portion.